Freedom Summer (book)

Infobox Book |
name = Freedom Summer
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Deborah Wiles
illustrator = Jerome Lagarrigue
cover_artist =
country =
language = English
series =
genre = Children's literature
publisher = Simon & Schuster
pub_date = 2002
media_type =
pages = 32 pages
isbn = 978-0689878299
oclc =

Freedom Summer is a children's book written by Deborah Wiles and illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. Originally published as a hardcover edition in 2002, the book is now available as a paperback from Simon & Schuster.

ummary

Set in Mississippi during the summer of 1964, a summer of desegregation in the South, the book is about two best friends. John Henry is black and the narrator is white. They do everything together, such as swimming in a creek. They cannot swim in the town pool together because black people are not allowed to use the public swimming pool.

Then the narrator is told that segregation was ruled as being unconstitutional. He is really excited as this means that he can go to the town pool tomorrow with John Henry together. The boys are more excited than ever before but when they arrive at the town pool the following day, they are in shock because the town pool has been closed. The entire pool has been filled with tar as white people rather close down the entire venue instead of sharing it with black people.

The boys are heavily disappointed and the book ends with a picture of the two boys entering a grocery store which was previously for whites only.

Awards

Illustrator Jerome Lagarrigue won the John Steptoe Award for New Talent [List of John Steptoe Award for New Talent winners [http://www.ala.org/ala/emiert/corettascottkingbookaward/cskpastwinners/newtalentaward/newtalentaward.cfm] "] for this book. In 2002 the book won the Ezra Jack Keats Award [List of Ezra Jack Keats Award winners [http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/bookawards/index.html] "] for best new picture book writer of the year and best new illustrator.

References