Claudette Colvin

Jun 26, 2012 Sunday rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: information-texts, national-book-award, newbery-award, text-set-civil-rights-6-8th-grade

Appropriate for 8th graders and older. This is a beautiful book about the struggles of Claudette Colvin- not only in segregationist Montgomery, Alabama where her refusal to give her bus seat up to a white woman sparked the bigger bus boycott movement, but also in her own community where she was shunned (by many of the boycott leaders as well) for being unmarried and pregnant, shunned for giving birth to a fair skinned baby (although the father was black). Despite all of this, she still agreed to...more

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Mar 29, 2010 Erin Ramai rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: award-winning-and-honor-books, informational-books-and-biographies, rated-and-reviewed, national-book-award, sibert-award, newbery

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is appropriate for children in grades 6 and up. In 2009 it won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, was named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and a Cybils Award Nominee for Middle Grade/Young Adult Non-Fiction. In 2010, it a received a Sibert Honor and Newbery Honor Award, was listed as an ALA Notable Children’s Book for Older Readers, and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Claudette Colvin, at the age of 15, was the first...more Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is appropriate for children in grades 6 and up. In 2009 it won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, was named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and a Cybils Award Nominee for Middle Grade/Young Adult Non-Fiction. In 2010, it a received a Sibert Honor and Newbery Honor Award, was listed as an ALA Notable Children’s Book for Older Readers, and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Claudette Colvin, at the age of 15, was the first person to plead not guilty to “breaking the segregation law, disturbing the peace and ‘assaulting’ the policemen who had pulled her off the bus”—everyone else had simply paid the fine. And although all of this happened before Rosa Parks followed suit, Rosa, not Claudette, is most often talked about as the “landmark” case—the catalyst for integration. However, Claudette’s personal lawsuit as well as the Browder v. Gayle case, in which Claudette was a key plaintiff, both opened up the door for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. But history books fail to mention it, maybe because at the time, in the minds of local leaders, Claudette was not the “right person” to lead the movement. The truth is that without Claudette, integration on Montgomery busses may not have come so quickly after the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case where segregation in schools was outlawed and “separate but equal” was ruled to have no place.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice proves that information texts don’t have to be boring. Hoose’s third person narration paired with Claudette Colvin’s first-hand account is spectacular. The text reads like a documentary film and I feel it would be easily adapted to that format. The suspense, the pain, and anger felt by Colvin are simultaneously experienced by readers. I found myself reading about thirty pages of this book at a time—a feat for non-fiction information text. The photographs, insets, and newspaper clippings serve a dual purpose; they give readers a real sense of the time and break up the text so that it isn’t as daunting to read. Without the images, the text wouldn’t be as effective. I also appreciated the epilogue and author’s note. By the end of the book I really felt like I understood who Claudette Colvin was and is as well as who Phillip Hoose is as a researcher and writer. I plan to read more of his books in the future and hope they live up to the gold standard.

This book would be interesting to pair with a text that chronicles the life of Rosa Parks. Approaching the book in this way would create a great teachable moment because it serves as a warning that we should not blindly accept what history books or other textbooks tell us. Much of what is taught in history classes is one sided and leaves out key details that may be unflattering to the United States. As teachers we have to be concerned with teaching our students the truth and not simply what is socially acceptable.

In addressing whether or not this text meets the award criteria, I considered the Sibert Award. As mentioned above, this book has an “excellent, engaging and distinctive use of language.” Because the text was created though interviews with Claudette Colvin and edited for accuracy and wording by Claudette herself, much of the language used is a riveting first-hand account of the events. When Hoose summarizes the “connective tissue” that links Claudette’s account to historical context, it is not belabored and maintains a “stimulating presentation of facts, concepts and ideas.” The “clarity and accuracy” required of this award is obtained through Claudette and also through Hoose’s watertight research. Additionally, this text has “distinctive visual presentation” in that the images included are artifacts from the time period. The table of contents, index, endnotes and other supportive features will help child readers navigate the text and the events described. I feel this text would be of interest to children because I’m pretty certain they have all heard of Rosa Parks, and I think they would be proud and interested to know that someone in their age demographic was actually the first to take a stand. It might even inspire them to follow in Claudette’s footsteps.
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Apr 22, 2013 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

*Susan Hart
*Hoose, P. (2009). Claudette Colvin: twice toward justice. New York: Melanie Kroupa Books.
*Biography
*2009 National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature, 2010 Newbery Honor Award, 2009 Robert Sibert Honor Book
*Selected from awards lists

*The post office has recently offered a new commemorative stamp of Rosa Parks. Few people know that there was a teenager that refused to move from her bus seat and made a bigger statement before Ms. Parks’ actions, yet the other’s name has alm...more *Susan Hart
*Hoose, P. (2009). Claudette Colvin: twice toward justice. New York: Melanie Kroupa Books.
*Biography
*2009 National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature, 2010 Newbery Honor Award, 2009 Robert Sibert Honor Book
*Selected from awards lists

*The post office has recently offered a new commemorative stamp of Rosa Parks. Few people know that there was a teenager that refused to move from her bus seat and made a bigger statement before Ms. Parks’ actions, yet the other’s name has almost disappeared into obscurity. Thanks to a National Book Award winning biography written by Phillip Hoose, now more of the world knows the name and story of Claudette Colvin. Growing up in the poorest part of Birmingham, Alabama, Claudette lived closely within the restrictive Jim Crow laws and the racial tension building around her. She was highly intelligent, precocious and wanted to be like her heroine, Harriet Tubman. Witnessing the false accusations of a high school friend, Jeremiah Reeves, who experienced justice as a trip to the electric chair for a crime he didn’t commit and a crime that a white man would not have been put to death for, Claudette’s activist passion was ignited.

When seventeen-year-old Claudette made her fateful bus revolt, all the while yelling, “I know my constitutional rights! I know my constitutional rights!” she was unfortunately not well supported by peers in school or the greater community of black leaders in Birmingham. Her thoughtful nature and fierce pioneering spirit inspired her to refuse the common practice of ironing her hair according to white standards of beauty; the response was that people thought she was crazy. The more dignified Rosa Parks, the leader of the NAACP youth division, seemed a stronger candidate for representing the carefully orchestrated movement to inspire a bus boycott and eventually to take the bus companies to court. Even then, it was Claudette’s testimony in front of the state supreme court that turned the case around, hence the reference in the book’s title to “twice toward justice.” Fred Gray, the main lawyer of this landmark case that abolished public segregation said, “I don’t want to take any thing away from Mrs. Parks, but Claudette gave all of us the moral courage to do what we did.”

This fascinating book takes one within the action of this hot time in history. The young, 26-year-old Martin Luther King Jr. is just starting his career and speaking for his first times in public at boycott meetings, the Supreme Court ruling of Brown vs. Topeka integrates schools, and the tautness of tensions are so high that violence is common. Not only is it an excellent view of an important time in history, but also the reader gets access to some of Claudette Colvin’s own words describing her experiences and personal conviction. Her heroic example demonstrates that teenagers can make a powerful difference in the world. It is highly recommended.
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Apr 14, 2013 Alisa Tazioli rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: law-injustice, women-rule

True or false: Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott by refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person. If you answered true, guess again. The story of Claudette Colvin, a young teenage girl who refused to give up her seat, was in fact the action that sparked what would become known as The Montgomery Bus Boycott. It eventually resulted in a federal court lawsuit, Browder v. Gayle, which declared the laws governing Montgomery transit to be unconstitutional under the 14th Amendmen...more

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Oct 28, 2008 Sherrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books-assigned

This young adult nonfiction title offers a look at an often overlooked figure in the civil rights movement. Almost a year before Rosa Parks famously refused to move to the back of a Montgomery bus, 15 year old Claudette Colvin was the first person to be arrested for that civil disobedience. She faced a civil trial and ridicule from her peers, but local activists felt that she wasn't the right "face" for the movement and she was generally forgotten in history. This book offers an indepth account...more

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Oct 11, 2010 Erica - Bonner Springs Library rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, award-winner, biography, nonfiction, ya

A moving and fascinating biography about Claudette Colvin, a woman whose name has been overshadowed by Rosa Parks in the Civil Rights Movement.

In the mid-1950s Claudette refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama for a white passenger and was arrested. She was arrested and dragged by her wrists and ankles off the of the bus by the police.

She was 15 years old and lived in the lower class neighborhood of town. Because she was from a lower-class neighborhood and was an unwed preg...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Ch13_megan Carlisle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: info-bios

Insightful, beautifully written and full of rich details, this book is a great addition to any classroom or personal library. Hoose, with interviews from important members of the community, tells the story of Claudette Colvin, a little known teen whose defiance of segregation laws helped to start the Montgomery Bus Boycott.Claudette was 15 when she refused to give up her seat on a crowded bus to a white woman. According to Claudette, "I hadn't planned it out, but my decision was built on a lifet...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mmm-2013, nonfiction, mmm-challenges

This was a great read right after Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice .

Did you know that months before Rosa Parks stood (or sat down) for civil rights in Montgomery, a young teenager did it? Mrs. Parks was the icon that the people needed to start the Montgomery bus boycott, but Claudette Colvin did the same thing - on her own.

The lawyer for both Mrs. Parks and Miss Colvin is quoted in the book as saying, "I don't mean to take anything away from Mrs. Parks, but Claudette ga...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Viola rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: http-www-solidarityforeverbook-com

http://us.macmillan.com/BookCustomPag...

