Getting away with murder: the true story of the Emmett Till case

 
Getting away with murder: the true story of the Emmett Till case
by Chris Crowe
c 2003, 128 p.
Reading Level: 8+
 Interest Level: Grades 7 and up

In 1955, Emmett Till was a 14 year old African American  boy from Chicago who was visiting relatives in the Mississippi Delta. During a visit to a local grocery store owned by a young white couple, the Bryants. While hanging out on the porch of the store Till began telling stories and hinting at friendships and relationships that he had with white women in Chicago. Eventually one of the local boys challenged Till to ask Carolyn Bryant, who was working behind the counter alone, on a date. What transpired next ultimately led to the brutal murder of Emmett Till and is often cited as a major catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.

Crowe takes this extremely gruesome story and makes it accessible to young readers. The first half of the book does a thorough job of explaining the climate of the time, giving the reader the framework in which to understand how Emmett’s northern upbringing might have made him ignorant of the seriousness of the Jim Crow laws that were taken very seriously in the south. Pictures, including one of Till’s bloated corpse are plentiful, giving the reader a chance to experience the era visually as well.

The voice that challenged a nation: Marian Anderson and the struggle for equal rights

 
The voice that challenged a nation: Marian Anderson and the struggle for equal rights
by Russell Freedman
c2004, 114 p.
Reading Level: 8+
Interest Level: Grades 5+

Marian Anderson was an African American singer who loved to sing. Her talent was recognized by her church and school community at a young age and by age 10 she was asked to join the People’s Chorus, a choir of 100 of the best voices from black church choirs in Philadelphia. Andersen’s love for singing continued to grow as she did and eventually she was charging for public performances. After many years of professional education Andersen became an international success, traveling to Europe and singing in many different languages. Upon her return to the States, however, racism and prejudice was still everywhere. As Andersen’s popularity grew it became apparent that a large venue was needed for her to perform and  theDaughter’s of the American Revolution (DAR) were asked to use their Constitution Hall. When they denied the request based on a policy of disallowing African American performers there was public outcry. Even Eleanor Roosevelt withdrew her membership from the group in protest. On Easter, 1939 through the support of Mrs. Roosevelt and her friends, Andersen performed at the Lincoln Memorial to a crowd of 75,000.

This is a valuable book in the study of the American Civil Rights Movement because it provides a timeline on the struggle that African Americans faced. I think we often believe that the fight for equality did not begin on a large or public scale until the 1950s. Freedman presents this part of history in an accurate and accessible manner. He ends the book with chapter notes that reference his selected bibliography, allowing the curious reader or the student working on a report a place to go for more information.  

Malcolm X: by any means necessary

 
Malcolm X: by any means necessary 
A biography by Walter Dean Myers
c 1993, 210 p.
Reading Level: 8+
Interest Level: Grades 5 and up

Walter Dean Myers is a well known and prolific African-American author who writes books for the tween and YA set. In this biography of Malcolm X, he effectively combines the readability of his fiction books with facts, creating a biography that is compelling and one that I think most won’t want to put down.

Myers sets the stage for Malcolm X’s beliefs by showing us who his parents were and what their beliefs about the role of Blacks in America were. Through this lens, we are shown the injustices that Malcolm- and African Americans in general- faced and path that Malcolm traveled due to those injustices. 


The thing I appreciated most about this book is that it covers a part of the Civil Rights Movement that is often glossed over. Myers does not sugar coat nor apologize for the grittiness of Malcolm X’s rise to the leader of the Nation of Islam. Instead, he provides an insight as to why the circumstances in which he was raised created the man he became.

Through my eyes

 
Through my eyes
by Ruby Bridges
c 1999, 63 p.
Reading Level 5+
Interest Level: Grades 3-6

At 6 years old in 1960, Ruby Bridges was thrust into the spotlight when she became the first black child to be integrated into a white school. Surrounded by federal marshals, Ruby and her mother had to walk past mobs of angry protesters who were shouting racial slurs at her as she entered the school. On her very first day, Ruby sat in the office and witnessed angry white parents removing their children from school because of Ruby’s presence. The remainder of the book details Ruby’s first year at William Frantz School in Louisiana.

This book gives us not only Ruby’s history, but also a good understanding of the politics of that time and climate in which all of this was occurring. Background is given into the reasons for integration along with the people and groups fighting for it. We also learn about the segregationists’ and groups like the Cheerleaders and Ku Klux Klan who were part of that movement.

Quotes on the bottom of nearly every page coupled with vivid sepia toned photographs set the stage visually and the tone of this book is very like that of a child’s making this memoir a moving read. This book would be good for kids interested in the Civil Rights Movement. The material contained makes it useful for reports, but that use is limited because there is no index.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 
Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Christine Hatt
c2004, 64p.
RL: 9+
IL: Grades 6-9

While there are many books for tweens on Martin Luther King, Jr. this one stands out from the rest due to its format. The first half of the book is like many others, following him from childhood to the day he was assassinated. It discusses his motivations to becoming a preacher as well as those that shaped him into an activist in the black civil rights movement. It features many photos making it visually appealing as well as sidebars which discuss “bigger picture” items, allowing the reader to place King’s life in the context of the times.

