Status
Check shelf
Call number
Publication
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (2009), Edition: 1, 144 pages
Description
Based on extensive interviews with Claudette Colvin and many others, Phillip Hoose presents the first in-depth account of an important yet largely unknown civil rights figure, skillfully weaving her dramatic story into the fabric of the historic Montgomery bus boycott and court case that would change the course of American history.
Local notes
1602-199
Media reviews
Today, thanks to Hoose, a new generation of girls – and boys – can add Claudette Colvin to their list of heroines.
User reviews
LibraryThing member book58lover
Although juvenile in feel, this book has meat to it. You are taken back to the early 50s with sidebars and photos to give you a feel for the era if you are too young to remember. I like the quotes from interviews with Colvin in which she is very honest to tell you about her life. She doesn't sugar
It is very interesting the conscious decision by black leaders to make Rosa Parks the face of the movement and to push aside a teenager to was very willing to fight this injustice.
If you thought you knew all about the bus boycott you need to read this book. Contains endnotes and bibliography.
Show More
coat her teen pregnancy and her anger at the treatment of her family and friends in Montgomery. It is very interesting the conscious decision by black leaders to make Rosa Parks the face of the movement and to push aside a teenager to was very willing to fight this injustice.
If you thought you knew all about the bus boycott you need to read this book. Contains endnotes and bibliography.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Nicole_16
Experiencing Jim Crow laws as she grew up, Claudette decided to take a stand. Being fifteen to Claudette did not mean she was young, it meant that she could make a difference. One day while riding a bus, Claudette decided that she would not obey the bus driver and give up her seat. By taking a
This will be an excellent book to compare to the normal history books in class. The students can verify dates with their history book and look up why any dates may differ. Likewise, the students can look up the events in their book and see where the history book left out details. This would also be a good book to read along with the civil rights movement. Reading a biography that includes important history milestones will be more interesting to students than reading their history book.
The book was an easy read and interesting. I liked the set up of the text. There was accurate historical events and I was able to read what Claudette was feeling at the time the even occurred. Likewise, I found out about information that i did not know. This book was informative and interesting.
Show More
stand, talk of boycotting buses in Montgomery starts. However, Claudette has to fight to keep her name clear and try to prove that she will be a good example to begin the boycott. This will be an excellent book to compare to the normal history books in class. The students can verify dates with their history book and look up why any dates may differ. Likewise, the students can look up the events in their book and see where the history book left out details. This would also be a good book to read along with the civil rights movement. Reading a biography that includes important history milestones will be more interesting to students than reading their history book.
The book was an easy read and interesting. I liked the set up of the text. There was accurate historical events and I was able to read what Claudette was feeling at the time the even occurred. Likewise, I found out about information that i did not know. This book was informative and interesting.
Show Less
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Rosa Parks was not the first African American female to refuse to give up her seat to a white person on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. Claudette Colvin was. Rosa Parks was not the second African American female to refuse to give up her seat to a white person on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. Mary Louise
Show More
Smith was. Rosa Parks became the face of the Montgomery Bus Boycott after two teenaged African American girls paved the way. Claudette Colvin was one of the four African American female plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, a landmark case in which segregation of buses was determined to be a violation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Fifty years after she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus, Claudette Colvin told her story to author Phillip M. Hoose. Hoose puts Colvin's early life into historical context while quoting extensively from Ms. Colvin about her personal experiences in the early days of the Civil Rights Movement (presumably from the many hours of interviews he conducted as part of his research for this book). Colvin's voice is even more evident in the audio version read by Channie Waites. This highly readable biography belongs in every public and secondary school library. Show Less
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin who refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white woman. This is a readable and compelling account of how one teenager, frustrated with the adults around her putting up with Jim Crow ways, finally rebelled against the system. Unfortunately, she
Show More
wasn't the desired "face" for the movement because of her background. An adult Claudette recalls her experiences and emotions through interviews with the author. Descriptions of the detailed organization of the boycott, leadership behind-the-scenes and the Browder vs Gayle trial clearly show young readers what a pivotal moment the bus boycott was in civil rights history, and that, yes, young people CAN make a difference. Show Less
LibraryThing member SarahCoil
Claudette Colvin is a young, African American girl in the 1950s. She has always dreamed of becoming a lawyer and standing up for the people of her race. Claudette knows they are treated badly and is determined to do something about it. Everybody has heard of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her bus
This book would be great in a history class. It actually tells a story instead of just presenting a bunch of facts. I would definitely have students read this story when learning about segregation. I would then have students how they would feel if they were treated poorly based on the color of their skin. I would also ask students to write about: if they were in Claudette’s shoes would they or would they not stand up for their rights like she did.
