Goodreads Review:
Jolie has a lot to be scared about since the new Freedom School teacher, Annie, came to town. Bricks thrown through windows in the dead of night, notes filled with hate, and now a fire has burnt down the church where Annie was supposed to start teaching tomorrow! Without the church, how can she possibly teach Jolie and the other townspeople about black poets and artists, historians and inventors? Unless the people themselves fight back.In this triumphant story based on the 1964 Mississippi Freedom School Summer Project, Amy Littlesugar and Floyd Cooper come together to celebrate the strength of a people, and the bravery of one young girl who didn't let being scared get in her way.

The book was very well written. It provides important historical information. The only bad thing I have to say about the book is that unless the book is broken up into a few days, it would be too long for first graders to read in one sitting. Their attention span wouldn't last through reading the whole book at once. Floyd Wright, the illustrator, did an excellent job with the illustrations. It seems that the medium used for the artwork is pastels.The way he did the shading on all of the illustrations are incredible. The facial expressions really bring out the emotions of the characters and really help to grab the attention of the reader and anyone listening. ( )

Freedom School tells the story of Annie, a 19-year-old white teacher, and Jolie, a young African American student, who both fight to open a school in Mississippi, where people can learn about places and people. The story is based on the Mississippi Freedom School Summer Project in 1964. Jolie and her mother allow Annie to stay in their house while the school is open. Annie tries to persuade all the parents to allow their children to go to the school, but some are not convinced that their children will be safe. The school was to take place at Mount Pleasant Church. Jolie was not too happy about the idea of the Freedom School at first; she was scared and didn’t know what would happen. One night, someone sets the church on fire. Despite there being no church, Freedom School still takes place. Nine children, Annie, and even a seventy year old woman all gather by a hickory tree and start class. While the class was taking place, people were helping to restore the church. Annie taught them about Benjamin Banneker, Harriet Tubman, and many others. Each night, people were standing guard of the building to make sure nothing happened. When it was Annie’s night to stand guard, Jolie heard tire squeals, hoots, and laughter, so she got scared and ran all the way to the church to see if Annie was okay. Jolie then realized how much the school and Annie meant to her. Jolie vowed to never let her being scared get in the way of anything ever again. Detailed illustrations make readers feel the characters’ pain and worry with their dark and muted colors. Facial expressions and movements in the pictures really tell the story. A good book to show students how African American people felt during the Civil Rights Movement, and also that fact that we should give someone a chance before we judge them. ( )

I really loved this book about a small town being brave enough to have a Freedom School. This freedom school was for African American students to attend, but it was lead by a white teacher. This caused a lot of violence throughout the town, but those involved in the freedom school never gave up. This book shows the journey and bravery of such young children when they finally decide not to be scared anymore and to take a stand. This would be a good book for third grade. ( )

Annie is a young white lady who traveled from the north to Mississippi to teach in Freedom School. Jolie, a young black girl is angry at her mother for allowing the new teacher to stay with them. They face hostility and danger, but they persevere and Jolie realizes how much Annie and Freedom School mean to her. ( )