Rosa Parks Didn't Act Alone: Meet Claudette Colvin
By Michael Mechanic on Tue. January 20, 2009 12:32 PM PDT

Colvin's act of defiance led to a plan that made history.
In his warm-up for the first-ever inauguration of a black American president, the actor Samuel L. Jackson stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial, speaking of the sacrifices of everyday people to bring about the event we all witnessed this morning, including the well-worn story of Rosa Parks refu...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Ed added it

Hoose, Phillip. (2009). Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. New York: Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Strauss Giroux. 133 pp. ISBN 978-0-374-31322-7 (Hardcover); $19.95

Reading about Claudette Colvin has forced me to reevaluate my response to many of the books written about Rosa Parks and has me rethinking how I view the Montgomery bus boycott. While it is certainly true that people who are victimized day after day after day because of personal attributes that are not subject to change will proba...more Hoose, Phillip. (2009). Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. New York: Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Strauss Giroux. 133 pp. ISBN 978-0-374-31322-7 (Hardcover); $19.95

Reading about Claudette Colvin has forced me to reevaluate my response to many of the books written about Rosa Parks and has me rethinking how I view the Montgomery bus boycott. While it is certainly true that people who are victimized day after day after day because of personal attributes that are not subject to change will probably, at some point, become both bone-weary and furious with the unfairness of the discrimination. However, if that is the only lens with which we examine the prejudice visited upon Rosa Parks and millions of other African Americans, we miss the opportunity to see a much more calculated, broad-based, and intelligent approach to achieving social change. Consequently we limit the value of this event to mere emotion. What we read in this book is the carefully orchestrated and meticulously debated response to the racism of the day calculated to force essential social progress. Claudette Colvin is arrested and put in jail for refusing to relinquish her seat a year before Rosa Parks’ historic social disobedience. Parks knows Colvin very well. Colvin is a regular visitor and Parks often has Colvin speak about her arrest to other students. During her trial she is convicted for assaulting an officer and not for violating segregation laws. Pursuing this case will be difficult without a clear and convincing link to segregation laws. Complicating the issue is the fact that Colvin, a teen, mistakenly gets pregnant. Consequently, she is not viewed as the person who will provide Fred Gray and E.D. Nixon with the credible defendant deemed essential for advancing a successful court challenge to the discrimination enforced on busses. Many of her peers and many in the black community who blame her for stirring up trouble in the Jim Crow South, then vilify Colvin. Colvin, however, has a second chance to testify when the case of Browder v. Gayle proceeds to court. Browder sues Mayor Gayle claiming that Montgomery transportation laws violate the fourteenth amendment. The lawyers for Mayor Gayle and the city of Montgomery attempt to show that the black community has not objected to the segregation and that a rabble-rouser, Dr. Martin Luther King, is spawning this boycott. Hence, Colvin’s testimony is essential because she has been arrested and jailed for protesting the segregation on the busses. Colvin proves to be a brave and excellent witness. Colvin is credited with convincing two of the three judges that Montgomery is violating the constitutional rights of its citizens. Hoose conducted several interviews with Colvin and others to write this book. These interviews also are the basis for our view of the quiet strength and the magnificent dignity of Claudette Colvin, especially when she is confronting the internalized racism within herself and her community. Colvin has not received even a tenth of the credit she deserves. Hoose provides references and extensive source notes. This book is that rare book that forces us to reexamine our beliefs about history, especially our views about Civil Rights. It also shows that history does not always remember essential players unless we take the time to find and preserve the stories. Do not be surprised when this informative story told in flowing, fluid prose is honored with medals and stickers this January. Buy this book! Buy it for yourself. Buy it for your library. Put it in the hands of school students in middle schools and high schools all across the country!
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Nov 26, 2012 Traci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Summary: This book tells the story of Claudette Colvin, who in March of 1955 refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white woman in Montgomery, Alabama. Unlike Rosa Parks almost a year later, Claudette was not celebrated but shunned by her classmates and community leaders. The book tells the story of the widely unknown, but very important figures in the civil rights history of our country.

Genre: Junior Informational

Critique:

(a) The author used information gained from detailed interviews wit...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Ashley Adams rated it 4 of 5 stars

1. Junior Book: Biography
2. This is the story of Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on a bus before Rosa Parks did, and thus worked towards racial justice and an overall end to segregation, at the age of 16. This is the true story of a real hero in American society, and shows that teens can make a difference.
3. Critique:
a. Above all, this story does a wonderful job of showing the theme of persistence against all odds.
b. In this book, it shows that Claudette was faced with segrega...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, non-fiction, ya-books, ya-nonfiction

