Claudette Colvin

Title: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
Author: Phillip Hoose
Genre: Nonfiction
ISBN: 0312661053
Copyright: 2010


The book Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is a book about Claudette Colvin, a young woman who refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in 1955 Alabama. It was later the same year that Rosa Parks started the famous Bus Boycott. Claudette Colvin is a fairly easy book to read, with most of the book being narrated by Claudette herself. There are many photos of the time period including photos of segregation, photos of what the buses looked like, photos of Claudette's life, and more. The book by Phillip Hoose has won many awards including: the Newberry Honor Book Award, the Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Award, National Book Award Winner, and it was a finalist in the Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction. Similar books that may interest readers include: We Were There, Too!: Young People in U.S. History by Phillip Hoose.

A summary of Claudette Colvin's life from Biography.com:

"Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. On March 2, 1955, she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. She was arrested and became one of four plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, which ruled that Montgomery's segregated bus system was unconstitutional. Colvin moved to New York City and worked as a nurse's aide. She retired in 2004."

Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Title: Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Author: Russell Freedman
Genre: Nonfiction
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2031-5
Copyright: 2006


Freedom Walkers is a great book written by author Russell Freedman about the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The book is pretty easy to read and to follow and there is even a street map in the first few pages of what Montgomery, Alabama looked like at the time of the Boycott in the years 1955-1956. There is a table of contents of the chapters in the book as well as an introduction that discusses why blacks chose to walk instead of riding the bus. Most of the chapters focus on famous African-Americans who where involved in the Bus Boycott at that time and those who fought for equal rights as well including: Jo Ann Robinson, Claudette Colvin, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. Freedman also uses pictures to show the segregation of the time period and there are also photos of those involved in the Boycott as well. Russell includes a Notes Section and a Bibliography section in the back of the book for those who are interested in reading more about the Bus Boycott, the Equal Rights Movement, and more. The age level for this book would be for children ages 10 and up and is a great book for students who are learning about the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Equal Rights Movement. Other books written by Russell Freedman that children would enjoy if they liked reading this book include: Give Me Liberty! The story of the Declaration of Independence, In Defense of Liberty: The Story of America's Bill of Rights, and more.

Benjamin Franklin

Title: Benjamin Franklin

Series: DK Biographies

Author: Stephen Krensky

Genre: Nonfiction

ISBN:978-0-7566-3528-2

Copyright: 2008

This book about Benjamin Franklin by Stephen Krensky is an autobiography and "A photographic story of his life." Krensky writes about Franklin's life growing up in Boston. Throughout the book, Krensky includes notations in the form of boxes where he defines words for the reader such as: molasses, wharf, and joiner. I think this is a great idea especially for younger readers that it helps with their vocabulary and also in a creative manner. The author goes on to talk about how Benjamin Franklin was an apprentice for his older brother in a printing shop and about the "Silence Dogood" letters that Franklin wrote pretending to be a woman named Mrs. Dogood. Later chapters in the book, Stephen Krensky writes about the inventions and ideas that Benjamin Franklin invented or thought of including: the Franklin Stove, the first edition of Poor Richard's Almanack, his experiments with electricity, helping to draft the Declaration of Independence, and more. I feel that this is a great book for younger readers to learn about the life of Benjamin Franklin. It's easy to read with notations and photos which are creative ideas to keep the reader interested and to learn more. There is also a timeline in the back of the book titled Events in the Life of Benjamin Franklin. Also included in the back of the book are other biographies from DK Biographies including: Joan of Arc, Charles Darwin, Princess Diana, and more.