Elspeth LeacockReseñas

Powerful collaboration between Lynda Blackmon Lowery's first person narrative, the two writers and the excellent illustrator. Love the combination, the simple storytelling, the context. She has a way of communicating emotion that is both plainspoken and compassionate. She was beaten severely on Bloody Sunday and talks about the murders that surrounded the march, which I think is why it's aimed at 12 .

A first-person account of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March as seen through the eyes of a brave 15-year-old determined to make a difference.

Great middle grade first-hand account of what it was like to participate in the Civil Rights Movement, and the audio is simply fantastic.

This book is exactly what the reader would expect and more. This book outlines the life of Lynda Blackmon Lowery by her own voice. Though it is written by others, Lynda Blackmon Lowery tells her story to the writers. This book is not only historical and informative, it allows for the reader to open their heart and mind from the events that occurred years ago. It is understandable for a middle grades child and would allow for wonderful information to be taught and knowledge to be gained.

973

I enjoyed this memoir of the marches in Selma very much. It doesn't give much background information, so you'll need to get that elsewhere, but it's powerful to read her story. The artwork is a nice blend of art and historical photographs. It's a much shorter story than it appears, so it would work well as a read aloud in a classroom.

This book is pretty insightful anf inspirational for children that want to make a change in the world as this book features numerous children throughout history that helped make america what it is to this present day. We learned about children from the beginning such as Pocahontas leading all the way up to Jukay Hsu a high school student affected by 9/11.

I rated the book 3 stars because I did not appreciate the authors ignorance when referring to Native Americans as Indians. The term is outdated, inaccurate, and ignorant to describe America's indigenous people.

A non-fiction picture book sharing interesting facts concerning key events and places in American history. Chronological format that features atlases and colorful illustrations depicting memorable scenes and time periods. Cultures throughout American history are vividly shared.

Narrated by Damaras Obi.The author shares her story of marching in the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, AL. She had been active in the civil rights movement since she was 13 and acting as a “gopher” for the older kids who staged sit-ins. She was inspired after attending Dr. King’s speech in church to march for voting rights. She participated in several marches and was jailed a number of times. She marched in what became known as Bloody Sunday. Angry with Governor George Wallace for not protecting the marchers, Lynda is determined to join Dr. King’s march to Montgomery. Obi reads with an urgent intensity that makes this story accessible for young listeners and keeps the civil rights movement relevant today.

This was an excellent account from a young teenage girl's experience growing up in Selma. Beautiful illustrations highlight her story. Very well done.

One of the best books that I have read pertaining to the civil rights movement since I started learned about it!

Lynda Blackmon Lowery ,offers a reviling, and heartbreaking book of a childhood spent in the midst of the civil rights movement. As a teenager, being in jail by the age of 15, the Selma, Alabama native was there to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak out for black voting rights;being a member in the march of "Bloody Sunday", and among the 300 people who marched from Selma to the Alabama State Capital in Montgomery in 1965. Lowery, captures the readers attention through her heartfelt words. From telling the reader about what it was like being in jail multiple times with hundreds of young children, to when one of her friends got sick she was stuck in the sweat box for breaking the window trying to get help, to having her head busted wide open and not even knowing. Lowery engages the reader of the life she lived during this time. Finally, all her trials and tribulations landed her in front of the Alabama State Capital where she and the other millions of people gathered to get what was rightfully theirs, freedom. That wet day at the Alabama State capital they received just that. African Americans were given the right to vote. With photos of moments captured within the movement spread throughout the text, Lowery shows the reader exactly what she, and all the others, went through just to have the right to say that they were free. This movement was the movement of children!

I strongly suggest reading this book in the appropriate grade level. It is full of great information about the civil rights movement. Also, providing the reader with a "time line" throughout the story.Lowery's step by step introduction to events indicate the troubles each and everyone of them had to go through to be free. When using this book in the class, educators can incorporate activities that allows students to elaborate and gain more information on this important subject. From writing reports to increasing vocabulary and comprehension, readers will never want to lay the book down.

very in-depth discussion of how children have impacted history: kidnapping, imprisoning, working on ships.
1 book

This engaging first person narrative tells the story of Lynda Blackmon Lowery, one of the youngest protesters during the civil rights movement. This powerful autobiography will engage readers and listeners quickly into the dramatic events in this brave young woman’s fight for voting rights as she faced segregation, police brutality, and being jailed 9 times as a 15 year old. She eventually participated in the March to Montgomery, the youngest person to do so.

This is a good quick read on the experience of a child protester in Selma.

