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Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey with Gwen StraussRamsey tells the story of young Ruth, who is traveling with her family to the South from Chicago. On their way they experience trip-altering racism, forcing them to drive through the night. Their journey seems doomed, they purchase the Green Book to guide them through safely. Most poignant in this story is the deep roots of racism in the South. Something as routine as a family road trip becomes a dangerous endeavor. This book offers readers a look into the lives of those affected, outside the boundaries of specific protest or actions of the movement.
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Freedom Summer by Deborah WilesThis story was my favorite of the picture books that I read. Deborah Wiles takes a critical time in history, and simplifies the context without devaluing the experience. Two boys, one white, one African American, enjoy each other's companionship every summer. They do as much as they are allowed to do together, because of the color of John Henry's skin. When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed, the boys are excited to share experiences together. They soon find out, however, that many establishment owners would rather close their doors than allow integration. Written from her own experiences as a child, Wiles tells the story of friendship, boyhood, and racism intertwined.
I was inspired by the simplicity of this story. Keeping my third graders in mind, I felt that they could begin to comprehend a distinctly complicated time in our history by reading and studying this text. Students are exposed to the multitude of ways that racism seeped into lives, as well as the concept that the passing of a law does not change people's feelings. For its depth, I chose a lesson focused on this text. |
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This is the Dream by Diane Z. Shore & Jessica AlexanderWhat I love about this text is how it is set up chronologically, without dates. It begins with brief coverage of the Civil Rights Movement, followed by the positive affect it had on our current world today. This book is well served as a concluding lesson. Following its use, teachers can transition into discussions of, and instruction in, current civil rights issues. The book portrays an idyllic world, but is our world like that?
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