by Kristin Levine
Summary:
It's the beginning of the school year in 1958 in Little Rock, and Marlee is not excited about it. She's not much of a talker you see, and this year she starts middle school, with teachers she's never met before, who probably will want her to talk. But on her first day of school she meets Liz, a new student who becomes her best friend. But when it's revealed that Liz is actually African American, both girls have to learn to stand up on their own and force those around them to realize that perhaps race shouldn't be a reason to dislike a person.
Review:
Lions of Little Rock is a book about great courage. Both girls demonstrate remarkable maturity throughout the book, even when those around them tell them they are in the wrong for being friends. The book is set during the height of the civil rights movement, the year after the Little Rock 9 had been allowed to attend a 'whites only' school. The book explains the hatred and fear that spread through the communities regardless of their views, and the worry that those who opposed segregation felt even as they worked to ban it. The book is a great read for tweens.
Age Level-5th-6th Grade
Genre: Historical Fiction
Showing posts with label Civil Rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Civil Rights. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Keeping Corner
by Kashmiri Sheth
Summary:
Leela's had a lucky life so far. Her parents spoil her, her brother loves her, and her husband and his family seem like they will truly treat her well when she goes to live with them in just a few months. You see Leela has been betrothed since she was a baby, was married at 9, and now that she is 13 she's not far from her anu, the ceremony which sends her from her parent's house to that of her husbands. But when her husband dies, all of that disappears. Now a widow, she is condemned to live the rest of her life alone and on the fringes of society. Her first year as a widow is a year of mourning, a year keeping corner inside her home. What she learns from a year inside might just give her the courage to break free of tradition and live a free life.
Review:
An interesting window into traditional Indian customs and life, Sheth's novel shows India on the brink of it's transition from British colony to free state. Ghandi features prominently in the book, not only because he was important at the time but also because his teachings are what help Leela see the world as a bigger picture and want to be a part of it instead of just a widow. The book addresses the clashes between modernization and traditions and the difficulty many have with melding the two.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 7-8th Grade
Summary:
Leela's had a lucky life so far. Her parents spoil her, her brother loves her, and her husband and his family seem like they will truly treat her well when she goes to live with them in just a few months. You see Leela has been betrothed since she was a baby, was married at 9, and now that she is 13 she's not far from her anu, the ceremony which sends her from her parent's house to that of her husbands. But when her husband dies, all of that disappears. Now a widow, she is condemned to live the rest of her life alone and on the fringes of society. Her first year as a widow is a year of mourning, a year keeping corner inside her home. What she learns from a year inside might just give her the courage to break free of tradition and live a free life.
Review:
An interesting window into traditional Indian customs and life, Sheth's novel shows India on the brink of it's transition from British colony to free state. Ghandi features prominently in the book, not only because he was important at the time but also because his teachings are what help Leela see the world as a bigger picture and want to be a part of it instead of just a widow. The book addresses the clashes between modernization and traditions and the difficulty many have with melding the two.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 7-8th Grade
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the struggle for equal rights
by Russell Freedman
Marian Anderson was one of the great singers of the mid-20th century. She performed all over the country and across Europe, and was heralded for her beautiful voice and singing style. She was also African American. Marian didn’t want her race to become a factor in her singing, but when she was barred from performing in the biggest concert hall in DC because of it, it became one. This book tells about her struggle to share the gift of her voice with any who wanted to hear it. It tells how she broke many boundaries and was the result many segregation rules changed in DC, and other places in the country.
Marian Anderson was above all else a performer. She wasn’t political in nature, but later in life became so. This book tells her story and about how above all else she wanted to sing. It is not a book strictly on the civil rights movement, but discusses how one woman who was fairly removed from it due to her growing up in the Northern states and living in non-segregated areas became a fairly prominent example of someone who had risen above a racial stereotype. It’s a well written book which will interest tweens who are interested in civil rights of personal achievement.
Marian Anderson was one of the great singers of the mid-20th century. She performed all over the country and across Europe, and was heralded for her beautiful voice and singing style. She was also African American. Marian didn’t want her race to become a factor in her singing, but when she was barred from performing in the biggest concert hall in DC because of it, it became one. This book tells about her struggle to share the gift of her voice with any who wanted to hear it. It tells how she broke many boundaries and was the result many segregation rules changed in DC, and other places in the country.
Marian Anderson was above all else a performer. She wasn’t political in nature, but later in life became so. This book tells her story and about how above all else she wanted to sing. It is not a book strictly on the civil rights movement, but discusses how one woman who was fairly removed from it due to her growing up in the Northern states and living in non-segregated areas became a fairly prominent example of someone who had risen above a racial stereotype. It’s a well written book which will interest tweens who are interested in civil rights of personal achievement.
Fight On! Mary Churchill Terrell's battle for immigration
by Dennis Brindell Fradin & Judith Bloom Fradin
Mary Church Terrell had a privileged upbringing. Not only did she graduate high school, but she was one of very few women who went to and graduated college. And she wasn’t just at college to find a husband, she was there to learn! What makes Mary’s accomplishment in this even more extraordinary, was the fact that she was African American. Mary didn’t stop her accomplishments with graduating college, she led the fight to stop segregation in Washington DC restaurants through picketing and lawsuits. She believed that just because her skin as a different color she should not be banned from eating in certain restaurants. She knew that it was only ignorance that led people follow segregation laws, and she was determined to show people they were wrong.
This book is an interesting read about a woman who broke a lot of barriers in her day. The fact that she had such a privileged upbringing and was so dedicated to making life better for others is very moving. She was well educated, which gave her arguments against segregation a lot more sway than they might have had otherwise. She is a very strong woman, which makes a book about her a great motivational tool for tweens of both genders. In addition, the book looks at segregation policies very frankly. It’s a great book about someone who isn’t as well known for her work during the civil rights movement, but should be.
Mary Church Terrell had a privileged upbringing. Not only did she graduate high school, but she was one of very few women who went to and graduated college. And she wasn’t just at college to find a husband, she was there to learn! What makes Mary’s accomplishment in this even more extraordinary, was the fact that she was African American. Mary didn’t stop her accomplishments with graduating college, she led the fight to stop segregation in Washington DC restaurants through picketing and lawsuits. She believed that just because her skin as a different color she should not be banned from eating in certain restaurants. She knew that it was only ignorance that led people follow segregation laws, and she was determined to show people they were wrong.
This book is an interesting read about a woman who broke a lot of barriers in her day. The fact that she had such a privileged upbringing and was so dedicated to making life better for others is very moving. She was well educated, which gave her arguments against segregation a lot more sway than they might have had otherwise. She is a very strong woman, which makes a book about her a great motivational tool for tweens of both genders. In addition, the book looks at segregation policies very frankly. It’s a great book about someone who isn’t as well known for her work during the civil rights movement, but should be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)