Seeds of Freedom: The Peaceful Integration of Huntsville, Alabama

Gr 2–5—This gentle, reflective book shares a story of the civil rights movement, one that is perhaps less known but no less powerful than many others. Huntsville, AL, was considered a space center, with NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center and a few supporting satellite companies in the area, and the call for change that was sweeping through the South followed a slightly different path in this town. Bass shares how African Americans looking for change pursued many of the same avenues that were used throughout the country including boycotts and sit-ins. But unlike the violent clashes that occurred in other communities between white residents and protestors, the people of Huntsville were a bit more reluctant to use violence. Many white citizens relied on the space industry for their income, and to antagonize the federal government could mean the loss of jobs and a weakening of the local economy, and thus, a more peaceful transition to desegregation and more equal treatments happened in Huntsville than in many other places. Lewis's trademark watercolor paintings pair perfectly with this lyrical recounting of events, and he masterfully moves between detailed illustrations depicting faces of grim determination of lunch counter patrons to the more impressionistic scenes of protesters facing water hoses. The book covers quite a bit of ground, both in time and content and can be long for a read-aloud, but it's well worth the time to share such a moving, inspirational story.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA