Because They Marched: The People’s Campaign for Voting Rights That Changed America

It has been nearly fifty years since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 changed the South nearly as much as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Russell Freedman has written an astonishing account of the battle in and around Selma, Alabama, for this most basic of rights. Freedman’s research is always impeccable, and he deals with the facts and only the facts, but somehow he shapes it all into a most enthralling story that will have kids (and adults) turning the pages as if reading a mystery thriller. He is a great storyteller. Kids will read through this fine book, replete with news photographs that complete the story in ways that can make the readers shudder, without ever realizing they are learning that dry old subject–history–in a way that will stay with them for a long, long time. Looking into the eyes of the marchers in these startling photographs while reading the stories of the brutality they faced day after day for the months this book covers will leave a lasting impression on anyone fortunate enough to get their hands on it. This book should be in every library and classroom across America.