I am a huge fan of Mahalia Jackson's music so I snagged this one right up when I saw it in the children's section of our local library. I will be sharing it with my kids so they can appreciate the life behind some of our favorite gospel songs.
The book itself wasn't bad but the title doesn't much apply to the content. The book effectively ends just as Mahalia is beginning her career as a gospel singer. As far as the civil rights "champion" part, all it offers to support that claim is a brief list of career highlights that include two times she sang for civil rights events, not at all justifying the term champion. As such, I found the book disappointing.
By introducing readers to the early life of a famous person, these books illustrate how life experiences and personal qualities and characteristics shape your future. Mahalia Jackson's is just an excellent story.