The Voice That Challenged A Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman (2 books) (114 pages)

Bibliographic Information:

Freedman, R. The Voice That Challenged A Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. New York: Clarion Books.

Grade Level Appropriateness:

6th – 8th

Author Credibility:

Russell Freedman worked together with faculty at University of Pennsylvania to gather the research and photographs for this book.

Summary of the Book:

This book is about the life of Marian Anderson. She was an African American who was a young adult during the time of the Civil Rights movement. She was a wonderful singer; however, she was not allowed to sing in certain places because of the color of her skin. She faced many hardships because of her race. However, in every situation, she did not get discouraged. She kept trying and never lost sight of her goal: to be accepted and respected as a singer in America.

Illustrations:

This book was illustrated with photographs taken at the time.

Features:

This book is divided into chapters. At the end of the book, there are chapter notes for each chapter. There is a selected bibliography and discography. There are picture credits and an index.

How I would Use the Book in My Classroom:

This is another book I would use either during black history month or during a study on civil rights. I would possibly use this book in a literature group in older grades.


Response:

This is another book that really touched me. There were points when I wanted to cry an my heart broke for her. I felt so proud of her by the end of the book.

Related Text:
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges

Freedom Riders by Ann Bausum