Brown vs Board of Education.

Aretha, David.  Brown vs Board of Education.    Morgan Reynolds   2013  128p  $26.05  ISBN 978-1599-35370-8  ms/hs  series: Civil Rights Movement(MR)#8,12        Nonfiction  VG-BNS   

The Supreme Court case of Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka is described in great detail and placed in its historical context in this overview for middle-school students.  We begin with a brief history of race relations, including the importance of Frederick Douglas and the Civil War, and move quickly through the years to mid-20th-century United States, when Linda Brown’s parents decided they wanted their daughter to have a better education than that afforded her by the segregated school she had been attending.  Every nuance of the case is described, including the fact that five cases were actually bundled together in the Brown decision.  The writing is good, and there are plenty of primary-source quotes, source notes, photographs with photo credits, a timeline, an index, a bibliography and lists of web sites to consult. 

The only glaring error appears on page 18, where in line 12 the text reads “nineteenth century” when it should read “twentieth century.”  This howler should be corrected in future editions.     The series is called The Civil Rights Movement, and all the books in the series are edited by David Aretha.  

Summary: The Supreme Court case of Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka is described in great detail and placed in its historical context in this overview for middle-school students.    

Civil Rights-Court Cases                                    --Carol Kennedy

Story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Photographs

Aretha, David.  Story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Photographs.  Enslow  2014  48p   $17.95  ISBN 978-0-7660-4234-6  elem/ms  series: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement in Photographs  Nonfiction  VG

Rosa Parks stood up for her civil rights by sitting down.  This book chronicles the now-famous tale of how a tired black woman refused to vacate her seat on the public bus for a white man, thus sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott and creating an important rallying point for the nascent Civil Rights Movement.  Aretha provides clear, if slightly biased, explanations of the onset of racial segregation and how Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights leaders fought injustice through nonviolent protest.  The text does not shy away from the negative as well as the positive outcomes of these protests.

This slender volume is bursting with information, and the very readable text is further enhanced by interesting sidebars and many photographs from the era.  The book would be a good springboard for launching a discussion of civil rights, African-American role models, and strong female role models.  The book will appeal to student researchers and history buffs, as well as casual readers.     

Summary: This book describes the role Rosa Parks played in battling for equal rights during the Civil Rights Movement. 

Rosa Parks, Civil Rights Movement                     --Hilary Welliver

Aretha, David. Mitt Romney.

Aretha, David.  Mitt Romney.  Morgan Reynolds   2013 112p $28.95  978-1-59935-344-9      series: Political Profiles #8      ms/jr  Biography  VG

     

This is an uncomplicated, unbiased report on the life and career of 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney, with a greater emphasis on biography than politics. It includes a thorough bibliography and suggested websites to promote further investigation.    This is a well-researched, carefully presented piece that breaks Romney’s life into sensibly organized chapters.  It is very readable, both in terms of layout and literary style.  One area where the author really excels is in presenting Romney’s history as a businessman and in giving equal treatment to his successes and failures in business and in politics.  As a biography it is really a very good book, although next to nothing is said about Romney’s actual political platform or about many of his gubernatorial actions in Massachusetts.  This is as unusual in the biography of a politician as it would be to write a biography of a writer without mentioning their literary style.  The layout was very appealing, with glossy photos and well-arranged pages that flow easily around the photos and their captions.    

The series Political Profiles is geared toward junior-high-school readers and aims to inform them about the lives of politicians who are prominently featured in current media.

Mitt Romney, Politicians, Presidential candidates, Governors-Massachusetts   

                                                      --Bethany Geleskie

Aretha, David. Black Power.

Aretha, David.  Black Power.  

 Morgan Reynolds, 2012.  128p. $28.95 ISBN 978-1-59935-164-3 ms/hs VG-BNS     

     This history of one phase of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States begins with the election of Stokely Carmichael to lead the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and SNCC's subsequent turn to a more militant stance in fighting for civil rights for African Americans. 
     The book is very thorough, although there are two instances where an error appears, namely the notion that “white flight” could be blamed on the Black Power movement.  (This is stated both on page 113 at the bottom of the page, and on the back cover of the book.)  White flight had actually begun decades prior to this era, when an influx of Blacks to northern cities occurred at the end of World War Two.
     However, despite this historical error, the book is fairly thorough, although the timeline omits the assassination of Malcolm X.
     There is a timeline, a list of source notes, an extensive bibliography, a good list of resources for further research, and an index.  Photographs are good, and compliment the text nicely.   

     Other books in the Civil Rights Movement series include The Murder of Emmett Till, The Trial of the Scottsboro Boys, Selma and the Voting Rights Act, and Sit-Ins and Freedom Rides. 

Subject: African Americans - Civil Rights

Carol Kennedy

Aretha, David. Black Power.

Aretha, David.  Black Power.  Morgan Reynolds, 2012.  128p. $28.95 ISBN 978-1-59935-164-3 ms/hs VG-BNS     

     This history of one phase of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States begins with the election of Stokely Carmichael to lead the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and SNCC's subsequent turn to a more militant stance in fighting for civil rights for African Americans. 
     The book is very thorough, although there are two instances where an error appears, namely the notion that “white flight” could be blamed on the Black Power movement.  (This is stated both on page 113 at the bottom of the page, and on the back cover of the book.)  White flight had actually begun decades prior to this era, when an influx of Blacks to northern cities occurred at the end of World War Two.
     However, despite this historical error, the book is fairly thorough, although the timeline omits the assassination of Malcolm X.
     There is a timeline, a list of source notes, an extensive bibliography, a good list of resources for further research, and an index.  Photographs are good, and compliment the text nicely.   

     Other books in the Civil Rights Movement series include The Murder of Emmett Till, The Trial of the Scottsboro Boys, Selma and the Voting Rights Act, and Sit-Ins and Freedom Rides. 

Subject: African Americans - Civil Rights

Carol Kennedy

Aretha, David. No Compromise: The Story of Harvey Milk

Aretha, David No Compromise: The Story of Harvey Milk
Morgan Reynolds 2009 128p
978-1-59935-129-2 ms/hs Biography of activist Harvey Milk VG-BNS
Civil Rights Movement(MR)#8


Biography of gay rights activist, Harvey Milk. This volume traces his life and his impact on Civil Rights in the United States.
A balanced and readable biography of gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Readers will be drawn along as Harvey emerges from a young man questioning his sexuality to a champion for civil rights, not only for the GLBT community, but for every individual faced with discrimination. From the mauve page decoration to the abundant quantity and quality of the photos, this is an attractive and interesting volume. A timeline, extensive bibliographical information, and index complete the volume. With the release of the acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated film in 2009, readers will be interested in learning more about the controversial figure. This volume is an excellent point to begin research. Naismith, Pat