Annie Mae Jumps the Broom — Diane Williams

The history of the Ante-bellum South comes to life in an African-American tale of jumping the broom as a way of sealing a marriage contract. Christian weddings among slaves were scarce because of the obligation it placed on slave owners to keep families intact for the future. The art was carefully researched by an award-winning teenage artist, Anna Riphahn, who completed this, her third book, at age 17 before her tragic death in a car accident.