Skip to main content

Birmingham, 1963

By

BIRMINGHAM, 1963; Carole Boston Weatherford; Honesdale, PA: Wordsong, 2007; 39 pgs. Nonfiction.

Of all the tragic events of the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s, none was harder to bear than the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church which killed four young girls. Ms. Weatherford retells this often told story (see The Watsons go to Birmingham, by Christopher Paul Curtis) with stark economy through the eyes of a young girl who was in church, but didn't follow the older girls into the bathroom because she didn't think they would want her there. Black and white pictures of the time are juxtaposed with blood-red graphics, and the homely artifacts of the girls' lives--birthday candles, a single shoe, a game of jacks--deepen the sorrow. Birmingham, 1963 is an excellent book for explaining the gains and sorrows of the day, when America began her painful shift toward equality and justice for all.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

By loo
Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.
Post a Comment
Read more

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

By
If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The New Girl

By
The New Girl By Cassandra Calin New York: Graphix, 2024. Comic. 261 pages. 12-year-old Lia and her family have just moved from Romania to Montreal, and she's doing her best to keep up with the changes. But, she's homesick. She misses the rest of her family, her friends, and her favorite Romanian treats. She doesn't speak French and her English is shaky, which makes it hard to make friends, even in her international immersion class. And she's dealing with super painful menstrual cramps every month. But before long, Lia starts to hit her stride. She befriends the other bilingual girls in her class, she gets a spot as the artist for her school's magazine, and even has a new crush -- Julien. Though she may be the new girl, Lia is starting to fit in. This slice of life graphic novel is an adorable choice for middle grade readers and young teens. Lia is a likable protagonist and readers will have little difficulty relating to her adjustment to school. The text speaks to a...
Post a Comment
Read more