Story of the Civil Rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Photographs

Aretha, David.  Story of the Civil Rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Photographs.    Enslow  2014  48p   $17.95  ISBN 978-0-7660-4238-4  ms/hs  series: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement in Photographs  Nonfiction  E-BNS

This brief book describes the events leading up to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, and what happened on that day.  The book begins with the planning of the event and notes previous attempts at peaceful reform.  Specific stories about some of the people who journeyed to the march highlight its significance. Subsequent chapters provide a chronicle of the march itself, including the speeches, the goals and its results. Succinct text boxes provide additional relevant information.  Most significant, however, are the photographs, which serve as primary-source material.  Each photograph enhances the accompanying text, clarifying and highlighting the information.  Additional text boxes provide summaries and relevance of the selected photographs.
    

Additionally, the information given is concise and accurate.  This short book about the first effective and notable civil-rights march on Washington relays information in an orderly and historically precise manner.  To add to the credibility of the well-written text, there are first-person accounts by participants in the march.  The graphics are visually appealing and are remarkably reflective of the text and photographs.
    

Through the use of photographs of primary documents and authentic quotes from participants, David Aretha has created a book that focuses on the most important events surrounding the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.  The inclusion of a table of contents, timeline, pages of suggestions for further reading, and an index also make this an excellent resource tool.

This is one book in the series The Story of the Civil Rights Movement in Photographs. Other titles in this series include The Story of the Little Rock Nine, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and The Story of the Selma Voting Rights Marches.   

Summary: This book describes the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, and chronicles the events of that day and the effects the march had on the nation.      

Civil Rights Movement                           --Virginia McGarvey

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