The story of Claudette Colvin and her involvement in the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955 is little known compared to that of the more famous story of Rosa Parks. This book tells Claudette’s story in great detail as it has never been told before, and her role in this important event in the civil rights movement should be known by all. I found the story engrossing, intensely emotional, and the fact that Colvin’s own voice was a huge part of the book made the story very personal and even more memora...more The story of Claudette Colvin and her involvement in the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955 is little known compared to that of the more famous story of Rosa Parks. This book tells Claudette’s story in great detail as it has never been told before, and her role in this important event in the civil rights movement should be known by all. I found the story engrossing, intensely emotional, and the fact that Colvin’s own voice was a huge part of the book made the story very personal and even more memorable. Phillip Hoose interviewed Ms. Colvin over a year’s period and includes her story in her own words; he also includes first-person accounts from several other key players in the bus boycott as well as those who personally knew Claudette. At times I felt as though I was reading a script from a play, the great amount of detail and personal accounts made the story very dramatic and realistic. The story made my heart ache and several times nearly brought me to tears as I read the detailed accounts of the horrifying and hateful treatment blacks endured for so long, and it also gave me chills as I read about their strength and determination to stand up for their human and civil rights against so much oppression. It is definitely one of those history subjects that are so hard to read about but so very important to not forget. Hoose includes photographs, newspaper clippings, police reports, and more throughout the book, giving the reader the opportunity to step back in time and grasp a better understanding of the events that took place in Montgomery, Alabama at the time, and life for blacks under Jim Crow laws. To compliment information included in the text that readers may want more detail about, Hoose includes black caption boxes filled with brief summaries about specific people, places, events, etc. that are mentioned throughout the story. I think all young readers would enjoy this book for its dramatic and personal appeal, but especially since Claudette was a teenager at the time which makes her story even more relatable to young readers. This is a book every public and school library should own, the story of Claudette Colvin is such an important piece of history and everyone should know her name and acknowledge her as an important civil rights pioneer.(less)

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Oct 29, 2012 Kristanne Duncan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful story about Claudette Colvin, a 16 year old girl whose role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott is often overlooked. While a large portion of this book is informational about anti-segregation in Montgomery, Alabama, there are also pieces of the story from Claudette herself. The very beginning of this novel talks about how intense segregation was in the South, including many stories about African American's that were violently treated. Claudette was one of the first African American...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Nicole Lamb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Junior Book Critique #8

Claudette Colvin Twice Toward Justice
By: Phillip Hoose

1. Junior Book Genre: Biography

2. Brief Summary: Phillip Hoose does a brilliant job in detailing the life story of Claudette Colvin, a girl that made headlines at only sixteen for refusing to give up her seat on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama almost a year before the more famous Rosa Parks and the Alabama Bus Boycott. As Dr. Martin Luther King himself once stated to Claudette the “brave young girl” (p 99) was critical i...more Junior Book Critique #8

Claudette Colvin Twice Toward Justice
By: Phillip Hoose

1. Junior Book Genre: Biography

2. Brief Summary: Phillip Hoose does a brilliant job in detailing the life story of Claudette Colvin, a girl that made headlines at only sixteen for refusing to give up her seat on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama almost a year before the more famous Rosa Parks and the Alabama Bus Boycott. As Dr. Martin Luther King himself once stated to Claudette the “brave young girl” (p 99) was critical in beginning what would be the famous boycott that would end racial segregation on public transportation. While she is significantly lesser known than her counterparts of Rosa Parks and the elders involved in the boycott, Claudette’s subtle contribution was astonishing and heroic as her life was detailed with integrity and courage throughout her informative biography.
3.
A. Area for comment: It is a shame that Claudette’s story is not as well known as others throughout the civil rights movement because as a young girl of only sixteen she stood up for the things that she believed in, something that is tremendously difficult for even adults to accomplish. One of the best features of this biography is not only the information provided about Claudette’s upbringing, family, story and life but also the other information about relevant news and events during her time throughout the Civil Rights Movement and her reactions and memories of those such events.
B. Professional Evaluation: I found this book to be exceptional in the way in which it was written and the story it told of not only Claudette’s life but the lives and events of others that struggled and stood up during the Civil Rights Movement. One of the most notable additions to the text was the detailed information about Claudette’s arrest and her recollections of the experience of being jailed as she states “the lock fell into place with a heavy sound…it was the worst sound I ever heard…it sounded final…it said I was trapped” (p. 34). It was also the author’s additions to the text that detailed the history and events of the Civil Rights Movement from the people involved to the deaths of other activist or juveniles and from the bus boycott to the Supreme Court decision in Browder v. Gayle that truly articulates the complexities of the era. This biography was inspirational, genuine and full of information making it a significant book for students to read and learn from.
C. Specific Example: There are a vast number of examples in which the author uses Claudette’s own experiences and reflections of the events of the Civil Rights Movement that truly make this biography special and unique. One of the most influential of these reflections occurs on page 34 when Claudette expresses her feelings after hearing the jail door shut and locks behind her as well as her recollection of meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after the end of the bus boycott and the simple words he spoke to her stating “You’re a brave young lady” (p. 99). While these reflections were key to the story of Claudette and her life there were a number of other great examples of how the author added significant information about the Civil Rights Movement such as the “white support of the boycott” (p. 69), the rulings of Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. (p. 83) as well as the vicious killing of Emmett Till (p. 53). The extra information and background that these informational editorials added to the overall story was not only useful but added depth to Claudette’s life story.

