Customer Reviews

Freedom Songs (Puffin Book)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Civil Rights has been my favorite subject as for long as I can remember. Everytime we studied it in History clas I would pay the closest attention. One of my favorite movies has to do with the Civil Rights movement. This book was really good for me. It teaches many things. Not only does it teach you about the struggles and hardships that African American people had to go through back then, but it also teaches that if you beleive in yourself you can do anything and make a change. This story is about a 14 year old girl named Sherl. Her only dream for the upcomming year is to be a "fly girl". However when she goes down South to visit her relatives she finds out what racism really is and how it effects peoples lives. She finds out because her Uncle Pete announces that he is going to become a Freedom Rider. At first she was very proud but after she saw what was happening to other people helping out the Civil Rights cause, she got really scared for her uncles safety. So her and her friends decide to take action. This book is very inspiring. When you read this book you feel happy and everything because you not only know that a small 14 year old girl made a difference in her lives and other peoples lives, but it inspires you and tells you that if you work hard at it and are determined and really beleive in yourself you can make a difference too. Never give up if you feel like you havn't given your best. If you feel hopeless but you also feel like you still have like the smallest bit of hope left, try and try again and you'll be amazed at how much that little bit of hope can grow.

SHERYLS FREEDOM SONG

Sheryl and her friends are trying to help the freedom riders with things like black people being able to vote. Or no white only restaurants, white only drinking fountains, or white only bathrooms. She organizes a number of events to raise money for the freedom riders. Such as a choir concert they raised enough money to help the freedom riders, in fact she raised over the amount she needed. I enjoyed the book very much so. I thought it was very ambitious for her to want to raise money to help people. She was very courageous. I dont think I could do that Id be afraid that the people who didnt like blacks would try to hurt me. But she wasnt afraid she even went to the white only restaurants and ordered food, of course they didnt serve it to her. They told her that they didnt serve food to nigras (the southern term for the word nigger).
I liked the book a lot. It was good to hear how Sheryl overcame the obstacles in her life. It always left me wondering about what exciting thing would happen next. She was always getting involved, and helping the freedom riders with there quest for freedom among the blacks. It amazed me that every time she didnt succeed she would try, try again. I could take lessons from her. I often give up very easily. I would give it 4 stars out of 5.

By:Kayla

I read Freedom Songs by Yvette Moore. If I were to rate this book I would give it 4 out of 5 starts because it has a good meaning and it was interesting to read but it was also slow at times. Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry is similar and just as good as Freedom Songs. They both have lots of kids (and adults) that felt very strongly about what was happening to blacks around the world. Freedom Songs was a little different because the people in this story actually did something about the way they were being treated, the other characters in the other book didn't. For instance, they sat in whites chairs and drank from the whites drinking fountains to show that they were just as equal as anyone else in the U.S.A. I would recommend this book to any people (kids mostly) that like reading about black history because these things that happened to the characters really happen in real life. Its a real life story that people could probably relate to it and say that it really did and does happen. I think (my opinion only) that what whites did to blacks back then, and even now, is cruel and uncalled for since we are all equal in every way.

This book's prose was lovingly crafted, with some descriptions and images almost like poetry. Moore also created natural, authentic and spirited dialogue, with an excellent sense of internal timing to convey humor and emotion. The characters are realistically and tenderly portrayed - even those who were not central characters are solid and somehow present throughout the book. Moore infused a strong sense of family and community into Sheryl's life which was echoed in the larger national family of freedom riders; similarly, the religious talk surrounding Sheryl in her home and community reverberates with meaning during the freedom rider struggles. This would be a great book for junior high school or high school kids to read for a history or an interdisciplinary English class. Adults would enjoy it and learn from it too! I did.

Sheryl is a young black girl, living in New York City, with dreams of being a fly girl in high school. Her chance comes when she visits her moms' parents in North Carolina, the south. The freedom to explore her new identity is bound by the harsh reality of racism she now faces. This new education in life connects Sheryl with her Uncle Pete, a freedom rider. Yet, his untimely death, in search of freedom, causes her to question her direction in life and the impact of Uncle Pete on her life. This questioning leads to a new lease on life and a solid resolve to make a difference. This book is an excellent lead in for Black history month. The author presents sensitive issues with a touch of grace.

This book shows what racism was in the 60s. Sheryl is proud when she heres her uncle has joined the freedom riders but she does not really know how much danger it can really. She really starts to relize after she sees her uncle check under the cars to see if some one have planted a bomb. She even relizes what she can do to help.

This book is about a 14-year-old girl, Sheryl, whose family decides to go "down South" for Easter. She learns two very important lessons. She learns that the smallest things in life are sometimes the most important and that you can defend yourself against discrimination without using violence.

I liked this book because it shows you the struggles an African-American had to go through in the 1960's.

Freedom Riders

Sheryl is a fourteen-year-old girl living in New York in the 1960's. Her family decides to go "down south" for Easter. While they are there, her Uncle Pete decides to be a freedom rider. Later on Uncle Pete gets injured fighting for his rights to vote, got to a white school and eat and drink wherever he wants to. In the meantime Sheryl and her friends are planning a concert to benefit the freedom riders.
I really enjoyed the book. It showed all the problems that a girl or even a boy living in the 1960's would go though. It wasn't too romantic or too gory. But it still went into a lot of detail about some of the things that they had to overcome, but the author didn't make it sound like a history book. It really made you think about what people did to African Americans just because of their race. After you read the book you knew you never wanted those mistakes to happen again. It was the right length without going on and on but not leaving you hanging. I think both boys and girls would enjoy the book. The reading might be a little hard to comprehend for younger ones who don't know about the conflicts between white and African Americans. So kids anywhere from sixth grade and older would probably like it.

A Road to Freedom

When Sheryl and her family go to Ma Pudnum's, Sheryl learns some important lessons. She learns from her Uncle Pete that the smallest things in life are the most important things. She also learns that you can defend yourself in discrimination without violence.
I liked the book Freedom Songs because it was uplifting in the way the book ends. Its content was also very well written. There was also always something new and exciting happening in the story. This component kept me interested all the way until the end. Lastly, this book had a good moral to it. The moral was stand up for your rights no matter what the consequence may be.

This book was very intersting.I found out that in the 1600's people did not have all the civil rights as we have today.I would really miss freedom of speech and privacy.