I really enjoyed this book compared to a history textbook. I felt that it was very beneficial to read about a specific person’s life instead of memorizing facts. I especially liked how the book explained what Claudette was going through and how she truly felt. It really showed how segregation impacted so many peoples daily lives.
Show More
seat, but most people do not know that Claudette was actually the first person to do this. As a young child, she refuses to move and stands up for herself. African Americans boycott the buses and Rosa Parks does the same thing because they felt that people might think that Claudette was just a rowdy teenager.This book would be great in a history class. It actually tells a story instead of just presenting a bunch of facts. I would definitely have students read this story when learning about segregation. I would then have students how they would feel if they were treated poorly based on the color of their skin. I would also ask students to write about: if they were in Claudette’s shoes would they or would they not stand up for their rights like she did.
I really enjoyed this book compared to a history textbook. I felt that it was very beneficial to read about a specific person’s life instead of memorizing facts. I especially liked how the book explained what Claudette was going through and how she truly felt. It really showed how segregation impacted so many peoples daily lives.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JasmineW
Claudette Colvin Twice Toward Justice was written by Phillip Hoose. The book won many awards, such as National Book Awards, Newberry Honor book, The Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, and was an Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Finalist book. Claudette Colvin, as a teenager, grew up when buses were
The first idea that I had with this book is for my students to do research on Claudette's Colvin refusal to give up her seat, and the similarities and differences of when Rosa Park took the same stand. In Claudette Colvin Twice Toward Justice, it spoke about how Rosa took the same stand 9 months, after Claudette, but yet Rosa was celebrated and is well known for it today, unlike Claudette. Most people may not even know who Claudette is or what she did. Therefore, my students can use this book as a source, a Rosa Parks book, and one internet source. The students' paper should be 4-5 pages. The paper should begin with an introduction of both Claudette & Rosa, brief child-life of Claudette before she refused to give up her seat, brief child-life of Rosa before she gave up her seat, the incidents that took place when Claudette and Rosa both gave up their seats, what happened to them after, and write a paragraph about why you think Rosa's story became more famous then Claudette's. Next, I want my students to do a project. We will create our own "museum walk through" in the class. It will be called 1955 Artifacts and History. The students will create/construct something (event, place) mentioned in the book and provide a description. For example, the book talks about bus boycotts, Rosa Parks, the trial, all white jury, Claudette, Booker T. Washington High, etc. The student can draw, paint, build, photograph, print, etc. to display their item in the museum. A student could draw a bus or create a 3D model and label "white" and "colored" on the bus. Thus, provide a description; therefore, we will learn some history throughout our museum walk. Just printing something off line and bringing it in will not work! You can use printed images to aid your model, but you cannot just use a picture you printed off line as your whole model. The item should have a stand or sit on top of something, i.e. cardboard box, etc., so that it can sit by itself. This project will count for 250 points.
I really enjoyed this book. I rate it 5 stars. I think this book has now taken the place for my best read book for the semester! I really would recommend this book in middle school. It is not long, and it provides great detail. I loved the fact that it included real pictures, quotes, etc., from various events that took place in 1955. You can learn a lot about what was going on back then simply by reading this book. I definitely want to go buy the book! I encourage all teachers to add this book to their collection. It will really work well in a History classroom. Great book!