4. Curriculum Connection: Biographies are a great way to acquire information about a specific era in time such as the Civil Rights Movement and this book does an exceptional job in delivering first hand information about Claudette Colvin and her life experiences during and after her refusal to give up her seat to a white woman in Montgomery, Alabama. There is no question that books like theses make great curriculum connections in the classrooms as students are able to compare and contrast information from their text and the biography itself, learn more about a specific and influential person during an era and gain a better understanding of what life was truly like during a specific era. This text would go a long way in teaching students what other children went through during a tumultuous time in our nation’s history!
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Sep 18, 2012 Turea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, multi-cultural, history

Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice
Most of us have heard of Rosa Parks, the seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. She is credited with starting the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Few of us, however, have heard the tale of Claudette Colvin. On March 2, 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks’ arrest, a fifteen year old girl bravely decided that she was not going to give up her seat. That’s right: Rosa Parks’ protest was not new, and in many ways was sparked by Colvin’s...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Chris Murray rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, ethnic, lis722, non-fiction, ya

Summary:
In 1955 Claudette Colvin, a young black teenager, refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, AL. She was removed forcibly from the bus by police and jailed. Instead of being honored, she was shunned by her classmates and dismissed as an unfit role model by civil rights leaders of the time. Nine months later, Rosa Parks would do the same thing and become the iconic image of desegregation in this country. This book is Claudette’s story, forgotten and ov...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Claudette Colvin grew up in Alabama in the 1940s and 1950s. At that time, Jim Crow rules dominated her life. Jim Crow rules were designed to keep black people and white people separated. These are the rules that said black people could not eat in certain restaurants or sit in certain seats on a city bus. When Claudette was 15 years old she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person, so she was arrested. You’re probably thinking, no, that was Rosa Parks. It’s true, Rosa Parks did the...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Maggie Desmond-O'Brien rated it 5 of 5 stars

When 15-year-old black high schooler Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in March of 1955, it helped to spark the civil rights movement that would give us such celebrated national heroes as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. But what happened to passionate, opinionated Claudette, whose actions were condemned even by her own community as headstrong and foolish?

In three words: I loved it! Truly excellent young adult nonfiction is hard to find, much less no...more When 15-year-old black high schooler Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in March of 1955, it helped to spark the civil rights movement that would give us such celebrated national heroes as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. But what happened to passionate, opinionated Claudette, whose actions were condemned even by her own community as headstrong and foolish?

In three words: I loved it! Truly excellent young adult nonfiction is hard to find, much less nonfiction about subjects I actually want to read about. Twice Towards Justice scores on both those counts.

While I was reading this book, the thing that struck me the most was how on earth Claudette’s incredible story could have flown under the radar for so long. In an era of political correctness, it seems like we’re stuck inside a perpetual time warp of Rosa Parks—instead of studying heroes and heroines that are easier for teens to relate to, specifically, other teens. Hoose’s voice is unflinchingly, refreshingly honest—giving us some frank yet sympathetic perspective on Claudette’s story.

My personal favorite chapter was “We Seem to Hate Ourselves”, detailing Claudette’s experiences at an all-black high school where girls spent hours straightening their hair and attempting to lighten their skin to look more “white”. When Claudette left her hair in its thick, unruly curls, she was teased by her peers and even other, adult members of her community. Interestingly, the reason I could relate to this was because I watch my (white) peers spending hours attempting to look more “ghetto”, while also watching my (black and Hispanic) peers agonizing over their curves. Apparently, some things never change.

And that’s what seems to be the underlying message in this book—that you don’t need to be a hero to make a difference, that standing up for your rights as a human being is a fight that never ends—whether it’s your right for better transportation and education, or your right to dress the way you’d like without ridicule.(less)

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Jan 11, 2012 Ann Carpenter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: newbery, nonfiction

I loved this book about a teenager during the Civil Rights movement. So much of history was lived vividly by young people, but because the young people were rarely the figureheads or public faces of various movements their stories are lost.

But since a review that says "I loved it!" is sort of boring, I will talk about the bits that I didn't love. I have to say that I occasionally found Claudette to be whiny. There is an undertone to the entire book that seems offended and upset that Claudette wa...more I loved this book about a teenager during the Civil Rights movement. So much of history was lived vividly by young people, but because the young people were rarely the figureheads or public faces of various movements their stories are lost.

But since a review that says "I loved it!" is sort of boring, I will talk about the bits that I didn't love. I have to say that I occasionally found Claudette to be whiny. There is an undertone to the entire book that seems offended and upset that Claudette was not picked to be the figurehead, or that she was not showered with financial support after the birth of her son. I felt that Claudette was passed over as figurehead not because she was a teenager (which seems to be a theme of the book: disgruntlement that the leaders did not trust teenagers, so very different from the message in Marching For Freedom: Walk Together Children and Don't You Grow Weary), but partly because she was an emotional teenager who was already starting to show strain under pressure and partly because the timing simply wasn’t right. Remember that when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat it was not a spontaneous act but one that had been planned and timed with forethought. Also, to expect that the Civil Rights leaders would have the resources, financial and otherwise, to support a single mother, no matter how important, in a time that was a crisis point for their organizational skills seems a bit much to me. Yet, I get a strong feeling that Claudette is still bitter about being overlooked decades later.

