Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

November 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-For such slim volumes, the content of this set on the civil rights movement is remarkably thorough. Each title begins with the basics of the event or case in question, drawing readers in with details that give the history immediacy, such as the Southern drawl of the bigoted driver who told Rosa Parks to go to the back of the bus and Elizabeth Eckford's careful grooming for the first day of school. Each book goes on to describe issues that led up to the event in question, as well as its impact. A "Stop and Think" feature sums up each volume with questions designed to foster critical thinking skills and empathy. The illustrations consist of 19th-century paintings of plantation life and 20th-century photographs. Many of the images, such as one portraying a snarling German shepherd police dog attacking a young black man, depict the intensity of the events. VERDICT Succinct and often powerful, this set is a solid purchase.

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2016
Grades 4-6 In the Stories of the Civil Rights Movement series, each volume focuses on a pivotal event and targets a younger audience than most books on the subject. Illustrated with many well-chosen photos, the presentations include a number of fact-filled sidebars, including a one-page feature called Straight to the Source, offering passages from primary source documents and posing textbook-like questions designed to help students engage with the source material. Brown v. Board of Education includes short excerpts from the 1954 New York Times article outlining the court's landmark decision on school desegregation. Although kids unfamiliar with the era may find some terms in the books confusing, the series offers good introductions to some important milestones in the American civil rights movement.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)