School Library Journal Review
| Gr 6-9-Beginning with a description of the sit-in at a Woolworth lunch counter in North Carolina in 1960, Weisbrot's text shows how the courageous spirit that undergirded these participants permeated the civil rights movement as a whole. He also describes other milestones, such as the 1961 Freedom Rides, the 1963 March on Washington, the 1964 Freedom Summer activities, and the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march. In each case, he tries to capture the intensity and dynamics surrounding these events. Intimate details are incorporated into the writing, which help to give readers a sense of the personalities involved. Challenges to the movement-both internal and external-are handled aptly. Black-and-white photographs liberally illustrate this book, and amply convey the mood of the nation at that time. One drawback is the limited amount of text devoted to Malcolm X, who appears only in the epilogue. This is somewhat ironic since the subtitle states the book covers the period through his assassination. Other than that, the author does a commendable job of exploring this period of social change.-Jeanette Lambert, Nashville Metropolitan Schools, TN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |
Booklist Review
| Gr. 7-12. Part of the Milestones in Black American History series, this is a coherent, matter-of-fact text that tells the story of the American civil rights movement. Beginning with the 1960 sit-in at the Greensboro, North Carolina, F. W. Woolworth store, Weisbrot follows the movement through the battle against20segregation and for equal rights, from Little Rock to Selma, in20buses and on foot. Black-and-white photographs support a lucid and moving account of the continuing struggle. The photographs aren't always fully captioned, no documentation is provided for the reported conversations, and the absence of standard references is a definite weakness. Still, this contains much useful background information, and the short list of suggested readings will enable students to investigate the subject further. A time line20and an introduction that supplies a historical framework are included. ~--Janice Del Negro |
Horn Book Review
| Dornfeld surveys the post-World War II period, which saw gradual consolidation of gains for African Americans in the military, in popular culture, and in a fledgling civil-rights arena. Numerous examples of the contributions of lesser-known as well as prominent African Americans who were determined to effect change are described. Black-and-white photographs are included. Bib., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |
