The Split History of the Civil Rights Movement

"Here's a fascinating two-pronged perspective on the Civil Rights movement beginning in the mid-1950s: the activists', initiating with the lynching in 1955 of Emmett Till; and the segregationists', starting with the Ku Klux Klan's reaction to the Supreme Court's ruling on Brown v. Board of Education. The Split History of the Civil Rights Movement doesn't make for light reading, but even for kids, the important issues never do (ages 9-14)."

"This book surely provides a succinct but rich accounting of the history of Civil Right Movement."

"Readers are able to understand the conflict by reading separately the point of view of segregationists and politicians who took advantage of the fears of local voters and then the point of view of those who wanted to make change through voter registration drives and education. Although the accounts of the important protests, walks, and boycotts are brief, readers can use the text and photographs to get a sense of the place and time and ponder the events that lead to social change as well as the resistance that tries to counter that change."