Freedom Summer For Young People

Praise

*”[A] detailed, concise, well-researched account of a significant civil rights program…. An underlying sense of urgency pervades the writing as the narrative progresses, reflecting the tension building throughout the summer as an array of forces, including the Klan, the FBI, and competing political factions, came into play. A fascinating account of a pivotal civil rights initiative.” —Booklist, starred review

“A searing account of the difficulties of affecting change in a state that persistently held onto racial inequality and division. … Moving personal stories of volunteers who wanted to make a difference and found themselves changed forever round out this narrative that provides a valuable level of intimacy for readers. An in-depth look that contributes to understanding a violent painful chapter in recent history.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Freedom Summer for Young People is a delightful and challenging book for young readers, filled with powerful stories of racial change and great hope. Follow these young people into Mississippi to meet incredible homegrown black activists and learn about the most audacious civil rights campaign of the 1960s.” —William Sturkey, author of Hattiesburg: An American City in Black and White

“Here is the whole story of the young people who risked their lives for freedom that terrible, wonderful summer of 1964—and the disenfranchised Mississippians who risked their lives simply by being black. It’s history that will make your blood boil. This page-turner should be required reading for every student.” —Patricia Hruby Powell, author of Loving vs. Virginia, Lift As You Climb, and Sibert Honor Book Josephine

“Compelling, comprehensive, and immensely readable, Freedom Summer for Young People invites readers to confront a grim historical moment and to witness the courage of people who risked everything, even their lives, for the sake of racial equality in Mississippi. If you think you don’t need yet another book about the Freedom Summer, you’re wrong.” —Chris Crowe, author of Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case