PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
To most young readers, 1960 is nearly ancient history, yet the prejudice that Louise views in the Ninth Ward is still part of life today. -- School Library Journal (starred review) In his debut novel, television A&E producer Sharenow challenges the view that those Cheerleaders shouting the n-word were just a few crazy freaks. -- Booklist (starred review) When 6-year-old Ruby Bridges starts attending William Frantz Elementary in an initial effort to desegregate the school system, Louise and many other white children are yanked out of the school as a sign of parental protest. Louise's mother joins a group of women dubbed 'the Cheerleaders.' These Southern belles spend their mornings on the schoolyard viciously taunting Ruby as she makes her way into the building. The most shocking thing about this extraordinary historical novel is that these details are true. -- Chicago Tribune Shows a great deal of courage from a young girl. -- Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) Sharenow is unflinching in his portrait of bull-headed Southern bigots who punish women with brutal rape, men with immolation, and children with vicious threats in an attempt to pass their own dismal limitations on to future generations. -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books An unflinching look at the violence and hatred that permeated throughout this time in history. -- Kirkus Reviews