Show More
segregated. The whites got to sit up-front, and the blacks had to sit in the back. However, if all the up front "white seats" were gone, the blacks in the back still were supposed to free their seats, too. One day Claudette refused to give up her seat. This occurred on March 2, 1955. She shouted, "It's my constitutional right!" She ended up being dragged off the bus by policeman and later went to trial. The only difference between her refusal to give up her seat, like Rosa Parks did later, she wasn't celebrated as much. Claudette was shunned by classmates and others in her community; they saw her as a bad role model. But, she didn't let it stop her. She continued to push on through life despite her troubled past. Will she survive? Will she be recognized for her stand? Did it help? This book is a must read!The first idea that I had with this book is for my students to do research on Claudette's Colvin refusal to give up her seat, and the similarities and differences of when Rosa Park took the same stand. In Claudette Colvin Twice Toward Justice, it spoke about how Rosa took the same stand 9 months, after Claudette, but yet Rosa was celebrated and is well known for it today, unlike Claudette. Most people may not even know who Claudette is or what she did. Therefore, my students can use this book as a source, a Rosa Parks book, and one internet source. The students' paper should be 4-5 pages. The paper should begin with an introduction of both Claudette & Rosa, brief child-life of Claudette before she refused to give up her seat, brief child-life of Rosa before she gave up her seat, the incidents that took place when Claudette and Rosa both gave up their seats, what happened to them after, and write a paragraph about why you think Rosa's story became more famous then Claudette's. Next, I want my students to do a project. We will create our own "museum walk through" in the class. It will be called 1955 Artifacts and History. The students will create/construct something (event, place) mentioned in the book and provide a description. For example, the book talks about bus boycotts, Rosa Parks, the trial, all white jury, Claudette, Booker T. Washington High, etc. The student can draw, paint, build, photograph, print, etc. to display their item in the museum. A student could draw a bus or create a 3D model and label "white" and "colored" on the bus. Thus, provide a description; therefore, we will learn some history throughout our museum walk. Just printing something off line and bringing it in will not work! You can use printed images to aid your model, but you cannot just use a picture you printed off line as your whole model. The item should have a stand or sit on top of something, i.e. cardboard box, etc., so that it can sit by itself. This project will count for 250 points.
I really enjoyed this book. I rate it 5 stars. I think this book has now taken the place for my best read book for the semester! I really would recommend this book in middle school. It is not long, and it provides great detail. I loved the fact that it included real pictures, quotes, etc., from various events that took place in 1955. You can learn a lot about what was going on back then simply by reading this book. I definitely want to go buy the book! I encourage all teachers to add this book to their collection. It will really work well in a History classroom. Great book!
Show Less
LibraryThing member BrOoKe03
Claudette was a young girl who knew her rights. One day she decided to take a stand. Instead of moving from a bus seat so a white woman could sit down, she remained seated. She was later arrested. Many looked up to the young Claudette for being so brave while others criticized her. From that day
This book is very educational. It would be great to teach to a history class of course. It has wonderful pictures and has great detail of the happenings during this time period.
I enjoyed the book. I liked how detailed it was and the pictures.
Show More
forward, she began with other such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks to fight for African American rights.This book is very educational. It would be great to teach to a history class of course. It has wonderful pictures and has great detail of the happenings during this time period.
I enjoyed the book. I liked how detailed it was and the pictures.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jpmeehan
Although less than 150 pages, “Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice” is easily one of the best books I have every read about the modern Civil Rights movement. Winner of the 2009 National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature, author Phillip Hoose does a masterful job explaining how
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers, a division of MacMillan, the book is recommended for grades 5 through 12. I could see this book as an outstanding addition to any school social studies library, or the subject of a teacher's social studies unit on the modern civil rights movement. Hoose does his readers so many favors, providing numerous historic photos and other primary sources, as well as first rate definitions and explanation of terms and historic events (including the clearest definition of "Jim Crow" I have ever read).
Hoose convinced Claudette Colvin to let him tell her story for the first time, and tell it he does – giving us both the back story of what happened and why, and letting Claudette fill in the blanks, remembering her own thoughts and feelings at the time in her own words.
