Happy MLK Day!! Do you have the day off? Your kids probably do. Do you do anything special to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? It is a day of service for many. I admit I don't usually do a day of service but I do like to review the work so many participated in for the Civil Rights Movement. And today I think we need to remember it more than ever and perhaps what it was like before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Today I am sharing a picture book that was coauthored by the subject of the book--a mostly unknown hero of the Civil Rights Movement. The book is Claudette Colvin: I Want Freedom Now! by Claudette Colvin and Phillip Hoose and illustrated by Bea Jackson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
From the Publisher:
Civil rights icon Claudette Colvin teams up with Phillip Hoose—author of the Newbery Honor and National Book Award-winning blockbuster biography Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice—to tell her groundbreaking story in this unforgettable picture book illustrated by New York Times–bestselling artist Bea Jackson.Montgomery, Alabama 1955. Fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin is tired. Tired of white people thinking they’re better than her. Tired of going to separate schools and separate bathrooms. Most of all, she’s tired of having to give up her seat on the bus whenever a white person tells her to. She wants freedom NOW! But what can one teenager do?
On a bus ride home from school one day, young Claudette takes a stand for justice and refuses to get up from her seat—nine months before Rosa Parks will become famous for doing the same. What follows will not only transform Claudette’s life but the course of history itself.
In the words of Claudette Colvin herself, as told to acclaimed nonfiction writer Phillip Hoose, this empowering, heroic story illustrates how one simple act of courage can create real and lasting change.
From Me:
I have read a few books (and reviewed at least one) about Claudette Colvin and I featured her in my #BlackLivesMatter Series. Until doing the series, I had never heard of Claudette Colvin. Her story is interesting, and, in this book, we get to hear her version! Claudette describes her feelings of being treated as less than the whites. She describes the day in her own words where she refused to give up her seat on the bus. This was months before Rosa Parks. She also describes her feelings as Rosa gets the press and fame for doing what she had done earlier. It also shares how she testified in the court hearing about the buses and helped get the segregation of the buses eliminated in Montgomery, Alabama.
This book is well written and shares her first handed view of the events. It is interesting to hear Claudette's view. The illustrations are also beautifully done. The book shares the parts of the bus boycott from Claudette's point of view. She was fifteen at the time. There of course were many other factor's going on including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. being there to help with it. This is not mentioned in this book. It is completely Claudette's story.
This book is perfect for anyone wanting to teach kids about the Civil Rights Movement as well as about the point of view of a Black teenager in Montgomery before and during the bus boycott. It also is a piece of history and can be used in a history lesson. There are so many ways this book can be used at home or in a classroom. I think it is perfect for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Black History Month. I also feel it is important for us to teach our children the real history and give them various sources and points of view. This book shares one and it is well written and a great resource!
However you are celebrating MLK Day, I hope you take time to remember all he stood for and did for our country. Take some time to teach your kids about the Civil Rights Movement and how it felt for the Blacks during segregation. For more books about segregation check out some of our other posts. For crafts, ideas, and books to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his work check out these posts.
