Memorial Day is an important and special holiday, but some people forget why we celebrate it. On the last Monday of May each year, people around the country gather and remember the men and women who've died while serving in the U.S. military. This educational book encourages readers to reflect on the sacrifices military personnel make to protect our country. This book also touches upon the more lighthearted side of the holiday and the different types of celebrations that people have each year. Featuring full-color photographs and accessible text, this book is sure to engage beginning readers.

When Marco attends a Memorial Day parade, he is surprised to see a familiar face among the veterans.

A song describes how people observe Memorial Day and the meaning of the holiday as a time to remember the members of the Armed Forces who fought for freedom as well as to celebrate the beginning of summer.

No historical event has left as deep an imprint on America's collective memory as the Civil War. In the war's aftermath, Americans had to embrace and cast off a traumatic past. David Blight explores the perilous path of remembering and forgetting, and reveals its tragic costs to race relations and America's national reunion.

HOLIDAYS & HEROES brings to life the people whose holidays we celebrate. Enriched with colorful illustrations, photographs, and other historical images, this series will engage and involve children in the stories behind our holidays and the people they honor. On the last Monday of May, when spring flowers are in bloom and summer is just around the corner, we pause to remember all the people in our Armed Forces who died while protecting our country, our freedoms, and us.

A moving tribute to the little-known history behind the first Memorial Day, illustrated by Coretta Scott King Award winner Floyd Cooper Today is a special day. Eli knows it’s important if he’s allowed to miss one second of school, his “hard-earned right.” Inspired by true events and told through the eyes of a young boy, this is the deeply moving story about what is regarded as the first Memorial Day on May 1, 1865. Eli dresses up in his best clothes, Mama gathers the mayflowers, Papa straightens his hat, and together they join the crowds filling the streets of Charleston, South Carolina, with bouquets, crosses, and wreaths. Abolitionists, missionaries, teachers, military officers, and a sea of faces Black, Brown, and White, they march as one and sing for all those who gave their lives fighting for freedom during the Civil War. With poignant prose and celebratory, powerful illustrations, A Day for Rememberin’ shines light on the little-known history of this important holiday and reminds us never to forget the people who put their lives on the line for their country. The book is illustrated by award-winning illustrator Floyd Cooper and includes archival photos in the back matter, as well as an author’s note, bibliography, timeline, and index.