When the Schools Shut Down

Gr 2-5–Many students will know about the desegregation of schools in the late 1950s and 1960s, or will have heard the story of Ruby Bridges. Few may realize that the state of Virginia was so opposed to integration that they closed public school for five years. Yolanda, a Black girl with deep ties to her community, wanted to go to school, but the lawmakers who were getting white students to private schools weren’t helping her at all. A detailed bibliography makes it possible for students to do further research on this lesser known piece of history. For raising awareness of the tiered fates of the students in Virginia (and likely elsewhere), this book is an excellent starting place. But the text lurches from poetic notion to historical ones with little transition: “The year Yolanda Gladden was born, the United States looked much different than it does today. The country’s cars, clothes, land, and even laws reflected old ideas—some were classic, and others were simply cold.” As an opening line, this does not orient readers to what they are about discover. The artwork in the book is vibrant and engaging, giving readers strong images to go along with the text.