The School is Not White!: A True Story of the Civil Rights Movement [Hardcover]

Doreen Rappaport (Author), Curtis James (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

All they wanted was to learn. In Drew, Mississippi, in 1965, the schools were still segregated. The "all-black" schools were separate and unequal to "white" schools, lacking resources and support from the government. The Carters, a family of sharecroppers, had had enough. Mae Bertha and Matthew wanted their children to have an equal opportunity for a good education. So they sent their kids to the "all-white" schools.Teasing, death threats, and rebuking followed-from the white children and the white adults and teachers. It was not easy to be black and wage a fight for equality, but that's just what the Carters did. Their faith in a higher power and in the goodness of people helped them battle through ignorance and prejudice. As President John F. Kennedy said, "When Americans are sent to war, we do not ask for whites only. American students of any color should be able to attend any school." For the Carters, it would be the fight of their lives.This is a true story of faith, courage, and honor: qualities Americans of any color can learn from the Carters.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rappaport (Martin's Big Words) relays the wrenching yet ultimately uplifting story of one brave black family in rural Mississippi in the 1960s. Sharecroppers on a cotton plantation, Mae Bertha and Matthew Carter believed that "a good education would get their children out of the cotton fields." In 1965, under a new federal law, the Carters enrolled their children in a superior all-white school, a move that cost them their jobs and their home. When the white plantation overseer orders the Carter parents to withdraw their offspring from the school, Mae Bertha plays a recording of President Kennedy's words, which Rappaport rather cryptically paraphrases ("When Americans are sent to war, we do not ask for whites only. American students of any color should be able to attend any school they select without having to be backed up by troops"). On the first day of school, the Carter parents "watched their seven children go off to war in a shiny yellow school bus." At once spare and hard-hitting, the narrative exposes the prejudice the young Carters endured from peers and adults alike. Yet guided by their parents, the siblings persevered. Though the characters at times have curiously indistinct facial features, James's (Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone) chalk pastels effectively capture the tale's intense emotion. An epilogue further carries the Carters' message of courage and hope. All ages. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5–This book tells the story of an African-American family in Mississippi in 1965. The author calls them not-yet-celebrated Americans and recounts their pursuit of an equal education at the beginning of desegregation. When the Carters make the unpopular and risky decision to send their seven children to an all-white school with better resources for students, they face many obstacles both inside and outside the building. Rappaport emphasizes the family's determination and perseverance, especially the mother, Mae Bertha Carter, who tells her children that the school is not white and that they have every right to an education. The chalk-and-pastel illustrations are somber and realistic with moments of brightness that seem symbolic of hope. The Carters are injured, but they are not broken. Students will need some background information in order to fully appreciate this text. Teachers will find the book to be a useful resource for helping children to see how history does, in fact, include ordinary people. The author has included notes about how this book took shape through her own questions about the past. In addition, she provides an epilogue about the Carter children as successful adults.–Holly T. Sneeringer, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Jump At The Sun (August 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786818387
• ISBN-13: 978-0786818389
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Doreen Rappaport is known for her ground-breaking approach to multicultural history and stories for young readers. In her many award-winning books, she brings attention to not-yet-celebrated Americans, along with well-known figures.

A former teacher of music and reading, Doreen knows how to capture children's attention. Her dynamic formats engage even the most reluctant readers.

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is an Orbis Pictus Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Caldecott Honor Book for Illustration, ALA Notable Book, and is on the Blue Ribbon list of the Bulletin Center for Children's Books.

We Are The Many: A Picture Book of American Indians, introduces the accomplishments of sixteen distinguished American Indians.

Her classic Escape From Slavery presents the history of the Underground Railroad through adventure stories.

The Boston Coffee Party introduces children to a neglected event in history books and shows the active roles played by women during the Revolutionary War.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bricks are Brown..., August 25, 2005

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The School is Not White!: A True Story of the Civil Rights Movement (Hardcover)

THE SCHOOL IS NOT WHITE! is a work of historical fiction that is set in Drew, Mississippi in 1965. In the story, young readers are introduced to Matthew and Mae Bertha Carter, sharecroppers and parents who only want the best for their children. The Carter's believed that in order for their children to have success in life they needed the best possible education. Because of this, they decided to go against local convention and send their children to "all white schools." This choice did not go unpunished, the children were ostracized by both classmates and teachers, and the family was forced to move when the owner of the land would no longer allow them to sharecrop. However, as a result of the faith and perseverance of the family and assistance from local and national groups who supported their cause, things began to change. The book concludes with an author's note and a brief history of the Carter family, which lets readers know what happened in the real lives of the people who inspired the book.

Doreen Rappaport has written a story that teaches children that even ordinary people can stand up and make a real difference in their community. Further, the story highlights the importance of faith, strength in times of adversity, and courage. Curtis James does a wonderful job illustrating the book. Through his artistry, readers can see the story unfold and see the emotions the characters feel through the expressions depicted in the richly detailed pictures. THE SCHOOL IS NOT WHITE! is a great introduction to the Civil Rights Movement, and particularly the important role children played in it.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prejudice and Segregated Schools, January 2, 2008

By 

Lynn Ellingwood "The ESOL Teacher" (Webster, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The School is Not White!: A True Story of the Civil Rights Movement (Hardcover)

I thought this book was a very good description of how hard it was to get an education in the South if you were black. They way the way the white children treated the black kids makes me wonder if any education went on. Still, the education was better than what blacks kids received in the black schools so the kids in the family persisted in attending the white schools. The result was a family who went on to university and college. This book tells a pretty full picture of the distress and cruelty of the times. What it could have done a little better is describe how much better the education in the white schools were and how the children were able to receive a better education there. The book does mention how the mother left school in 8th grade but felt she was only about 3rd grade level. That needed to be included in the story and not just the afterword.