15

I remember what I was doing at age 15 and after reading Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom:  My Story of the Selma Voting Rights March, I am even more in awe of Lynda Blackmon Lowery.  And even more ashamed of our country.  But yet Ms. Lowery has written a book of hope and love as she tells what she saw and heard and went through when she was on the road to Montgomery.  In face of Bloody Sunday, I am just blown away that she can write with such grace and kindness.  What a beautiful woman she must be.  We are reading this for my nonfiction book group with adults and will talk about it on Tuesday.  The other women in the group all lived through this time and I am anxious to hear what they remember. 

The Things I Never Knew are Embarrassing

I don't know much about Malcolm X except for what I read in this book in seminary.  I really liked the book a lot, I remember, but I need to re-read it or read more.  Betty Before X written by Ilyasah Shabazz, and Renée Watson about her mother, Dr. Betty Shabazz. 
Dr. Shabazz and Malcolm X are buried at Fercliff Cemetery, where Judy's remains rest.  Had I known that I would have visited their graves when I went to visit Judy's. 
I highly recommend this book.  It is very well done and accessible for middle schoolers and really piqued my interest, not just about Dr. X about her husband as well. 

God Does Not Care Whom We Love, Only That We Love

Loving vs. Virginia:  a Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case is the story of a case that I embarrassing admit, I was unaware until the movie Loving came out last year.  Loving v. Virginia (1967) is a case that should never have had to come to trial, like Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka (1954).
The movie was good.  This book is excellent.  It is especially important for anyone and everyone to read.  It is so very, very well done in poetry and incredible illustrations.  This is a must-read.
It's a novel, so I guess it is technically historical fiction?

Was it Just

that I didn't like the character?  I gave My Life Before Me only 3 of 5 stars.  I really didn't like Cady.  All of the girls had the same problem, but Cady just was a jerk.  In my opinion.  She was very realistic!  Her journey took her to the United States, to the state of Indiana, where racism is rampant, just like in the south.  I can't tell if Cady is as miserable and uncaring about her birth parents as she seems to be or if it is a defense mechanism.  Either way, this was my least favorite one, but still glad I read it.

Another Wonderful Book from CPC

I have always wanted to read The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, but the cover was terrible.  Now there is a new cover and I like this one better!  This is the one that is over there <- .="" nbsp="" p="">This book was just incredible.  Now I never caught the significance of the title.  Had I thought about Birmingham, Alabama and what happened in 1963, I would not have been so shocked by what happens in the story.  It just didn't hit me and so there I was, reading along, this wonderful book about a loving, incredible family. And then, wow.  The book became even more powerful and it just blew me away. So much happened that year in Birmingham, of course, but how the church bombing was incorporated into this novel was just so profound.  Another must-read for everyone.