Saturday, April 10, 2010

Freedom on the Menu


Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins

Written by: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by: Jerome LaGarrique

"Set in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960, this picture book tells a story of desegregation from the viewpoint of one little girl. Growing up in the South, Connie understands that there are places where she and other African Americans can and cannot eat, drink, swim, and use the bathroom. But after Dr. King visits the local college chapel to preach and her older siblings become active in the NAACP, she also knows that her people are working for change.

When her brother's friends sit down at a dime-store lunch counter that refuses them service, their act of peaceful protest starts a wave of similar demonstrations that brings better times to their community and throughout the South. An author's note gives background information about the events in Greensboro that year. Simple and straightforward, the first-person narrative relates events within the context of one close-knit family. Though rather dark, the well-composed, painterly illustrations show up well from a distance. A handsome book for classroom reading, even for middle-grade students."

Booklist Review

Web Resources:
http://www.caroleweatherford.com/freedom_lesson_plan.htm

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