Phillip Hoose Books In Order – Phillip Hoose writes articles, essays, songs, and award-winning books that span history, activism, and storytelling. He earned the National Book Award for Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice and wrote The Race to Save the Lord God Bird, which won multiple honors. His book We Were There Too! became a National Book Award Finalist and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Hoose also co-wrote the beloved picture book Hey, Little Ant with his daughter Hannah, based on a song he created with his daughter Ruby. The book has sold over a million copies in ten languages worldwide.
Phillip Hoose loves baseball, a passion he shares in Perfect Once Removed: When Baseball Was All the World to Me, named one of Booklist’s Top 10 Sports Books of 2007. He also wrote Hoosiers: The Fabulous Basketball Life of Indiana. Hoose studied at Indiana University and earned a degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Sciences. Since 1977, he has worked with The Nature Conservancy to help protect endangered species. A songwriter and performing musician, Hoose co-founded the Children’s Music Network and plays in the band Chipped Enamel. Born in South Bend, Indiana, he now lives in Portland, Maine.
In The Race to Save the Lord God Bird, Hoose tells the riveting, tragic story of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and the people who sought to save it. Blending art, science, and history, the book explores conservation efforts from Audubon to Cuban scientists, earning the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and widespread acclaim.
Phillip Hoose brings history to life in Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (2009), an inspiring account of a young civil rights hero. On March 2, 1955, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama—nine months before Rosa Parks did the same. While the public celebrated Parks, Claudette faced isolation from her peers and rejection from local leaders. Undeterred, she stood firm and became a key plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the landmark case that struck down Montgomery’s bus segregation laws and helped dismantle Jim Crow in the South.
Based on interviews with Colvin and others, Hoose crafts a powerful, deeply researched portrait of a courageous teenager who helped change history. This compelling book not only tells Claudette’s story but also captures the spirit of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the legal battles that reshaped American civil rights.
Phillip Hoose Books In Order
Publication Order of Children’s Books
| Book Title | Year | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Hey, Little Ant(With: Debbie Tilley,Hannah Hoose) | (1998) | Buy Now |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
| Book Title | Year | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| We Were There, Too!: Young People in U.S. History | (1980) | Buy Now |
| Building an Ark | (1981) | Buy Now |
| Hoosiers: The Fabulous Basketball Life of Indiana | (1986) | Buy Now |
| Necessities: Racial Barriers in American Sports | (1989) | Buy Now |
| It’s Our World, Too! | (1993) | Buy Now |
| The Race to Save the Lord God Bird | (2004) | Buy Now |
| Perfect, Once Removed: When Baseball Was All the World to Me | (2006) | Buy Now |
| Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice | (2009) | Buy Now |
| Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 | (2012) | Buy Now |
| The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club | (2015) | Buy Now |
| A History of Medicine in 50 Discoveries(With: Gale Eaton,Marguerite Vigliani) | (2017) | Buy Now |
| Attucks!: Oscar Robertson and the Basketball Team That Awakened a City | (2018) | Buy Now |
| Duet: Our Journey in Song with the Northern Mockingbird | (2022) | Buy Now |
Phillip Hoose Biography
Life – Phillip Hoose was born in South Bend, Indiana, and grew up in South Bend, Angola, and Speedway. He attended Indiana University and later graduated from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. For 37 years, he worked with The Nature Conservancy, helping to protect Earth’s natural communities. Hoose lives in Portland, Maine, with his wife, artist Sandbi Ste. George. They have two grown daughters, Hannah and Ruby. A songwriter and performing musician, Hoose co-founded the Children’s Music Network and plays in the band Chipped Enamel, blending his passion for music with his dedication to storytelling and advocacy.
Writing Career – Phillip Hoose co-authored Hey, Little Ant (1998) with his daughter Hannah, based on a song inspired by his daughter Ruby. The book earned the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. He wrote It’s Our World, Too! (1998), which won a Christopher Award for affirming the highest values of the human spirit. His book We Were There, Too! (2001) became a National Book Award finalist and was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. In The Race to Save the Lord God Bird (2004), Hoose told the story of the ivory-billed woodpecker, earning the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. He won the National Book Award for Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (2009), a powerful account of a young civil rights activist. Moonbird (2012) followed a record-breaking migratory bird and became a YALSA Nonfiction finalist. In The Boys Who Challenged Hitler (2015), Hoose told the true story of teenage Danish resisters who defied the Nazi occupation.
Short Notes on Phillip Hoose Books
1. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
On March 2, 1955, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her classmates shunned her, and community leaders dismissed her, but she stood firm. A year later, she helped challenge segregation as a key plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle. In Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, Phillip Hoose draws from interviews to tell her powerful story and its impact on the Montgomery bus boycott and civil rights history.
2. The Race to Save the Lord God Bird
In The Race to Save the Lord God Bird, Phillip Hoose traces the dramatic story of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and the people who tried to claim, paint, kill, sell, or ultimately save it. Hoose brings to life two centuries of history, from Audubon to scientists like Arthur A. Allen and James Tanner, whose efforts sparked one of America’s first major conservation battles. As hope faded in the U.S., Cuban scientists joined the race after a 1987 sighting. Hoose’s vivid storytelling earned widespread acclaim and major awards.
3. The Boys Who Challenged Hitler
At the start of World War II, fifteen-year-old Knud Pedersen, ashamed of Denmark’s surrender, formed the Churchill Club with schoolmates to fight the Nazis. They carried out bold sabotage missions until the Germans captured them. Phillip Hoose tells their courageous story, which helped ignite the Danish resistance.
FAQ on Phillip Hoose
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Who is Phillip Hoose?
Phillip Hoose is an award-winning American author, songwriter, and conservationist. He writes nonfiction and fiction, primarily for young readers, and often focuses on social justice, activism, history, and the environment.
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What topics does Phillip Hoose write about?
He writes about youth activism, environmental conservation, civil rights, history, and social justice. His work often highlights the power of young people to create change.
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Phillip Hoose is best known for which book?
He is best known for Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, which won the National Book Award and was a Newbery Honor book. He is also known for The Race to Save the Lord God Bird and The Boys Who Challenged Hitler.
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