Seeds of Freedom

Reviewed by: Jan Hamilton - Little Dolphin School, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 14, 2015

Review

As the space capital of the USA Huntsville, Alabama in the 1960's was a profitable southern town with an educated white population. This historic picture book takes a close look at the plight of the African American population due to segregation and how Huntsville citizens responded to change. The tradition of separate lifestyles within the community was explained using the phrase "just the way it is". When the African American residences began a campaign of non-violent demonstrations the seeds of freedom were more easily sewn than in other southern towns. Each planned acts of civil disobedience; sit-in, protest march, retail boycott,and a balloon release exposed the social wrongs and helped to nurture the seeds. This is a powerful and little known story about the civil rights movement in the USA. The text is informative, well researched and interesting. Many of Lewis' illustrations reveal emotions through physical stance and facial expressions. All the components of a good picture book and nonfiction material are seen within these pages. This book provides a good picture of the American South during the time of segregation and may be useful in upper level classrooms. Suggested for purchase in both public and school libraries.

Overall Book Score: excellent