Audrey was a young girl when Mike, Martin Luther King, visited with her family in Birmingham. Listening to the news, hearing the adults talk about all the problems with segregation, Audrey knew she wanted to do something to change things. She became the youngest of the students who participated in the Children's March and were jailed in Birmingham in May 1963. Author Cynthia Levinson was able to speak with Audrey and other marchers, as well as doing other research to prepare her manuscript. Details of the dishes served at her family dinners, the names of stores and ice cream parlors where Audrey wanted to be served equally, and even the name of her teacher make the story come to life. The illustrations show the clothing of the era, the large TV sets, and the signs carried by the marchers, making it easy to imagine Audrey in that time and place.
There are plenty of books about Ruby Bridges and Rosa Parks, but there are still many figures from history that need to have their tales shared. Audrey is one of those figures, and now there is this book perfect for elementary school classes and libraries.
Thank you so much, Suzanne, for this lovely review!
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome. I can't wait to use this book with students. :-)
Delete