Extraordinary photographs and text about the Selma to Montgomery march, focusing on the children who marched. is action in the face of violence led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act in August, 1965

As usual -- a spectacular, useful, and beautiful book for kids from Betsy Partridge. ( )

Elizabeth Partridge has put together an excellent book--it's not wonder why "Marching for Freedom" was a National Book Award finalist. The details of the book balance the facts of the Civil Rights movement with the emotions of its participants, which makes a powerful impact on the reader.

As I read the book, Partridge's organization and attention to detail stood out to me. The information is divided into chronological sections and the connections between the events is clear. After reliving the cruel opposition to the black voters, one can easily understand how countless African Americans were drawn to Martin Luther King Jr.'s message. Partridge powerfully demonstrates the frustration and tensions of a group of people who were willing to be "jailed by the thousands" for their rights. It is no wonder how such high racial tensions inevitably culminate in the March on Selma and the tragedy of Bloody Sunday. Though of course any reader knows that the protestors were ultimately successful in establishing the Voting Rights Act, Partridge makes the journey to that success gripping.

At first, I was skeptical about the accuracy of the book because of Partridge's constant references to the thoughts and feelings of her protestors. It's difficult in non-fiction texts to tell if the author is taking liberties and speculating about what was going through the minds of women like Joanne and Lynda. However, Partridge has clearly done her research. Not only is her list of sources exhaustive (her research includes music, films, books, and credible websites), but she has also gone personally to Selma to get firsthand knowledge of the site in addition to conducting personal interviews with five eye witnesses to the events. She even corroborated her research with others interviews that occurred right after the Civil Rights movement to help her best understand the people and events in the book. If these resources weren't impressive enough, Partridge even organized her source notes by date and event so that anyone wanting to learn more can easily find what they are looking for.

Consider me impressed. ( )

This is the story of the march on Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. The events of this story take place in a limited time frame. After a brief stop in 1963 to look at disenfranchisement of black voters in Selma, Alabama, the author jumps to 1965 to tell us about the events of and leading up to the march. Though Martin Luther King, Jr. makes an appearance, and it is clear that he is a monumental figure in the movement as gauged by the exuberant reactions of the locals to his presence, the real stars of this story are those on the ground.

At the center of this story is the participation of the young students in the demonstrations. The endured the jails and the violence even before their teachers did. We are introduced to characters like Joanne, who was arrested for the first time when she was just ten years old, and her older sister Lynda. The reader gets an appreciation for the strength of these children and the repulsiveness of what they endured. The depictions of violence in the text are surprisingly graphic, considering the target audience, and expectedly heart-wrenching. This is a compelling story, reinforced by equally impactful photography, with lessons about an important episode in our nation’s history, ( )

“Don’t worry about your children. Don’t hold them back if they want to go to jail…They are carving a tunnel of hope through the great mountain of despair.” These were the words of Dr. Martin Luther King to the crowd that had gathered in Brown Chapel in Selma, Alabama. The year was 1965 and the Civil Rights movement in the United States was in full swing. In Selma, children and teenagers were some of the most involved freedom fighters. In Marching for Freedom: Walk Together Children and Don't You Grow Weary, author Elizabeth Partridge focuses on the stories of several children who participated in the freedom marches in Selma. Despite the dangers of getting beaten, thrown in prison, and even gassed, the children and teenagers of Selma refused to back down and show fear. They participated in the march over Pettus Bridge, which later became known as Bloody Sunday. One girl was beaten so badly on her head that her hair later needed to be shaved off so she could receive the thirty stitches necessary to close her wound. Despite such horrors, she and her friends participated in the march from Selma to the state capital in Montgomery, even though they marched through a county that was a well-known hot seat for the KKK. The students who participated in these marches would sing freedom songs when their spirits were down and rally everyone else around them.
Marching for Freedom is a glimpse into a time of American history when people were willing to stand up for what they believed in, even the youngest Americans. It specifically covers the time period from January to August of 1965 and reveals how those few short months and the people of Selma were instrumental in the passing of the Voting Rights Act. It illustrates the influence that young people can and did have on society. The book is arranged chronologically leading up to the march to Montgomery. Once the march begins, the books chapters are divided up by counting the days of the march (“Day One, Day Two,” etc.) and have the day and date as well as the end goal of the march that day. This organization makes the book easy to follow. There are primary photographs on every two page spread with captions, and they are always photographs of what the book is covering on those pages (the rally in Montgomery, the aftermath of the march over the Pettus Bridge). This format makes the text--which is divided into two columns-- seem less daunting and allows readers to see the actual participants, and in some cases the events, of the time. This book is best suited for grades 6 and up. ( )