claudette colvin twice toward justice sparknotes

The story of Claudette Colvin supplements history and has a remarkable ability to elicit critical thinking for young students. This would be an excellent read for middle or high school students. The author also explains how he came about the idea to write the story and how he came to interview Claudette. This is a testament to the accuracy of the book. The book closes with an extensive bibliography and reference notes broken down chapter by chapter as to where the information was obtained. Even with such tough subject matter Hoose does an excellent job of remaining objective and telling the story through facts and accounts. Already leery of her background, Civil Rights leaders turned their back on this courageous young teenager when she became pregnant. A girl that became an unwed pregnant teenager. The story of Claudette tells a different story, the story of a young girl that took a stand without political ties. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr are widely revered for their tremendous work and advocacy during this time. Claudette’s story opens the door to some of the political hierarchies present during the Civil Rights movement. This is a difficult story to tell for multiple reasons. The book is largely chronological beginning with Claudette as a child and moving into adulthood. Hoose compliments the accounts with original black and white photos, newspaper cut outs from the time and text boxes that define some of the people and events mentioned in the narration. The author narrates the story with inserts of Claudette’s own words as she described the events that unfolded. The story is laid out in a way to provide multiple accounts of what happened during this time. Hoose tells the story of Claudette, her checkered upbringing in the poorest of neighborhoods, her inspiration that led to the stance on the bus, her relationship with Rosa Parks and the events that caused her to be overlooked as a Civil Rights leader. Yes, before there was Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin.

History has largely overlooked the story of Claudette Colvin, the fifteen year old girl that sparked a flurry of controversy in Montgomery, Alabama when she refused to give up her seat on the bus. This book tells the story of one of the key unsung heroes during the Civil Rights movement. New York: Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, 2009.

Claudette colvin twice toward justice sparknotes