Also, I am curious about the parts of the book that are written in the first person. These sections brought an immediacy and intimacy to the story that is very powerful. But how were they created? The back matter says that they “came from interviews”, but having participated in interviews before, I very much doubt that they are direct quotes from Claudette: the grammar is perfect, the information succinct and the to point, there is no backtracking or filling in of information that wasn’t mentioned in its proper place, all of which are characteristic of spoken language, no matter how polished the speaker. How much editing did the author indulge in to create the story that he wanted to tell?(less)

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Dec 12, 2011 Carla Thomas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

This book has been nominated for several awards, including a Newberry Honor and National Book Award, and rightfully so. It isn't a book you will want to snuggle up with but it is a book that is profoundly important to read.

All along, I thought that Rosa Parks was the person who initiated the Montgomery Bus Boycott and ensuing desegregation that swept through the South. The reason I thought this? Well, I was taught it! We all were--I know because I looked it up in our school's history books! To f...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Davina Cuffee rated it 5 of 5 stars

1. Junior Book-Biography

2. Claudette Colvin was actually the first know African American to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus in Montgomery, Al. This biography exposes parts of history that people never knew or heard of before.

3a. Images and content

3b. I enjoyed the images in this book because they were all real pictures of that time around 1955. They also confirmed how bad segregation was. Since the cover was so colorful, I didn’t expect to see all black and white inside, but...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, children-s, ya

There are people in the past for whom the spotlight of history seems to have overlooked - Nikola Tesla and electricity, Rosalind Franklin and DNA, Lucy Stone and the Women's Rights Movement, and now we have a teenager to add to that pantheon: Claudette Colvin and the Civil Rights Movement.

Here is a fascinating story of how a 15-year-old girl started the events that led to the end of Jim Crow on buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Nine months before the world heard of Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin defi...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Jennifer W rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

A well-written biography of a mostly forgotten young women who isn't, but should be, credited with starting the movement that lead to the desegregation of the Montgomery buses. Almost a year before Rosa Parks refused to get up, Claudette, a teenager was dragged off a bus by police officers when she refused to give up her seat. The law said that no one had to give up their seat if there was not another one available. Claudette knew this, so she refused. The police were contacted, boarded the bus,...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 104-in-2011, ya-lit-class, recommend-to-friends

There were so many great moments in Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice that really made the story an emotional read for me.

I had heard about Claudette for the first time last semester in my child lit class, and really only remember that she was a teen that refused to give up her seat a long time before Rosa Parks. But I remember hearing that she was “violent” while she resisted arrest, and she was pregnant. I can’t tell you how humbled I felt reading her story and feeling like I had become...more There were so many great moments in Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice that really made the story an emotional read for me.

I had heard about Claudette for the first time last semester in my child lit class, and really only remember that she was a teen that refused to give up her seat a long time before Rosa Parks. But I remember hearing that she was “violent” while she resisted arrest, and she was pregnant. I can’t tell you how humbled I felt reading her story and feeling like I had become susceptible to the gossip about her, even after all those years. I thought I knew better, and I was still misled.

I understand the desire to have a model spokesperson such as Rosa Parks and why Claudette’s story was not always at the forefront, but it is very tragic that it took so long for her story to really come out. It shows there are still many stereotypes and misjudgments for our world to overcome.

What an amazing experience to read her story. And it wasn’t just the story of her arrest. Claudette Colvin put a human face to the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King always seemed unrelatable to me. Not just because I was never a black person in mid-20th century American South, but because they were like immortal heroes. This never negated what they accomplished, of course, but Claudette was someone I could relate to. Her drive to end injustice, her confusion at the adult’s conflicting beliefs and actions, and her steady, determined attitude even when many turned against her, made her story powerful. I definitely see many teens relating to and taking courage in Claudette’s story.

