Our middle grade book spotlight this week is focused on books that explore aspects of Civil Rights history. Books are amazing tools to learn from as we explore parts of our history; they provide an opportunity to learn, explore, understand other points of view, and help us to understand and glean from the past. As we remember Martin Luther King Jr. day (happening on January 18th), we need to also remember everything about this movement--the good, the bad, the individuals and what they sacrificed, and where we are today. We have a selection of fiction and nonfiction, some about events and people you may have heard of before and then others you may have not but are so important to our history that their story needs to be shared. . These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #youthcivilrights as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new Middle Grade book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
Twelve Days in May by Larry Dane Brimner--The first Freedom Ride which was set into motion by a group composed of 7 black and 6 white activists who traveled into the southern states that were not abiding by the national law that made it unconstitutional to enact racial segregation in terminals and buses that crossed state lines. Drawing on archival documents, Brimner highlights the 12 days of peaceful protest that were met with increasing levels of violence resulting in the riders being severely beaten and subsequently refused medical treatment.
Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood--Gloriana June Hemphill's birthday happens to be on the Fourth of July, so every year it is filled with celebration of fireworks and iced tea in Hanging Moss, Mississippi. In the summer of 1964 she is turning twelve, but she wishes she could go back a year all the same and not have to deal with a new girl in town--who wears black socks--or her questions about why the town wants to close down the segregated public pool. As she turns twelve, Glory determines to find out the truth about everything she can.
Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin--On July 17, 1944, a horrible explosion rocked the naval base at California's Port Chicago. It was a segregated base, and the explosion hit the African-American side the hardest. Over 300 sailors, of all skin colors, died. In the following month over 200 sailors refused to go back to work, resulting in 50 being jailed and court-martialed for dereliction of duty. Thankfully this event did not end in complete tragedy, as it helped to end segregation in America's military.
Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper--After years of relative peace, the Ku Klux Klan returns to Bumblebee, North Carolina. Stella and her brother Jojo are out late one night when they see the white-robed figures burning a cross. Bumblebee's African American community is gripped with fear. They know that they are alone and must deal with this problem themselves. Stella sees all this, but she has a fiery spirit and refuses to give in to fear. Stella focuses on the good things like family, friends, potluck dinners in neighbors' backyards—and finally a peaceful march to a voting place, where three registered black voters make history.
Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson--Rose Lee Carter, a thirteen-year-old African-American girl, dreams of life beyond the Mississippi cotton fields during the summer of 1955, but when Emmett Till is murdered and his killers are unjustly acquitted, Rose is torn between seeking her destiny outside of Mississippi or staying and being a part of an important movement.
Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney--Presents a collection of poetry and paintings, highlighting the final months of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life. Includes a brief informational section highlighting King's life and the plight of sanitation workers whose march he was planning to attend when he was assassinated.