Hoose, Phillip. (2009). Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice. New York, NY: Melanie Kroupa Books.
Claudette Colvin was fifteen when she was arrested for breaking the segregation laws by refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white woman. Before Rosa Parks and other civil rights leaders stood up to prejudice, Colvin stood up for her Constitutional rights. Unfortunately the civil rights leaders did not this a fifteen year old made an appropriate spokesperson for a bus boycott and decided not to fight for equal rights beyond appealing Claudette’s charges.
Instead of being considered a hero by her African American peers, she was received with anger at school. Soon after her trial Colvin was kicked out of high school when she became pregnant by an older man who had taken advantage of her. Despite not being allowed to finish her education and being shunned in the community, Colvin continued to stand up for her rights, join three other women in the landmark case Browder v. Gayle, which ruled that segregation of Montgomery buses was unconstitutional.
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is an inspiring story. Colvin’s story demonstrates how hard it can be to stand up for oneself. Colvin faced anger at school and within her community after her arrest. It must have been frustrating when a few months later Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person and was regaled as a hero and the spokesperson of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Colvin was extremely brave, risking her life to fight segregation in the south. Colvin’s actions prove that young people have the power to stand up for what is right and to change the world. Hoose chooses to include Claudette’s own voice in the telling of her story, giving the book authenticity.
Awards:
Newberry Honor 2010
Siebert Informational Honor Book 2010
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist 2010
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children 2010
ALA Notable Book 2010
National Book Awards 2009 winner young people’s literature
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
Society of School Librarians International Book Award, 2009 Social Studies Honor Book
Jane Addams Children’s Book Award 2010 Honor
Carter G. Woodson Book Award, 2010
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