But Claudette’s story would not be nearly so powerful without the care it was given by Phillip Hoose. He wove Claudette’s story seamlessly into the more well-known events of the Civil Rights movement, allowing readers to not only hear her story, but to show us through a teenager’s eye what it was really like. His focus on the people, not just the movement, was what really made this story. But Hoose’s narrative did feel balanced and fair. It would have been easy to turn Claudette Colvin into a tell-all and condemn those who shunned her and really play-up her injustices from all sides. But his sensitive handle of the events shone through, and the reader is able to learn and deduce for themselves that Claudette is a whole other type of activist, and one that I, and I believe many young adults and adults alike, can look up to.
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Mar 21, 2011 Maricor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-and-information

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose (2009)
Lauded by history legends Studs Terkel and Howard Zinn, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice tells the tale of an unsung teenage hero who risked it all twice to fight the unconstitutional segregation on Montgomery, Alabama buses. At only 15, Claudette refused to give up her seat in the “colored” section of the bus for a white woman who wanted it. Colvin argued it was her constitutional right and was arrested and removed from the bus...more

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Dec 18, 2010 Donquierafaber rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-lit

Ever heard of the first person who refused to move seats and started the civil rights movement in Montgomery, Alabama? No, not Rosa Parks. It was a 15-year-old named Claudette Colvin. Even though I have read many books about Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, I had never heard of this person before. It's pretty sad because her community did not support her. In fact, a lot of her peers stigmatized her. It goes to show that trying to change the way things are takes a lot of guts...more

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May 28, 2010 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: rll-529

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is the compelling story of a young girl who refuses to give up her bus seat to a white woman during the racial segregation era. She is arrested igniting a spark which results in the infamous Montgommery Alabama bus boycott of 1955-56. Instead of being honored she was shunned and riduculed by her school, community and other associates of her family. Overlooked and forgotten, replaced by the more "appropriate poster child" for the cause, Rosa Parks, she is un...more Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is the compelling story of a young girl who refuses to give up her bus seat to a white woman during the racial segregation era. She is arrested igniting a spark which results in the infamous Montgommery Alabama bus boycott of 1955-56. Instead of being honored she was shunned and riduculed by her school, community and other associates of her family. Overlooked and forgotten, replaced by the more "appropriate poster child" for the cause, Rosa Parks, she is unveiled here in Hoose's book revealing her grace, courage, and determination facing adversity and harsh inequality.

Authority is marked by two and a half pages of author's notes. Hoose describes here his initial introduction to the possibility that Claudette Colvin existed but had been overtly overlooked and forgotten as a pioneer in the social overhaul (ongoing) that began as the Civil Rights movement of the 60's. Hoose describes Colvin's initial relunctance to conduct an interview, and perhaps shyness, but eventually she reveals impactful events of her early life through fourteen interviews over the course of one year. Colvin is described as being, "wonderfully open and generous" sharing information about her part in the historical movement "far too important to be forgotten." Hoose displays four pages of bibliographic materials siting landmark books, key articles (such as excertps from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's statement protesting the electdrocution of Jerdemiah Reeves in Feb. of 1956)and selected websites such as www.riversofchange.org which provides educational materials on Bowder vs. gayle and the plaintiffs including Claudette Colvin. In Hoose's "Notes" section sources of quoted material are listed. THis section is accompanied by smart historical photo choices dispersed throughout the text the reader has lilkely already gazed over repeatedly so it is an unexpected bonus to have this additional organizational element also provoking emotion once again. Following each photo he lists pages and sections the reader can connect with or go back and reread, if desired.

Accuracy is established and carried through in a detailed careful manner. The way in which Hoose carefully weaves Claudette Colvin's story through use of her own words, demonstrating her raw emotion and impact on her own life. He presents her outward reaching triumphs through newspaper articles, photo's of pertinent people and information, police reports, headlines, mugshots accompanied by captions, specific "under the radar" kinds of photos such as one of Fred Gray during Browder v. Gayle pointing out planned seating for city busses, summaries of the trial Browdr Vs.Gayle, numerous well chosen documentation at times detailing a story within the story adding depth; showing strength in accuracy.

Appropriateness for its intended audience has some accompanying challenges; so careful planning and frontloading needs to happen. For instance, issues surrounding teenage unplanned pregnancy, and Claudette's vulnerability leading up to this immense challenge, harsh racial injustices in addition to violence and abuse, an unjust and corrupt legal system are some issues dealt with in Hoose's text. However the text itself is written with respect to both Claudette Colvin and her story, and also the middle school intended audience in that it tells her story straight, not watering it down. The text can also be used carefully for younger students perhaps read aloud especially well chosen sections. Certainly it is worth noting this text could accompany any highschool study of civil rights or perhaps stylized writing and related topics - its photojournalistic qualities are captivating and would lead to further study and investigation I imagine for many.

Literary artistry in Hoose's text is energizing. The photos are poinient. It is emotional reaching many layers of feeling, impact and questioning. Even a simple digram of where Claudette was sitting on th ebus when this major defining event occured is an example of careful planning by Hoose and his understanding the power of visuals strengthening readability. THere are numerous examples of Hoose's expertise in the area of literary artistry. Obviously his expert interviewing skills are apparent in his substantive text, and in the quality of "voice" he establishes hooking the reader even as early as the front cover; weaving her unforgettable story alongside factual information of the civil rights era throughout with expertise.

In all the attractiveness of this text is enticing and unforgettable for almost any reader.