Most importantly, this book reminds us once again that the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and early 60s was in large part about young people, fought out in schools and the courts and the streets – from the Topeka 8 to Emmitt Till to Claudette Colvin to Ruby Bridges to the four little girls (Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair) killed by a bomb in a Birmingham church in 1963. And as such, it is critical that the school children of today learn what role the school children of that era played for the freedom of all of us.
Show More
Claudette was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus to a white person nine months before Rosa Parks. But for several reasons, Claudette did not receive the support of her classmates or friends in the black community, and did not become the face of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. And her name has largely been lost to history – until now.Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers, a division of MacMillan, the book is recommended for grades 5 through 12. I could see this book as an outstanding addition to any school social studies library, or the subject of a teacher's social studies unit on the modern civil rights movement. Hoose does his readers so many favors, providing numerous historic photos and other primary sources, as well as first rate definitions and explanation of terms and historic events (including the clearest definition of "Jim Crow" I have ever read).
Hoose convinced Claudette Colvin to let him tell her story for the first time, and tell it he does – giving us both the back story of what happened and why, and letting Claudette fill in the blanks, remembering her own thoughts and feelings at the time in her own words.
Most importantly, this book reminds us once again that the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and early 60s was in large part about young people, fought out in schools and the courts and the streets – from the Topeka 8 to Emmitt Till to Claudette Colvin to Ruby Bridges to the four little girls (Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair) killed by a bomb in a Birmingham church in 1963. And as such, it is critical that the school children of today learn what role the school children of that era played for the freedom of all of us.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jroy218
This was an amazing book that introduced me to some unknowns (to me) about the Montgomery Bus Boycott. I had no idea a court case actually ended it. I am a little aggravated with the history books that I have read in the past on the Civil Rights Movement. They left Claudette Colvin out completely.
I like how this book covers Claudette Colvin's experience from two ways: the public view and her own view. She helped change history.
I am thinking how I can tie this book in as a read aloud in my on third grade classroom, but am wondering if some of the material is too harsh for a third grader. i go back and forth on this. They need to know the whole truth, but is sometimes the whole truth too much for an eight year old? I would definitely use this as a read aloud in upper elementary and as a required reading in middle school or high school. This book tells so much more about the civil rights movement than is taught in many classrooms today. It was a rough experience for Claudette Colvin, but she did it without hesitation. She is one to be admired.
Show More
She was one of the first to instigate change and she was only a teenager. A strong one she was. I like how this book covers Claudette Colvin's experience from two ways: the public view and her own view. She helped change history.
I am thinking how I can tie this book in as a read aloud in my on third grade classroom, but am wondering if some of the material is too harsh for a third grader. i go back and forth on this. They need to know the whole truth, but is sometimes the whole truth too much for an eight year old? I would definitely use this as a read aloud in upper elementary and as a required reading in middle school or high school. This book tells so much more about the civil rights movement than is taught in many classrooms today. It was a rough experience for Claudette Colvin, but she did it without hesitation. She is one to be admired.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Nicole.Virden
This book is a story of Claudette Colvin's life. It was set in a time period where blacks were not treated equally. It is about a young girl who stands up for what she believes is right. She is taken to jail for not moving her seat for a white person. She did not feel like what she did was wrong
This book could be taught in a history classroom. It could teach kids about how times were from the perspective of a young girl. They can learn about laws and court cases of that time. They can also see how the law is not always fair. The book also had pictures in it where they can get a visual of what things were like.
I liked this book a lot. I learned more about times back then and how unfair it was. The pictures helped me a lot by showing me a more accurate representation of what Claudette went through during this time. I like how it was not just told from her point of view but from the point of view of someone else as well.
Show More
because there were laws set that a person did not have to move seats if there were none left. She became a criminal simply for standing up for what she thought was right. This book could be taught in a history classroom. It could teach kids about how times were from the perspective of a young girl. They can learn about laws and court cases of that time. They can also see how the law is not always fair. The book also had pictures in it where they can get a visual of what things were like.
