The Girl That Time Forgot?

 Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

Author: Phillip Hoose

Publisher: Melanie Kroupa Books Farrar Straus Giroux

ISBN: 9780374313227

Jim Crow was not a real person but a character in minstrel shows that made fun of African-Americans. If there was only one chair in the waiting room an African American could not sit in it until all the white people did. Claudette Colvin was first arrested at the age of 15 for refusing to give up her seat on the bus. This happened before the incident with Rosa Parks and yet many do not know her name or the roll she played in the Civil Rights Movement. “Browder vs. Gayle changed the relationships of blacks and whites in America and the world. Yet few people know about the case and even fewer know about the plaintiffs” (77, Hoose).  

Chapters filled with personal interviews and relevant facts are made all the more riveting with photographs of people, places, and newspaper clippings detailing the beginning of the end of the “Jim Crow” era. Inserts of pertinent information and personal recollections add to the appeal of this book about the road to true freedom. Twice Toward Justice is well written, informative, as well as interesting.  Bibliographical information leads the reader to additional resources while the authors’ notes add further insight into the lives of the people contained within the pages. It reads almost like a novel and I absolutely couldn’t put it down until I had read it from cover to cover.

Reviews and Awards:

Newbery Honor Book 2010

The Robert F. Sibert Honor Book

National Book Award Winner 2009

The text is supplemented with black-and-white photos, reproductions of period newspapers and documents, and sidebars. While virtually all students know Rosa Parks's story, this well-written and engaging book will introduce them to a teen who also fought for racial justice and give them a new perspective on the era, making it an outstanding choice for most collections. School Library Journal

 This inspiring title shows the incredible difference that a single young person can make, even as it demonstrates the multitude of interconnected lives that create and sustain a political movement. Thorough chapter notes and suggestions for further reading close this title, which will find an avid readership beyond the classroom. Booklist

The sequence of events unfolds clearly, with its large cast of characters distinctly delineated. Period photographs and reprints of newspaper articles effectively evoke the tenor of the times. Kirkus Review

Connections:

During class discussion brainstorm groups or individuals today, that face challenges or injustices related to their civil rights. On chart paper record the list of individuals or groups. Students will select a topic from the list to write a Five Paragraph Essay. Topics could include Native Americans, Hispanics, Muslims, Senior Citizens, etc. Information about writing the essay can be found on the Internet.

Create a timeline of the Civil Right Movement that includes the life of Claudette Colvin and other famous persons of the time.