Sitting In, Standing Up

December 4, 2020

Gr 5-8-This series installment delves into the lives of six leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. The five chapters cover Thurgood Marshall, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, John Lewis, and Ella Baker. Extension projects are included at the end of each chapter, and QR codes are embedded throughout. There are plentiful photographs, colorful pull-quotes, a time line of each individual's life, and a robust glossary. Taylor presents numerous opportunities for readers to critically engage with the content and make connections to their own experiences. She also references current events, such as the murder of Breonna Taylor by Louisville police officers in March 2020, and frequently asks readers to compare and contrast the movements and organizations of the civil rights era to the Black Lives Matter movement. Rather than framing the Civil Rights Movement as a monolith, Taylor demonstrates how there were varied approaches, leaders, and causes working toward the larger project of equality for Black Americans. The text's inclusion of highest-ranking NAACP female staff member Ella Baker, an activist who may be familiar to some readers, is a welcome highlight. VERDICT This timely offering for middle grade readers holds strong appeal for children and adults.-Dana West, Nathan Hale H.S., Seattle

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
Grades 5-8 The Civil Rights Era series (4 new titles) seeks to introduce middle school students to influential individuals who figured prominently in the struggle for civil rights. Engaging biographies, usually five per volume, provide detailed looks at subjects' lives, motivations, contributions, and legacies. Each book's unique introduction sets the political and social scene with pages filled with graphics (time lines, fact boxes, photos, reproductions, posters, album covers) and short paragraphs highlighted in blocks of color and set off by different fonts. Insets offer quotes, open-ended questions (big idea, how would this make you feel, what might you have done), and QR codes that link to news stories, speeches, music, and other primary sources. Important vocabulary words are defined in a comprehensive glossary, and additional back matter includes a list of resources and a selected bibliography. Sitting In, Standing Up spotlights leaders, including Thurgood Marshall, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X (who are covered in one chapter), John Lewis, and Ella Baker. There is necessarily some overlap in coverage, but the revisited material comes across as reinforcement as opposed to repetition. Overall, these volumes provide accessible entries into a complex period.

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