I couldn't play on the same playground as the white kids. I couldn't go to their schools. I couldn't drink from their water fountains. There were so many things I couldn't do.
In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. They protested the laws that kept black people separate from white people. Facing fear, hate, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world. Frank Morrison's emotive oil-on-canvas paintings this historical event to life, while Monica Clark-Robinson's moving and poetic words document this remarkable time.
"Clark-Robinson’s stirring debut unfolds through the resolute voice of a (fictional) African-American girl participating in the 1963 Children’s Crusade, during which young residents of Birmingham, Ala., marched to protest segregation.... The children’s refrains ('Singing the songs of freedom, one thousand strong we came') are displayed like banners across the pages, emphasizing collective strength in the face of brutal violence. The narrator’s conclusion, 'Our march made the difference,' serves as a powerful reminder for today’s readers about their own ability to fight for justice and equality." — Publishers Weekly
Recommended Age | 5 - 9 |
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Author | Monica Clark-Robinson |
Illustrator | Frank Morrison |
ISBN | 0544704525 |
Publication Date | Jan 2, 2018 |
Publisher | HMH Books for Young Readers |
Award Winners | Coretta Scott King Award |
Language | English |