Two New Atlases of American History by Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley make the past exciting and accessible by designating one important era to each copiously illustrated spread. Young explorers take Journeys in Time, illus. by Rodica Prato, at the sides of Nanabush, a Native American who leads his people to the Great Lakes region; a ship's boy on Christopher Columbus's crew in 1492; and with Big Joe Bailey and Harriet Tubman on the Underground Railroad in 1856, just to name a few. Clearly labeled maps and numbered captions make it easy to follow along. Places in Time, illus. by Randy Jones, uses the same format to take aspiring travelers through a Pecos pueblo in 1627; Philadelphia in 1787; 1849 Fort Laramie; as well as tenement life in New York City in 1916.
TCI Lesson 3: The Peopling of the United States

Told from the perspective of the author at age 15, she describes her experiences marching for the right to vote in several instances, being jailed, being beaten and ultimately being chosen to be one of the 300 who completed the march to Montgomery – making her the youngest to do so. Very compelling and appropriate for this age group.

A quick read. Lynda Blackmon Lowry tells her story about her experiences during the nonviolent protests in Selma. She was present and injured during Bloody Sunday and was the youngest member of the group that marched from Selma to Birmingham.
Compelling and highly designed books with color drawings and original photographs interspersed throughout the work.
A solid, approachable work that is conversational in tone while giving explanation to an audience without much background on the Civil Rights movement.

As the title states, this is a story of Lynda Blackmon who, as a teen was very involved in the Civil Rights movement. Before joining the Selma march to Montgomery, she was jailed nine times. Her vivid account of Bloody Sunday leaves no doubt that those who were beaten and abused on the first attempt to cross the Edmund Pettus bridge, were deeply traumatized.

Filled with courage and a drive to participate in the march for voting rights, Lynda overcame her fear by participating in the third and final successful march to Montgomery, Alabama. The third march was very different from the first. Now, instead of beating the marchers, the police were instructed to assist along the way to ensure safety. Still, Blackmon found that she had post traumatic stress and, at various times during the walk, had flash backs of her beating.

The third march, so different than the first, was filled with hope, singing, and a sense of accomplishment. Still bruised and bandaged from the many stitches in her head from the beating, Lowery was adamant about wanting then Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, an avid racist and segregationist, to see what racism did to her. Sleeping on the ground, eating what the marchers packed, or what kind people along the road provided, the marchers felt kinship and a great sense of purpose. Even when it rained on the third day, they kept marching and singing.

This is a testament to the bravery of the marchers and the fact that they were not going to turn around.

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/al4.htm

An excellent personal account of the Selma to Montgomery March and events preceding it. Turning fifteen on the three-day march, Lowery was its youngest participant. She was jailed nine times and beaten by police in earlier protests. A vividly detailed, powerful memoir that makes great use of photographs and graphic color illustrations.

I was 28 when courageous black Alabama citizens and white sympathizers set forth March 21, 1965, across Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge to begin their successful march to Montgomery, the state capital, to demonstrate their determination to force the state of Alabama to allow all of its black citizens to register to vote. I, like many Americans, had watched on television the brutal acts committed by the local police and sheriff’s deputies to end demonstrators’ attempt March 7 to cross the bridge and march to Montgomery. Having lived in Tennessee for two years, having years later received a bachelor’s degree in history, and having thereafter become a public school teacher, I had not been naïve about racial prejudice prior to the Selma events. Nonetheless, I was shocked.

A week after recently watching the movie Selma, I read an excellent memoir (just published by Dial Books) about the Selma to Montgomery event written in retrospect (assisted by two professional writers) by a teenage participant, Lynda Blackmon Lowery. Unlike the movie, Selma, many parts of Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom; My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March stirred my emotions. Geared for readers in their teen years, the memoir reaches out as well to adults born after 1965 and to jaded seniors like me.

Here are my reasons for recommending this book especially to young people.

Turning 15 is a personal story. We experience vicariously the thoughts, emotions, and actions of an actual participant. We gain insight about the effects of racial hatred on actual African Americans. We learn of the sense of security felt by most black children growing up in segregated black communities. We understand better the need black Americans felt to right collectively racially-committed wrongs. Mrs. Lynda Lowery cites her grandmother’s advice: “… if you give someone or something control over you, then you’ve given up yourself.” We celebrate the realization experienced by thoroughly-segregated people like the young Lynda that white racists did not represent all white Americans. After the bloody attempt by early demonstrators to cross the Pettus bridge March 7, many white people traveled to Selma to exhibit their support. Lynda wrote: “It was a whole different feeling suddenly with white people living in your house. They marched with us and were willing to go to jail with us. They ate what we ate. We cooked collard greens and cornbread, and they ate it and enjoyed it as much as we did. They were happy to be with us, even if they had to sleep on the floor. … There was a whole new feeling in Selma.”

