Birmingham, 1963

Gr 4-8--In understated free verse, an unnamed, fictional girl narrates the events that preceded the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. She relates how she marched with other children to protest white-only lunch counters, went to the Lincoln Memorial to hear King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and was present at the church when "Someone tucked a bundle of dynamite/Under the church steps, then lit the fuse of hate." The format of the book is small, and it makes the reading experience of an enormously tragic event an intimate experience. The poetic text appears on light-gray pages with photos of childhood objects, like shoes, barrettes, or birthday candles. The fateful Sunday is the narrator's birthday; she states, "The day I turned ten, /There was no birthday cake with candles;/Just cinders, ash, and a wish I were still nine." Opposite are full-page archival black-and-white photographs (which are cited in the back matter). The color palette is white, gray, and black, with enigmatic red design elements that appear on the pages of print. The book includes a section called "in memoriam" in which the four young girls who died in the bombing are profiled. The author's note provides additional historical background, and the end matter includes a list of photo citations. An emotional read, made even more accessible and powerful by the viewpoint of the child narrator."Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, MD" Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

* "A gorgeous memorial to the four killed on that horrible day, and to the thousands of children who braved violence to help change the world." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Filled with emotion. . . . This is a book that should be in every library collection." —Library Media Connection, starred review

* "An intimate experience. . . . An emotional read, made even more accessible and powerful by the viewpoint of the child narrator." —School Library Journal, starred review