The true strength of this book, however, lies in the second half. This section is entitled “Judge for yourself” and asks a series of questions such as, “Nonviolence- effective or naive” and then takes two pages to argue each side. Each argument is backed up by sources, which are listed with pertinent quotes in side columns.  As noted in the introduction to the book, “facts and statistics can be used to support completely different views.” The “Judge for yourself” section effectively allows the reader to see that in action.

This book is appropriate for the curious as well as the student needing solid information for a report.

Chinese Cinderella Booktalk

Chinese Cinderella

By: Adeline Yen Mah


Summary: Adeline is the youngest of four siblings.  Her mother died right after her birth, so her family believes she is bad luck.  Although her grandparents and her aunt love her and treat her well her father, stepmother, and siblings all treat her without respect, as a second-class member of the family.  When her father and stepmother have children of their own, their treatment of Adeline becomes even worse.  Although her family is rich, Adeline is served peasant food, while her family eats fancy things, she isn't allowed to money to take the streetcar to school, no matter how bad the weather is, and she isn't allowed to visit her friends, nor are they allowed to visit her.  One day, her stepmother loses patience with her, and sends her off to a boarding school where Adeline is all but forgotten by her family.  Although there are small moments of hope throughout her young life, Adeline is always considered the ugly stepchild.


Interest Level: 4th-8th Grades

Mah, A.Y.  (1999).  Chinese Cinderella: The true story of an unwanted daughter.  New York: Random House.

Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo

By: Zlata Filipovic


Summary: Zlata's is one of the few stories we have about what it was like to live in Sarajevo during the war in the 1990s.  This is the actual diary she kept throughout the war.  Her child's perspective of the situation is both heart-rending and amazingly perceptive for her age.  Zlata and her family live through nearly constant shelling, the death of friends, acute food shortages, and coming under sniper fire just to cross the bridge to visit family.  School is cancelled, and water, electricity, gas, and firewood are scarce.  Zlata's life becomes one of relishing small but wonderful gifts, like a chocolate bar, or a neighbor who shares enough electricity with them for one light in the kitchen.  Through these blessings and the love of family and friends, Zlata is able to make it through the war.


Interest Level: 4th-8th Grades

Filipovic, Z.  (1994).  Zlata's diary: A child's life in Sarajevo.  New York: Penguin.

When I Was A Soldier

By: Valerie Zenatti


Summary: Valerie has just graduated from high school in Israel, which means she must go and serve a compulsory two years in the military.  She doesn't want to leave her friends, but she has just broken up with her boyfriend, and is kind of looking forward to the distraction.  Upon her arrival at the base, she is immediately thrust into the disciplined lifestyle.  She is in training for 16 hours a day with only 20 minute breaks for less than palatable meals.  After general training, she undergoes specialty intelligence training to monitor the Jordanian air force, where she is drilled relentlessly day after day.  In the meantime, a seeming reconciliation with her boyfriend goes awry, and Valerie falls apart.  But, in the tough Israeli manner displayed in this book, she is soon able to pick up the pieces, then continues to excel at her post.


Interest Level: 6th-12th Grades  Note:  While his title is written for older teens, the writing style and content make it accessible to tweens as well.  There are some references to sex, but nothing explicit.

Zenatti, V.  (2005).  When I was a soldier.  (A. Hunter, Trans.).  New York: Bloombury.  (Original work published 2002.

Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood

By: Ibtisam Barakat


Summary: Ibtisam is Palestinian.  She is only three years old when the Six Days War with Israel begins.  As her village is coming under attack, her family flees on foot through the night to Jordan, where they live for the next several months as refugees.  When Ibtisam's family is finally allowed to return to Ramallah, their home town, they find that the Israeli military has set up an encampment close to their home.  There is frequent gunfire, and they fear for their lives.  In order to protect them, Ibtisam's mother puts her children into orphanages, but here, life is even more miserable.  Her father fortifies their house and the family moves back home.  They feel a bit safer now, and life starts to return to normal.  Ibtisam has a pet goat, she goes to school, and a circumcision celebration is held for her brothers.  But, no matter how normal things seem, throughout her childhood, Ibtisam can never forget that she is not completely free.  The Israeli army is always there, and she never knows when they might decide to crack down on the Palestinians.

Interest Level: 6th-9th Grades

Barakat, I.  (2007).  Tasting the sky: A Palestinian childhood.  New York: Melanie Krupa Books.

The Endless Steppe: Growing Up In Siberia

By: Esther Hautzig


Summary: Esther lived in Poland until she was 10 years old.  Her life changed forever one day during World War 2 when soldiers came to her house and took her parents, grandmother, and arrested them for deportation to Siberia.  To get there, her family spent weeks crammed into a cattle car on a train with other families, with little to eat or drink and no bathroom.  When they finally arrived in Siberia, they were put to work in a gypsum mine.  The work was difficult and they still had little to eat.  After a while, amnesty was declared for all Polish deportees in Russia.    They had to stay in Siberia, but they could get jobs and move into town, Esther could even go to school.  Life was still very hard, though.  The weather was unforgiving and there was rarely enough food to eat, and to make matters worse, Esther's family soon found that they were not really free.  They could not practice their religion openly, and the Polish Jews were asked to spy on one another.  For five years, Esther's family had to remain in Siberia, struggling to survive and always hoping for the best.

Interest Level: 4th-8th Grades

Hautzig, E. (1968).  The endless steppe: Growing up in Siberia.  New York: Thomas Y. Crowell.