The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I also like to learn about people that are different than I am. Twelve-year-old Marlee, one of the main characters, lives near a zoo and is comforted when she hears the lions roar. That's not all that is unusual about Marlee. She isn't comfortable talking to others, not even members of her own family. She meets Liz at school and Liz helps her overcome fears that go beyond speaking to others. Liz tries to pass as a white person so that she can go to Marlee's white school. In 1958, you just don't do that - just like you don't ride in the front of the bus, use the whites' bathroom, or eat at a restaurant that's for white people.
When it was necessary to stand up for what she believed in, Marlee passed the test in spite of her quite nature. I appreciated reading about the ways that these girls formed a bond even though they were forbidden to do so. Read The Lions of Little Rock to find out if they could manage friendship in this dangerous time of segregation. I would recommend this book and rate it positively, but girls would probably like it best.
Check out the author's website at: Kristine Levine's websitehttp://www.kristinlevine.com/
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I also like to learn about people that are different than I am. Twelve-year-old Marlee, one of the main characters, lives near a zoo and is comforted when she hears the lions roar. That's not all that is unusual about Marlee. She isn't comfortable talking to others, not even members of her own family. She meets Liz at school and Liz helps her overcome fears that go beyond speaking to others. Liz tries to pass as a white person so that she can go to Marlee's white school. In 1958, you just don't do that - just like you don't ride in the front of the bus, use the whites' bathroom, or eat at a restaurant that's for white people.
When it was necessary to stand up for what she believed in, Marlee passed the test in spite of her quite nature. I appreciated reading about the ways that these girls formed a bond even though they were forbidden to do so. Read The Lions of Little Rock to find out if they could manage friendship in this dangerous time of segregation. I would recommend this book and rate it positively, but girls would probably like it best.
Check out the author's website at: Kristine Levine's websitehttp://www.kristinlevine.com/