I liked this book a lot. I learned more about times back then and how unfair it was. The pictures helped me a lot by showing me a more accurate representation of what Claudette went through during this time. I like how it was not just told from her point of view but from the point of view of someone else as well.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Sandra305
I had never heard of Claudette Colvin and, until the publication of this book, probably a lot of other people hadn't either. Her role in the Civil Rights Movement has been relatively neglected, and I'm so glad that now we can learn about the antecedent role this remarkable fifteen-year-old girl
Show More
played which led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the eventual integration of Montgomery's buses. Highly Recommended! Show Less
LibraryThing member 59Square
This seems to be my year for reading a lot of nonfiction about the Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery Bus Boycott specifically. I would suspect that there are many people who do not know about Claudette's role as the first Negro ever to refuse to give up her seat on the bus. But because she
Show More
was young, the boycott movement ignored her and only used her in a lawsuit to protest the segregation of buses. It's sort of a sad story, but on the other hand this book highlights not only Colvin's strength, but the strength of many everyday people who were willing to stand up for their principles. This book is well-written, including interviews with Colvin that are interspersed with the rest of the text. At more than 100 pages, this would be great for a middle school student biography project, and I think teenagers would be inspired by her courage and willingness to stand up. The teenage pregnancy will also be something that teens can relate to. Very well-written and easy to read and learn from. Show Less
LibraryThing member nomadreader
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is an illuminating piece of nonfiction. Phillip Hoose tells the story without condescending, but he also doesn't assume the reader knows anything about his story. As an adult reader, I appreciated the deep background provided in sidebars.
From the first pages,
Who is Claudette Colvin? She was a high school girl who refused to give up her seat for a white passenger. She did it nine months before Rosa Parks, and she was arrested. Part of what I love about this book is the honesty, which is at times brutal. Rosa Parks is an American hero, and so many of us growing up being wowed by her bravery. This book takes us back to the way it really happened, which isn't as simple. It's not a nice little story, but it's real. As a librarian firmly in the "teach the truth" camp, I loved this book. Some teachers and parents may react adversely to it. She cooperated with Phillip Hoose, who interviewed her numerous times for this book.
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is an important book. It's a book I found illuminating as an adult reader. It won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
From the first pages,
Show More
which are largely pictures illuminating life in the South in the era of Jim Crow laws, I was wowed. The book reads almost like a documentary; Hoose uses photos, text boxes, background, newspaper text and interviews to paint a vivid picture not only of Colvin's life, but these years in Montgomery, Alabama.Who is Claudette Colvin? She was a high school girl who refused to give up her seat for a white passenger. She did it nine months before Rosa Parks, and she was arrested. Part of what I love about this book is the honesty, which is at times brutal. Rosa Parks is an American hero, and so many of us growing up being wowed by her bravery. This book takes us back to the way it really happened, which isn't as simple. It's not a nice little story, but it's real. As a librarian firmly in the "teach the truth" camp, I loved this book. Some teachers and parents may react adversely to it. She cooperated with Phillip Hoose, who interviewed her numerous times for this book.
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is an important book. It's a book I found illuminating as an adult reader. It won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
Show Less
LibraryThing member alyson
I am not a big reader of nonfiction, but I loved this book. Aimed at young teens, but terrific for adults as well. Stories from the civil rights movement are poignant enough, but add in the disregard with which Claudette was treated and it a very difficult story to deal with. The difficulty is
Show More
worth it to enjoy the final chapter when she returns to her high school to speak and to see the success of this book. National Book Award winne Show Less
LibraryThing member rheasly
Though text-heavy and most resourceful for older students, this book by Philip Hoose can be beneficial to any student interested in or being introduced to the civil rights movement in America. Hoose has made a lot of information easily accessible and his writing his easy to read and engaging. I
Show More
recommend this book for older students (ages 13 and up) because it is fairly wordy and best read in a couple sittings, because the subject matter is intense. I would also recommend this is a group read because of how powerful the subject matter is. Show Less
LibraryThing member francescadefreitas
Claudette Colvin is a forgotten figure in the civil rights war, so it seems proper that her story be told. I was enjoying her story in a mild way until I got to the part where she was pregnant and everyone started to ignore her. Then this story of a teen who stood up for her right, not just in the
Show More
face of an oppressive other, but in the face of her peers and her own people really grabbed hold of me. I was all teary at the modest ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member jkh322
5StarP
Radical Change using digital design and breaking barriers with new content.