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May 05, 2010 Annette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: awarded-nonfiction-informational

In "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice", Phillip Hoose remembers a forgotten and little known figure of the Civil Rights Movement. Hoose writes with authority: the voices of Claudette and others who were there resonate through the book, which alternates narrative and expository styles to convey the wealth of information and detail gleaned through his many hours of personal interviews with Claudette herself as well as some of her family and friends. In addition, Hoose provides an extensive bi...more In "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice", Phillip Hoose remembers a forgotten and little known figure of the Civil Rights Movement. Hoose writes with authority: the voices of Claudette and others who were there resonate through the book, which alternates narrative and expository styles to convey the wealth of information and detail gleaned through his many hours of personal interviews with Claudette herself as well as some of her family and friends. In addition, Hoose provides an extensive bibliography of some of the "hundreds of Web sites, articles and books" (p.109)he consulted in his research for the book. The photographs and copies of a police report and newspaper articles reinforce the authority and accuracy of Hoose's work. The photographs in particular are powerful and effective in conveying the harsh realities of the Jim Crow era.

This book is intended for middle and high school students, but some the text and photographs could be used in the intermediate grades. It is well organized and well laid-out, with the features (such as photographs with captions and sidebars) well-placed to complement the text without confusing or overwhelming the reader. The sidebars add to the authority and accuracy of the book by providing information about related events. For example, the sidebar on page 71 explains the historical context of segregated buses at that time by citing the Supreme court cases of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which allowed segregated transportation that was "separate but equal", and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), which disallowed segregated education. Hoose explains how Fred Gray based a class-action suit on behalf of Claudette and other black riders on the 1954 ruling.

With its stunning photography and the voice of teenage Claudette, Phillip Hoose's book is attractive to its audience. The structure and style, threading Claudette's narration through the text, flows well and adds a sense of immediacy, of "being there": it makes history approachable and personal. The photos of Claudette through her youth and of what "separate but equal" actually means in daily life enhance this effect: seeing signs such as "NO Dogs Negros Mexicans" (p.6)or the movie ticket that says "Child-Colored" elicit a visceral response. Perhaps what makes the story so compelling for young readers is the message that the young, as individuals or as a group,can make a difference; they have their place in history and their role is shaping the future. (less)

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Apr 27, 2010 MissDziura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: award-winning-nonfiction-books

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice examines one of the lesser-known but extremely important stories of how one high-school girl set the wheels of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Civil Rights movements in motion. The authority of Hoose’s book is evident in its bibliography, notes and picture credits, but also in the Author’s Note where he describes how he came across Colvin’s story and his attempts to have her tell her story. It took him four years and plenty of trying to have Colvin agree to...more Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice examines one of the lesser-known but extremely important stories of how one high-school girl set the wheels of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Civil Rights movements in motion. The authority of Hoose’s book is evident in its bibliography, notes and picture credits, but also in the Author’s Note where he describes how he came across Colvin’s story and his attempts to have her tell her story. It took him four years and plenty of trying to have Colvin agree to share her story, but he never gave up and found the most authority for his book through her words. The text is accurate and gives a reader-friendly account not only of Colvin’s own story but the historical events that surrounded what she did. What stands out as especially useful to the reader are the places where Hoose used text books on the side to either further explain an event or person, or supply an anecdote from someone else that sets the context. One of the most powerful anecdotes that Hoose includes is called “White Support of the Boycott,” where he tells the story of Juliette Morgan, a white librarian who supported the boycott but later ended her own life due to the harassment she endured. Throughout the text, there is a good balance between the facts of what was happening in Montgomery and the thoughts and opinions of those that were present. The intended audience for this text are students in grades 5-10. This presents a wide range of readers, and it makes it difficult to surmise that the entire text is appropriate for its entire audience. However, this text is written in such a manner that it would be easy to highlight specific sections depending on the audience. For example, the information that explains Jim Crow laws in the first chapter would be useful in a middle or high school social studies class while covering the Civil Rights movement, whereas the earlier narrative of Claudette would be more appropriate for a younger audience in order to learn a first-hand account of what was going on through the eyes of a young teen. The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, states how the text is appropriate for young readers because of their ability to connect with Claudette as a young person.
"By shifting the focus away from the better-known adult participants, Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., Hoose encourages teens to empathize with an age peer, once dismissed as too "emotional" to withstand public scrutiny, who later testified in the federal lawsuit that would finally end discrimination on public transportation."
The only portion of the text that could be scrutinized for its appropriateness has to deal with Claudette’s pregnancy and struggles as a teen mom. Some caution would have to be taken when using those particular sections in a classroom setting, in terms of the maturity of students. Both the literary artistry and attractiveness of this text is extraordinary. The way in which Hoose uses a combination of description and narrative is seamless and is effective in its organization. In addition there is a clear beginning, middle and end to Claudette’s own story which makes it accessible to readers. Finally, all of the pictures, documents, and additional text boxes complement the book and will invite readers into an extremely engaging and informational reading.
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