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The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights Paperback – January 3, 2011

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Russell Freedman (Author)
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Russell Freedman (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 16 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Age Range: 10 - 12 years
  • Grade Level: 5 - 7
  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (January 3, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0547480342
  • ISBN-13: 978-0547480343
  • Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 8 x 10 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #245,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsIf the planet Earth could sing
By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER on February 21, 2005
Format: Hardcover
Writing a biography of a private person who led a public life is, by definition, difficult. So it only stands to reason that writing a children's biography of a private person who led a public life would be ten times as hard. Children's biographies cannot speculate over the sex life of the subject. They can't delve into shoddy rumors or dredge up conspiracy theories related to the person's sordid background. None of this is to say that Marian Anderson had such sketchy rumors floating about her person, of course. By all accounts she led an exciting life, had a fabulous career, and is regarded as a great American hero. But she was also a private person, which places Russell Freedman in a difficult position. As the author of, "The Voice That Challenged a Nation", Freedman's job is to tell Anderson's story while relying on as many good, strong, clean facts as he can get his hands on. Fortunately, we're talking about the premiere biographical children's author here. Alongside fellow genius James Giblin, Freedman knows exactly how to present a life this interesting and detailed. The book will not charm every child assigned it in school. But if you've a kid who's open-minded and able to get into Marian's struggle, this is an excellent resource. Even if, prior to this book, they couldn't tell Marian Anderson from Ella Fitzgerald.

The book opens with what is inarguably Anderson's greatest moment in the public eye. She stands on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with a crowd of 75,000 people below her, waiting to hear her sing. The date is April 9, 1939, and Anderson has been refused the chance to perform at Constitution Hall. Anderson is black and the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) is inherently racist.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsRichie's Picks: THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION
By N. S. VINE VOICE on October 28, 2004
Format: Hardcover
"This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, 'My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.'

"And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

"Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

"Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

"But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

"Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

"Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring..."

--Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963

Dr. King must surely have had a thought or two of Marian Anderson as he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on that historic afternoon and delivered those words.

Many of us know Marian's basic story:

Marian Anderson was a helluva singer.

Despite being celebrated in Europe as the voice of a century, and despite having the strong support of the President's wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, Marian Anderson was denied the opportunity to perform in Constitution Hall in Washington, DC because it was owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution, and those ladies didn't allow no black folks to be singing in their hall. That refusal led to Marian performing instead from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a crowd of 75,000 people on the Mall and a nationwide radio audience.Read more ›
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4.0 out of 5 starsYoung adult nonfiction
By Carol Baldwin on December 5, 2008
Format: Hardcover
Award winning author Russell Freedman published this biography of African American vocalist Marian Anderson in 2004. I selected it as background to the novel that I'm working on and was not disappointed.
Anderson was born in 1897 and grew up in the ethnic neighborhoods of south Philadelphia. Her mother was widowed when she and her two sisters were young; her father was injured in an accident at the Reading Terminal Market where he worked as a front loader. (On a personal note, my German grandmother would take me and my brother and sister to the market once a year to buy delicacies from home. I can still remember the crammed rows of stands that sold sausages, chocolates, breads, and cheeses.) Her church recognized her talents as a contralto when she was only 8 years old and helped raise the money that she needed for lessons. Her instructors included Guiseppe Boghetti who was moved to tears after hearing her sing, "Deep River."
In the 1920's Anderson began touring the country singing at black churches and colleges. She received a boost in her career when she beat 300 rivals and won the prestigious the Lewisohn Stadium competition in 1925. But her performances in the United States were mostly to fellow African Americans; and she knew that her career would never advance unless she had a wider audience. She decided to go to Europe to study Italian and German so that she could be better equipped to sing operas. During the 1930's Anderson was enthusiastically received by heads of state and famous composers in Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, and Russia. Arturo Toscanini, a very well-known conductor, heard her sing and said, "Yours is a voice such as one hears once in a hundred years."
But when Anderson returned home racism and prejudice still haunted her.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsA very good book about a very talented woman.

This is a great book for young readers. You can tell that it was written with love for Mrs. Anderson. There are plenty of photos to accompany the story. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Brooklyn Phantom
5.0 out of 5 starsSubstantive and readable

There is a reason he is a Newbery award winner. Some have called his prose is "simple" or "clean" but think I believe a better term would be "understated. Read more

Published on November 16, 2013 by Quiveran
4.0 out of 5 starsGreat book

We used this for a book report at school. Easy to read, even for a 3rd/4th grader. It showed an interesting aspect of Black American History that people normally don't know about

Published on March 17, 2013 by Tanja Werner
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat Book

This is a great book with wonderful visuals. I used this to teach african american history in elementary and middle school

Published on December 22, 2012 by 20grand
5.0 out of 5 starsWell written and a very imaginative bio

This will be a much shorter review than others have entered, but I did want to say that I was so happy to have come upon this version of the Marian Anderson story. Read more

Published on August 27, 2012 by joanna Cortright
4.0 out of 5 starsvoice that challenged a nation

Hey, sometimes we just need the "info" don't we? That's exactly what this book does. It is more of an expository text and in makes great connection to the problems we had in our... Read more

Published on June 2, 2012 by jermainea1
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat!

Very fast shipping and excellent condition. Very informative! This worked very well for a class I needed it for and is a great product to have apart of a home library. Read more

Published on February 19, 2012 by Rena
4.0 out of 5 starsAccessible & readable- a great biography (especially for younger...

The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman is an in depth look at the life and career of Marian Anderson, and what... Read more

Published on January 14, 2012 by Basically Amazing Ashley
4.0 out of 5 starsExcellent introduction to an influential voice and life

This book was written for young adults, but it is an excellent introduction to Marian Anderson, her tremendous five-octave voice, and how her voice and life became part of the... Read more

Published on December 30, 2011 by Cheryl Toliver
5.0 out of 5 stars"Black Is not Bad"

The Voice That Challenged A Nation Marian Anderson and the Struggle For Equal Rights

By: Russell Freedman

Sibert Award Chapter book

This book is a... Read more

Published on December 9, 2010 by Candace Rene Stewart

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