The National Civil Rights Museum Celebrates Everyday People - Softcover

* National Parenting Publications Gold Award

* Children's Book Council Notable Children's Trade Books

Grade 3-6?An affecting introduction to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN, housed in the historic Lorraine Motel. Its lifelike exhibits re-create scenes and people of the civil rights movement: the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, the Greensboro lunch-counter sit-in, the Freedom Rides, episodes in Birmingham and Selma, and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. For example, children may climb on a bus and sit with a statue of Rosa Parks, listening to the driver's demands that she move to the back of the bus. The outstanding feature of the book is Duncan's simple, but beautiful prose that makes an ugly subject somehow more understandable to youngsters, gives them a realistic view of progress made, and encourages them to work for an even better tomorrow. Exceptionally well-chosen black-and-white news photographs are paired with bright, full-color photos of children interacting with related exhibits. Although a few of the modern ones seem overly posed, they are attractive and do a good job of explaining the interactivity of the museum. Duncan's paean of praise to "everyday people" makes it clear that it only takes courage, determination, and unity to make the world a better place.?Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.