Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement by Ann Bausum (1 book) (79 pages)

Bibliographic Information:

Bausum, A. Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.

Grade Level Appropriateness:

6th – 8th

Author Credibility:

The author worked with several researchers to get the facts for this book. She was part of a team that wrote this book.

Summary of the Book:

This book tells the story of two young males who rode the bus from the north to the south during the time of integration. This book followed two young men, one white and one black. When they reached Alabama, they were both brutally beaten for the simple fact that they had ridden on the bus together. They rode the bus knowing they would face this kind of opposition when they arrived in the south. However, they did not care. They were fighting for a cause that they both believed in: equality for all races. This book captured the Civil Rights from both sides.

Illustrations:

This book is illustrated with photographs from the time.

Features:

At the end of the book, there is a partial roster of the riders on the freedom bus. It provides pictures for some of them. There is also timeline of major events in the Civil Rights movement. The author provides a research guide and research notes and acknowledgements. There is a section on the citations used in the book. The author provides a bibliography and illustration credits. There is also an index

How I would Use the Book in My Classroom:

I would use this book during Black History Month or while studying the Civil Rights.

Response:

I really liked this book. I’ve been really interested in book about the Civil Rights movement.

Related Text:

Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice by Raymond Arsenault

Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges