Synopses & Reviews
How did two youths-one raised in an all-black community in the deep South, the other brought up with only whites in the Midwest-become partners for freedom during the civil rights movement of the 1960s?
Freedom Riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of John Lewis and James Zwerg in a way that helps young readers understand the segregated experience of our nation's past. It shows how a common interest in justice created the convergent path that enabled these young men to meet.
This book introduces young readers (grade 5 and up) to the concept of nonviolent resistance as practiced by Zwerg, Lewis, and their classmates in Nashville, Tennessee. These students broke the color barrier at local movie theaters using this form of protest.
Freedom Riders conveys the history of the Freedom Rides through the shared experiences of Lewis and Zwerg. No other book on the subject has used such a personal perspective. These two young men, empowered by their successes in Nashville, were among those who volunteered to continue the Freedom Rides after violence in Anniston, Alabama, left the original bus in flames with the riders injured and in retreat. Lewis and Zwerg joined the cause knowing their own fate could be equally harsh, if not worse, when the Freedom Ride penetrated deeper into the South.
When these new participants arrived in Montgomery, Alabama, Zwerg and Lewis were singled out by a mob numbering in the hundreds armed with chains, bats, and hammers. The two youths were nearly beaten to death before police stepped forward to end the violence. The two surviving photographs from their experience provide testimony to the severity of their attacks. Release of these images along with accounts of the violence in Montgomery served to focus national attention on the Freedom Rides. Waves of volunteers came South to continue them.
Freedom Riders summarizes the history of the subsequent rides and their success at ending discriminatory seating on Southern interstate bus service. It concludes by relatingthe divergent paths of Lewis and Zwerg. Lewis rose to prominence with continued participation in the civil rights movement. He became a U.S. Congress member in 1986. Zwerg, at the encouragement of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., took up the ministry, a career he continued for 20 years until turning to community service and business.
The book is stunningly illustrated with 50 duotoned historical photos and detailed maps. It includes a resource guide of landmarks and references and a related chronology.
Review
Awards and Accolades for Ann Bausum: and#160;
- Sibert Honor
- Jane Addams Childrenand#8217;s Book Award
- Carter G. Woodson Award
- SCBWI Golden Kite Award
and#160;
and#8220;A triumph on three fronts: educational, emotional, and inspirational.and#8221; and#8212;Booklist, starred review for Stubby the War Dog
and#160;
and#8220;Bausum's narrative style [is] fresh, engrossing, and at times heart-stoppingand#8221; and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review for Freedom Riders
and#160;
and#8220;Bausum. . . makes the history live as she explains, exhorts, and lets nothing drop by the wayside. . . Excellent.and#8221; and#8212;Kirkus, starred review for With Courage and Cloth
and#160;
and#8220;Bausum is one of my absolute favorite nonfiction writers, for both her politics and her impeccable prose.and#8221; and#8212;The YALSA Hub for Marching to the Mountaintop
Review
Praise for Stonewall:
and#8220;Stonewall tells an important story, and does it with style and passionand#8212;my favorite kind of nonfiction." and#8212;Steve Sheinkin, National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honor-winning author of Bomb and The Port of Chicago 50
and#8220;Do not read this book unless you want to learn about the oppression of gays and lesbians, discriminatory laws, and police who abuse their power. Do not read this book unless you want to read about the pent-up anger that ignited the Stonewall riots in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Do not read this book unless you want to be swept away by the gay revolution that ultimately led to a strong, political cohesive community. Ann Bausum gives us a gripping account of the Stonewall riots in this authoritative narrative.and#8221; and#8212;Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Sibert Medalist and Newbery Honor-winning author of Hitler Youth and Black Potatoes
and#8220;A driving beat pulses throughout Stonewall, propelling the narrative forward. Bausum masterfully grounds readers in historical context while dropping them right in the heartand#8212;and the heatand#8212;of the moment.and#8221; and#8212;Tanya Lee Stone, Sibert Medalist and NAACP Image Award-winning author of Courage Has No Color
and#160;
and#8220;Told with skill and humanity, this story of the Stonewall uprising and its aftermath adds an important piece to the annals of social justice history in young adult literature.and#8221; and#8212;Sue Macy, award-winning author of Wheels of Change and Sally Ride: Life on a Mission
Awards and Accolades for Ann Bausum:
and#160;
- Sibert Honor
- Jane Addams Childrenand#8217;s Book Award
- Carter G. Woodson Award
- SCBWI Golden Kite Award
and#160;
and#8220;A triumph on three fronts: educational, emotional, and inspirational.and#8221; and#8212;Booklist, starred review for Stubby the War Dog
and#160;
and#8220;Bausum's narrative style [is] fresh, engrossing, and at times heart-stoppingand#8221; and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review for Freedom Riders
and#160;
and#8220;Bausum. . . makes the history live as she explains, exhorts, and lets nothing drop by the wayside. . . Excellent.and#8221; and#8212;Kirkus, starred review for With Courage and Cloth
and#160;
and#8220;Bausum is one of my absolute favorite nonfiction writers, for both her politics and her impeccable prose.and#8221; and#8212;The YALSA Hub for Marching to the Mountaintop
Synopsis
Freedom Riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of John Lewis and James Zwerg in a way that helps young readers understand the segregated experience of our nation's past. It shows how a common interest in justice created the convergent path that enabled these young men to meet as Freedom Riders on a bus journey south.
No other book on the Freedom Riders has used such a personal perspective. These two young men, empowered by their successes in the Nashville student movement, were among those who volunteered to continue the Freedom Rides after violence in Anniston, Alabama, left the original bus in flames with the riders injured and in retreat. Lewis and Zwerg joined the cause knowing their own fate could be equally harsh, if not worse. The journey they shared as freedom riders through the Deep South changed not only their own lives but our nation's history.
Synopsis
Thatand#8217;s the Stonewall. The Stonewall Inn.
Pay attention.
History walks through that door.
In 1969 being gay in the United States was a criminal offense. It meant living a closeted life or surviving on the fringes of society. People went to jail, lost jobs, and were disowned by their families for being gay. Most doctors considered homosexuality a mental illness. There were few safe havens. The Stonewall Inn, a Mafia-run, filthy, overpriced bar in New York Cityand#8217;s Greenwich Village, was one of them.
Police raids on gay bars happened regularly in this era. But one hot June night, when cops pounded on the door of the Stonewall, almost nothing went as planned. Tensions were high. The crowd refused to go away. Anger and frustration boiled over.
The raid became a riot.
The riot became a catalyst.
The catalyst triggered an explosive demand for gay rights.
Ann Bausumand#8217;s riveting exploration of the Stonewall Riots and the national Gay Rights movement that followed is eye-opening, unflinching, and inspiring.
About the Author
Ann Bausum writes about history for readers of all ages. Stonewall is her twelfth book and her first book for Viking. Ann has written frequently about social justice history in the United States, including the fight for womenand#8217;s voting rights (With Courage and Cloth), the 1961 struggle for integrated interstate transportation in the South (Freedom Riders), and the Memphis, Tennessee, campaign to unionize sanitation workers that led to the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Marching to the Mountaintop). Among other recognitions, her books for children and teens have received a Sibert Honor, the Jane Addams Childrenand#8217;s Book Award, the Golden Kite Award, and, on two occasions, the Carter G. Woodson Award. Ann lives in southern Wisconsin. Visit her website at www.AnnBausum.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.