A free verse poem accompanied by black and white photographs tells the story of the racially motivated bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. Four young girls were killed in the blast. While the narrator is fictional, the historical events of the day are accurately represented. The recounting of ordinary events that might have led up to the moment of the bombing gives the actual explosion a shocking immediacy. Particularly poignant are the individual tributes to each girl at the end of the book. This will be a powerful title to use during a study of the civil rights movement.
Grades 4-8
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Second! This book is a gem! I felt the style and the illustrations were a perfect match. The book has a scrapbook feel that gives it a real immediacy. The short vignettes about each girl made this telling much more personal than others. You feel like they were your friends.
I really think this is one of Carole's best research-plus-poetry products. The end notes are excellent and she has given credit for all her photos and info.
Post a Comment