Week 7: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

Book Cover Image:

 Book Summary:

This biographical book is about the real spark that started the Montgomery bus boycott. Claudette Colvin was just 15 years old and was tired of being treated like a 2^nd class citizen. She decided one day not to give up her seat to a white lady and it got her arrested. She did not even violate the bus seating laws of that time but she was still arrested and mistreated along the way. Rosa Parks does later also protest on the bus but Claudette did it first. She continues to fight this injustice as a plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle. She and the other plaintiffs were successful in the suit and struck down the segregation laws in Montgomery. This book is suited for grades 7-12.  

APA Reference:

Hoose, P. (2009). Claudette Colvin: Twice toward justice. New York, NY: Melanie Kroupa

            Books.

My Impressions:

I really enjoyed learning more about the Montgomery bus boycott and how Claudette was the real inspiration. I had no idea there was someone before Rosa Parks. While Rosa does have her place in history, and a vital one, Claudette, a 15 year old girl, was the first brave one to fight for her rights to be equal. I think the teens that read this book will be inspired to stand up for what they believe in. It is always more interesting for this age group of students (or any, really) to have a peer aged character to read about. It really allows them to become more engaged in the story, especially when it is about a historic event. I was pleased to see that Dr. Martin King, Jr. supported Claudette in her cause. The author also does a good job telling the truths of the time (regarding Claudette’s teen pregnancy) while still remaining respectful.     

Professional Review:

“Gr. 7-12. Nine months before Rosa Parks’ history-making protest on a city bus, Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old Montgomery, Alabama, high-school student, was arrested and jailed for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. Hoose draws from numerous personal interviews with Colvin in this exceptional title that is part historical account, part memoir. Hoose’s lucid explanations of background figures and events alternate with lengthy passages in Colvin’s own words, and the mix of voices creates a comprehensive view of the Montgomery bus boycott and the landmark court case, Browder v. Gayle, that grew from it. At the center of the headline-grabbing turmoil is teenager Colvin, who became pregnant during the boycott; and her frank, candid words about both her personal and political experiences will galvanize young readers. On each attractively designed spread, text boxes and archival images, including photos and reproduced documents, extend the gripping story. As in Hoose’s We Were There, Too! Young People in U.S. History (2001), this inspiring title shows the incredible difference that a single young person can make, even as it demonstrates the multitude of interconnected lives that create and sustain a political movement. Thorough chapter notes and suggestions for further reading close this title, which will find an avid readership beyond the classroom.”

Review Reference:

Engberg, G. (2009, February 1). [Review of the book Claudette Colvin: Twice toward justice, by

            P. Hoose]. Booklist, 105(11), 49. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/  

Library Uses:

Focus ages: grades 7-12

This book could be a part of a display during Black History Month. A teaser could be displayed with it letting the students know that Claudette was really the first Montgomery bus protestor, and she was only 15 years old. This would draw the students’ attention and they would be more likely to pick the book up and read more.

This would be a great book to do a book talk on during Black History Month using the same teaser mentioned above. This talk would be done in the English classes and would hopefully bring students to the library to check it out.