When children marched: Birmingham civil rights movement. by Robert H. Mayer

Mayer, Robert H. When children marched: Birmingham civil rights movement.
Enslow, 2008, $34.60, 176p, 978-0-7660-2930-0

“Discusses the Birmingham civil rights movement, the great leaders of the movement, and the roles of the children who helped fight for equal rights and to end segregation in Birmingham.”
Without a doubt, Dr. Martin Luther King is the civil rights leader that most students are familiar with. What they may not realize is that in the battle for equality, there were many unknown foot soldiers, and some of those soldiers were children. The focus of this title is on the role. The young children and teens of Birmingham played in helping the city, one of the South’s most segregated, do away with the Jim Crow laws that made blacks second class citizens. Extremely well researched and documented, as noted in the chapter notes, the author places this particular event in the context of the Civil Rights Movement and particularly, in Birmingham itself. A detailed explanation of the events leading up to the march helps the reader to understand the impact and effect that the children had when they took to the streets and followed the practice of nonviolent confrontation to denounce segregation. Their courage in the face of imprisonment is underscored by the excellent black and white photographs showing the confrontation between King and his followers and that of Bull Connor and the Birmingham police. The layout, with shaded black and gold bar at the top of each page, is dignified and lent a serious tone to the narrative. A red font for each paragraph heading helps the reader to scan ahead for important information. Photographs include a full page spreads and smaller inserts, on most pages. Also contributing to the narrative are lengthy primary source passages from key figures involved in the march. Includes a time line, chapter notes, a glossary, additional information for research, and an index. This title is a first choice for research and as the title indicates, shows young children that they can make a difference in the world. RZ