Radical Change using digital design and breaking barriers with new content.
LibraryThing member ajterry24
5P
Age range: 11 and up
Radical Change: Yes! The book has short chapters and lots of sidebars and pictures.
Selected Passage: "Making those pigtails was the strongest statement I could make in that school. If I had cut all my hair off, they probably would have locked me in an institution. Miss Nesbitt
Age range: 11 and up
Radical Change: Yes! The book has short chapters and lots of sidebars and pictures.
Selected Passage: "Making those pigtails was the strongest statement I could make in that school. If I had cut all my hair off, they probably would have locked me in an institution. Miss Nesbitt
Show More
was right: My hair was 'good hair,' no matter what. By wearing it natural I was saying, 'I think I'm as pretty as you are.' All of a sudden it seemed such a waste of time to heat up a comb and straighten your hair before you went to school." ..."When I went to school the next Monday, people were cold shocked. Teachers asked me, 'Why would you do such a thing?' They wouldn't let me be in the school play because of how I wore my hair. Classmates said I was still grieving Delphine." (p. 50) Show Less
LibraryThing member Warnerp
In this 2009 National Book Award Winner, the author moves back and forth between the personal life story of Colvin and the historical happenings of the time, especially in regards to the bus boycotts—a very unique and engaging form of non-fiction. Contains many historic photos, documents,
Show More
artifacts, and text boxes to enhance the information, plus many details are provided by Colvin herself. (Jane Addams Honor Book) Show Less
LibraryThing member NMkimdykstra
Personal Response:
I thought this was a very interesting book. It is not an easy read, however. It took me quite a few sessions to complete reading this book, and I'm good adult reader. I'm not sure how many students would be able to stick with this book.
Classroom/Library Uses:
This would be a great
I thought this was a very interesting book. It is not an easy read, however. It took me quite a few sessions to complete reading this book, and I'm good adult reader. I'm not sure how many students would be able to stick with this book.
Classroom/Library Uses:
This would be a great
Show More
book for a teacher or librarian to recommend to an excellent reader. This would work well for a unit on biographies or as a supplement for studies on civil rights. Show Less
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
This book tells a little known piece of history about a teenaged girl whose courage sparked the Montgomery bus boycott and helped strike down racial segregation in the Jim Crow South. Fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white woman and was arrested as a
Show More
result. Although African-American leaders in the South chose to wait before boycotting the bus system (for about a year until Rosa Parks also refused to give up her bus seat) because Claudette was not considered a good enough spokesperson for their cause, Claudette nevertheless started people talking about a bus boycott. Later, Claudette was one of four plaintiffs whose case established that racial segregation on Alabama’s public buses was unconstitutional. While Claudette’s role in history is undeniably important, her place in history has mostly been overlooked. Hoose sets to right this in this book, which not only pieces together the history of the racial segregation in Montgomery with Claudette’s biography but also includes Claudette’s own words (resulting from extensive interviews the author had with her). The result is a well-researched historical narrative complemented with personal reactions to the events described. The book also includes informative illustrations, such as photographs and newspaper clippings. In addition, the author includes various sidebars about other events describing racial tensions in Montgomery, although not directly connected with Claudette’s experiences with the bus system. This is an interesting book for older children, teenagers, and even adults, which children and teens might enjoy all the more for having a protagonist near their own age. Show Less
LibraryThing member Nhritzuk
I couldn't put this book down. The way Hoose switched from Claudette's to another narrator's voice kept me wanting to read on for more information. Text boxes with side stories added to the "Big Picture."
