Child of the Civil Rights Movement

By Paula Young Shelton and Raul Colón

In this Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year, Paula Young Shelton, daughter of Civil Rights activist Andrew Young, brings a child’s unique perspective to an important chapter in America’s history. Paula grew up in the deep south, in a world where whites had and blacks did not. With an activist father and a community of leaders surrounding her, including Uncle Martin (Martin Luther King), Paula watched and listened to the struggles, eventually joining with her family—and thousands of others—in the historic march from Selma to Montgomery.

Poignant, moving, and hopeful, this is an intimate look at the birth of the Civil Rights Movement.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jan 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9780375982811

Reviews for Child of the Civil Rights Movement

[lbblackwell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Paula Young Shelton shares her memories of what life was like growing up in the south during the time of Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights Movement. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and beautiful. A must read in the classroom when covering Civil Rights!

[jaimie919 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When my parents were growing they had to follow Jim Crow laws. These laws made black people sit in the back of the bus and they couldn't vote. When I was born I didn't have Jim Crow around but I had something else. When we were watching the news we saw the freedom riders and the bus was set on fire. This is my parents decided we needed to go back to the heart of the civil movement. I had my first protest there. We were told we could not be seated at a restaurant so I cried and I didn't stop. One day during dinner I over heard my family talking about a march to protest Selma. We wanted to go so we packed up and off we went. Everyone was marching it was a lot of us. When we got home we watched the march on the news and I was so proud to be apart of it. We won the battle and it was not going to be the last one either. I know when my parents cant protest anymore we the children of the civil rights movement will. I would show this book to introduce the civil rights movement.

[lalfonso_618548 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very credible source Paula Young Shelton, the daughter of a Civil Rights leader, Andrew Young, and the honorary niece of Uncle Martin, Martin Luther King, Jr., told this story. She shared her perspective of the struggle for Civil Rights as she remembered it. It read like a poem. The style reminded me of Locomotion by Woodson. The illustrations were very soft and gentle, the colors seemed muted, which helped the reader to sympathize with the characters. Teaching ideas include a social studies 3-5 grade class and a unit on Dr. King or civil rights. She includes additional information about the people in the book as well as a bibliography.

[janee23 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A monumental moment was happening in history, and a little girl and family was in the mist of it all. Paula Young Shelton tells the story how a family picks up and move back down south to their home town. The parents wanted to be one of the many people walking the streets and voicing their opinions about the Civil Rights Movement. Shelton tells the story in the point of the littler girl, who had so much pride swelled within her to be apart of such a trying time for the country.

[ambourg7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book to read when introducing the civil rights movement. The pictures are extremely helpful when understanding the meaning behind the text.

[anatertorres · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed reading this book and was really happy that it was a true story.

[ashleyfletcher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Child of the Civil Rights Movement is written about a family who is living in the times when whites and blacks were separated. Paula Young remembers a time when her and her family packed up and moved to Alabama to go be apart of the march going to Montgomery. The children which were three girls and their parents marched right along her uncle Martin Luther King Jr. She recalls how she felt and how they marched for the right to vote. One incident when her and her family went to a restaurant to eat dinner and they wouldn’t let them in because they were black and the restaurant was for whites only. Paula threw herself on the ground and made her own protest yet they would not serve them. So they spent many night eating over at other coloreds houses eating and enjoying the talks about the march to Montgomery. And the day came where they began to march and there were news about it! The national guard was there to make sure they were protected and President Johnson watched the march on TV. Aug. 6, 1965 President Johnson signed a bill that all people black or white can vote and no one can stop them.By the time I was interested in voting I could. I have never had anyone tell me no I could not vote or no I could not go into a certain restaurant. I do know that I would not be happy about being turned away from what every other person is doing. This is a good book on Paula’s point of view. A view through a children’s eyes can mean and be so much more colorful!In the classroom, I can have my students write a paper on the Civil Rights. I can also have them interview their grandparents if old enough to tell them how they felt through this time in America.

[abbylibrarian_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Paula Young Shelton gives a child's-eye view of the fight for civil rights in the American South. While this would not be a first choice for report writing, it will give elementary students a feel for the time and what children would have gone through at that point in our history. Beatiful color illustrations bring to life such civil rights leaders as Andrew Young and Martin Luther King, Jr.