I especially appreciated the details Mrs. Lowery gave us about her experiences. Here are two examples of information I did not know and found fascinating. School children were used extensively to demonstrate and crowd the jails. Mothers who were maids took employers’ food home surreptitiously that their children ate the next day after they were arrested and put in jail. Twenty-one school girls, mostly high school students, were put in a steel cell (called the “sweatbox”) that had no windows, water, toilet, or lights and kept there until every girl had passed out. It is always the detail of individuals’ lives that make history especially interesting.

This memoir is written simply, but it touches upon all the important Selma/Montgomery subject matter events. Anybody who reads at or above the sixth grade level will have no difficulty finishing it in one sitting. Yet the reader will be informed about every topic or event an instructor would want a student of his to read about, examples ranging from the different instances of segregation existent in Selma to the deaths of three people murdered, one by the police and the other two by racist thugs. Mrs. Lowery also explains, quite simply, the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 and how it has been degraded most recently by the United States Supreme Court.

Finally, I am concerned about what our young generation doesn’t but should know about our nation’s past. Racism in America persists. My grandchildren and friends their ages should be exposed to appealing sources of information that instruct them to recognize that no nation is a “shining city on the hill” and that those who proclaim such assertions should be looked upon with skepticism. Take nothing, therefore, for granted. Human history is a story of struggle for freedom and dignity against unwarranted control. Lynda learned from her experiences that “the person I wanted to be was a person who would stand up against what was wrong. I wanted not only to protect myself, but to protect others, not only to fight for myself, but to be out there fighting for others.”

Mrs. Lowery’s memoir is a worthwhile, appealing book.

Kids Make History, offers twenty different account of different historical periods told through the eyes of a child at the time. The first account is from Pocahontas in 1607. The book is set up in chronological order, ending with a young boy's account of September 11th. Each account is two pages in length. The authors begin by giving a brief description of the child. Then the authors go into detail about what life was like for the child and how they were affected by what the adults were doing.
I think this book would be a great addition to any social studies class. The authors give the reader a great view of how a child viewed the events going on around them. And it shows children readers that kids have a story worth telling and worth reading about too. More often then not, history is told through the eyes of the adults. Children are mentioned, but often not in great detail. The book changes that and shows that "Kids Make History" .

I like the idea of the book. The different stories depict a different idea of what America and what freedom means. Many of the stories are about overcoming persecution. I kept trying to make more of a connection between the stories. Some of the stories end with an idealistic view of America. I think students should realize the struggles people in other countries face, but I'm not sure they tie together well in this book. I could read a few of the stories (George Washington, Margru, Sampson) to my class, but would have a hard time working others into the classroom curriculum. The title of the book is misleading.

This book is an example of a great idea that could have been executed much better. The book describes 20 significant journeys in American history and provides maps for each event so readers can track the journey. The journeys revolve around significant historical events--the founding of New Mexico, Lewis and Clark's expedition,the wave of European immigration in the 1880's--and describe the journeys of actual people, but not famous people--for example a ship's hand on Columbus' voyage. There are notes in back describing the source material. The description of events is readable and the maps add meaning to the text and are engaging.

I do,however, have two issues with the book. First, the first section opens with the myth of Nanabush going in search of the Great Spirit; however, the text at no point says this is a myth. This myth reads like a report of historical events, and unless the child who is reading the book is savvy enough to go to the notes in back, he or she will be either confused or think Nanabush really did talk to the Great Spirit. Further, the book glosses over the European treatment of natives and American treatment of slaves. In the story of New Mexico, the book does say the natives fought for their land but glosses over the fact the Spaniards attacked them. With regard to the slaves, the one slave story ends with him buying his freedom. The book should have at least mentioned that this was highly unusual. The book targets grades 4 through 6.

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

At first glance, you might mistake KIDS MAKE HISTORY as a children's book. After further inspection, though, you'll realize that this great title in the A NEW LOOK AT AMERICA'S STORY series is a wonderful fact-based reference book for anyone, regardless of age.

There are twenty true stories included in this book, all featuring kids who helped make history. Spanning the years from 1607 to 2001, each story includes a young adult who made a difference in one or another--and, in some cases, even managed to have an impact on historical events.