LibraryThing member CardCatalogue
A riveting story of segregation of blacks in United States in the mid-1950s. Like me, young adults will be captured by the courage of Claudette and the southern black leaders who fought for rights and freedoms that were guaranteed in the United States Constitution. Phillip Hoose has written about
Show More
this piece of history in an easy-to-read, informative manner. The photos and informational side-bars help the reader relate to Claudette and the blacks in their quest for equality. This book is a good introduction to the freedom movement in United States. Show Less
LibraryThing member notemily
Excellent book. Excellent. It made me angry that Claudette Colvin was deemed "unfit" to lead the bus boycott, and that Rosa Parks is the one we always remember. The Civil Rights movement had many heroes, and only a few are remembered today--usually the least controversial ones (See also: Negroes
Claudette Colvin got pregnant a few months after her arrest for refusing to give up her seat for a white person. As she describes it, she was taken advantage of by an older man, at a time when she had few friends. But her pregnancy meant that in the eyes of the Civil Rights leaders of Montgomery, she was no longer an appropriate figurehead for the movement. She was a "fallen woman." In a time when racism was being challenged, sexism stood in the way. In Colvin's own words:
"I hoped maybe some of the boycott leaders would understand my situation and help me, after what I had done. Deep inside I hoped maybe they would give me a baby shower. I needed money and support so badly. But I didn't hear from any of them after I left the courthouse. Not Fred Gray. Not Rosa Parks. Not Jo Ann Robinson. No one called after I testified, I knew they couldn't put me up onstage like the queen of the boycott, but after what I had done, why did they have to turn their backs on me?"
I grew angrier and angrier while reading this book. Rosa Parks was already an advocate for civil rights when she refused to give up her seat. She was secretary of the NAACP. Claudette Colvin, on the other hand, was a teenager in high school. She had a lot to lose. Her decision not to give up her seat was based entirely on her own desire for justice. Rosa Parks did a great thing, but she never should have let the world forget that there was someone who came before her, who took the first step. We never should have let ourselves forget.
Show More
With Guns by Robert F. Williams). Claudette Colvin got pregnant a few months after her arrest for refusing to give up her seat for a white person. As she describes it, she was taken advantage of by an older man, at a time when she had few friends. But her pregnancy meant that in the eyes of the Civil Rights leaders of Montgomery, she was no longer an appropriate figurehead for the movement. She was a "fallen woman." In a time when racism was being challenged, sexism stood in the way. In Colvin's own words:
"I hoped maybe some of the boycott leaders would understand my situation and help me, after what I had done. Deep inside I hoped maybe they would give me a baby shower. I needed money and support so badly. But I didn't hear from any of them after I left the courthouse. Not Fred Gray. Not Rosa Parks. Not Jo Ann Robinson. No one called after I testified, I knew they couldn't put me up onstage like the queen of the boycott, but after what I had done, why did they have to turn their backs on me?"
I grew angrier and angrier while reading this book. Rosa Parks was already an advocate for civil rights when she refused to give up her seat. She was secretary of the NAACP. Claudette Colvin, on the other hand, was a teenager in high school. She had a lot to lose. Her decision not to give up her seat was based entirely on her own desire for justice. Rosa Parks did a great thing, but she never should have let the world forget that there was someone who came before her, who took the first step. We never should have let ourselves forget.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mrcmyoung
Claudette Colvin is biography of a courageous fifteen year-old who almost lost her rightful place in history because of the prejudices of the African American leaders behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Who started the revolution in Montgomery, Alabama? How did the bus boycott end? If you've only
Show More
heard of Rosa Parks and Brown vs. the Board of Education, you only know part of the story. Hoose gives us a powerful story that is as much about how history is written by the winners as it is about the memory of an inspiring fight for social justice that helped define our nation. Show Less
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Young People's Literature — 2009)
Young Hoosier Book Award (Nominee — Middle Grade — 2012)
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2012)
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (Nonfiction — 2009)
Newbery Medal (Honor Book — 2010)
Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (Nominee)
Orbis Pictus Award (Recommended Title — 2010)
Oregon Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2012)
Carter G. Woodson Book Award (Winner — 2010)
Jane Addams Children's Book Award (Honor Book — 2010)
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal (Honor Book — 2010)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2012)
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (Finalist — 2010)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2010)
CCBC Choices (2010)
Notable Children's Book (2010)
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2010)
Reading Olympics (Middle School — 2024)
OYAN Book Rave (2010)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
144 p.; 9.05 inches
ISBN
0374313229 / 9780374313227