2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
'Is it the color of my skin or the content of my character...', October 23, 2008
This review is from: Little Rock Nine (TurningPoints) (Paperback)
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'The Little Rock Nine' is a story that never seems to lose it's luster. It is a tale of nine courageous youngsters that are brave enough to tackle racism. The story centers around one of the nine named Thomas Johnson and his friendship with William McNally.
Sounds simple enough, but Thomas' mother is the McNally's maid. Thomas and Williams share similar hobbies and enjoy their friendship, without focusing on society's view. Until the Supreme Court order Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas to become segregated and Thomas is one of the nine that will be attending the school. Under the harsh glare of society and their peers, we'll find out how true their friendship is.
The Little Rock Nine was presented in a different light with the focus off of the nine and specifically one and his story. I didn't really like the style, with it being like a comic. Misleading, marketed more toward teens in my opinion. A decent read though.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
so so take on desegregation history, October 13, 2008
This review is from: Little Rock Nine (TurningPoints) (Paperback)
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I wanted to like the graphic novel treatment of Central High's desegregation because I like the idea of turning historical events into approachable material for reluctant readers. But I didn't feel like this work did the historical figures justice. The beginning is slow to start and the characters seem two dimensional; however, the work gains steam and hits its stride midway through the episode. I had to force myself to keep reading, but the second half of the work is very well done. In the end, it just doesn't compare to the autobiographies written by Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine. There's nothing more powerful than learning about what happened through the voices of those involved.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Strong, open minded teachers needed!, August 6, 2008
This review is from: Little Rock Nine (TurningPoints) (Paperback)
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There's a scene I remember in the movie "Forrest Gump" where the National Guard has to be called in to maintain order at the University of Alabama while it was being desegregated. One of the black students drops a book and Forrest (who else?) is there to pick it up for her. On national TV.
Even though I understood the scene when I saw it, and what it meant, I must admit I wasn't familiar with the whole desegregation business. This book turned out to be quite an education on the subject!
Little Rock Nine by Marshall Poe (author) and Ellen Linder (artist), focuses on the efforts made to desegregate a school in Little Rock, Arkansas. Already one attempt to do so had been thwarted and some of the parents were wary of again putting their children into harm's way, no matter how much they personally believed in the cause. The book does a good job of showing how difficult the whole process was and just how much was at stake for everyone involved.
I wonder, though, just how fresh has this whole affair remained in the collective American memory? I mean, we are talking about an event that threatened to tear the country apart at every level, starting from families on up to the federal government itself. And think about this; the National Guard had to be called in to protect Americans... from OTHER Americans!
Hopefully, there are some teachers out there who will decide to incorporate this book into their classes. They will use it to remind their students, and themselves, how much progress has been made.
And they can also teach people that even though racism may still be rampant, open minds and brave hearts may once again defeat ignorance and fear of the unknown, just like they did so many years ago in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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