Powhatan's Favorite Daughter (1607)--The real story of Pocohantas.
James Towne Boy (1608)--The story of Sam Collier, a boy from James Towne.
Evil in the Air (1692)--Ann Putnam, a girl from Salem Village.
Kidnapped (1743)--Peter Williamson, an indentured servant.
Yankee Doodle Soldier (1776)--The story of Joseph Plumb Martin, a soldier in the Continental Army.
The House on the Hill (1838)--John Rankin, Jr., a young hero of the Underground Railroad.
"Never Take No Cutoffs" (1846)--Virginia Reed, a young member of the Donner Party.
Pony Rider (1854)--The story of Nick Wilson, a Pony Express rider.
Pull-Up Boy (1860)--Marty Myers, who at age six began working at the Sligo Iron Works.
Working for Freedom (1863)--Susie Baker, a member of the First South Carolina Volunteers.
Pioneer Girl (1868)--The true story of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
"There Blows!" (1875)--George Fred Tilton, a young boy on a whaling ship.
"A Most Wonderful Sight" (1893)--Jane Sever, a visitor at the Chicago World's Fair.
High Jinks in the White House (1902)--The six children of Theodore and Edith Roosevelt.
Low Bridge! (1909)--Richard Garrity and his family's life aboard a canal boat.
Riding the Orphan Train (1926)--Al Clement, a young orphan picked from among others on a train.
Sunday Morning at Pearl Harbor (1941)--A young girl, Joan Zuber, lives through the attack on Pearl Harbor.
On the Circuit (1955)--Francisco Jimenez, a sixth-grader working in the cotton fields.
"It's About Freedom" (1963)--Malcolm Hooks, marching for equal rights.
9/11: The Day the Towers Fell (2001)--Two high school students, Jukay Hsu and Amit Friedlander, experience 9/11.

This is a great book for anyone interested in history, and especially the roles that young adults have played in making our country what it is today. A wonderful read!

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Another winning book in the A NEW LOOK AT AMERICA'S STORY series, JOURNEYS FOR FREEDOM takes you through twenty individual stories of Americans who have made a difference in providing us with the freedom we have today. Whether a Native American or a pioneer, an immigrant, a solider, or a refugee, Americans have worked through the ages to earn our independence. Spanning from 1631 to 1988, these glimpses into the lives of Americans throughout history are meant to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of age.

To Providence (1631)--Roger Williams, a Puritan minister who fled to New England from the English.
Le Grand Derangement (1755)--Elizabeth Brasseux, a Nova Scotian Catholic ordered to swear allegiance to England.
On the Forbidden Path (1760)--Teedyuscung, a Delaware Indian Chief known as a peacemaker.
Solider in Disguise (1782)--Robert Shurtliff, aka Deborah Sampson, a young woman who joined the Continental Army.
Called by the Voice of America (1789)--General George Washington, elected as the first U.S. President.
Buying Freedom (1795)--Frank McWhorter, a freed slave moving west.
"Give Us Free!" (1839)--Sengbe Pieh, an African slave put on trial in New Haven, set free and returned to Africa.
A Thousand Miles for Freedom (1848)--William and Ellen Craft, slaves in Georgia, make their daring escape.
Walking to Zion (1856)--Young Peter McBride travels with his Mormon family to Zion, or Salt Lake City, Utah.
"For Honor, Duty, and Liberty" (1863)--Henry Gooding, a black soldier finally allowed to fight in the Civil War.
Gold Mountain (1865)--Ah Goong, encouraged to leave his home in China to strike it rich in California.
Flight of the Nez Perce (1877)--Wetatonmi, a Nez Perce Indian, fights for freedom while escaping to Canada.
The Promised Land (1894)--The Antin family is reunited in America after leaving Russia three years apart.
Going North (1924)--Mildred Mack and her African American family leave the South for New Jersey.
The Road to California (1934)--The Haggard family leave behind their demolished farm in Oklahoma for California.
Saved... (1939)--Israel Veleris and his Jewish family flee Nazi-occupied Germany.
"Walk Together, Children" (1965)--A young girl joins Martin Luther King, Jr. and others in a peaceful march.
La Peregrinacion (1966)--Cesar Chavez, a Mexican American and leader of the National Farm Workers Association, leads laborers on a strike against the grape growers of Delano, California.
Losing China (1966)--Nien Cheng and his family watch the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution destroy their homeland.
"Welcome to America" (1988)--Young Peter Malual, a Sudanese African, flees to a United Nations refugee camp in Ethiopia, and is later brought to America.

This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in history, or for those who want to learn exactly which paths our people have gone down to gain freedom and independence.