Shelley Tougas

There are plenty of books for kids out there explaining divorce, separation and going between parents' houses on weekends but exploring when a parent gets a new partner is a first. Tougas handles it adroitly, acknowledging a child's conflicting feelings but showing one can act civilly even if you're not quite accepting of the new person. Mommy's new friend is referred to as "That Guy" throughout, eventually revealed as Carl as the little girl discovers Carl's good points and comes to see show more that family can expand to a new form. Well done! show less

On September 4, 1957, nine black students were to meet at the home of the local head of the NAACP and, from there, together with a police escort, they were to head to Little Rock's Central High School in an attempt to integrate the school. Unfortunately, Elizabeth Eckhorn's parents didn't own a phone so she didn't get the message. She arrived first and alone and was immediately surrounded by an angry white mob.

Will Counts, a local photographer, was able to capture this event - a picture of show more a beautiful black teenager clutching her books to her chest, a stoic expression on her face. Directly behind her, among that sea of angry white faces, is a white girl about the same age as Elizabeth , her face twisted with rage and hatred. This photo would eventually win Counts a Pulitzer Prize nomination but, more importantly, it forced a nation and the world to look into the true and ugly face of racism.

Author Shelley Tougas reveals this important period in America through photographs, extensive research, a comprehensive timeline, and interviews with many of the people who were involved. She discusses what led up to this moment - the Jim Crow laws which allowed segregation, the legal fight to end it, and the words and reactions of the people who risked so much for change. She also tells us what eventually happened to the Little Rock Nine both when they were finally able to enter the school (although not for long), and later in their lives.

She tells the story with amazing objectivity never allowing her own opinions to colour the narrative and, in sodoing, she makes the book that much more powerful.

This is a very short book (just 64 pages) aimed at children 8-14 but it is a book everyone should read. This is, in many ways, a shocking and horrible story but it is also hopeful. The Nine all went on to do much with their lives. Decades later, Will Counts took another picture of Elizabeth and Hazel, the white girl behind her, now both in their middle years. This time they are standing together. There seems to be some tension between but, clearly, they are two people seeking common ground. show less

This book didn't click with me, but I did appreciate that the author didn't gloss over some of the historical issues that modern-day readers have with the Little House books. Still, I don't know if Laura Ingalls Wilder would have appreciated this attempt at connecting her life to that of a contemporary, "dysfunctional" family. This book will likely resonate better with the middle school crowd- I'll stick with the original books (and the accompanying nonfiction texts.)

The names of the family show more were nice nods to the Ingalls family, their ancestors and descendants, and of course, their own dog. show less

As a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan, I was so excited to read this book. It ended up being nothing like my expectations, but it was a great contemporary middle grade story with substance and heart. It touches on issues of poverty, racism, bullying, and more in a way that feels neither idealistic nor fatalistic. Charlotte is kind of a jerk sometimes, but I still found myself rooting for her at the end. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll buy this for my little Southwest library because I'm afraid it show more will be hard to recommend. As other reviewers have said, there are Little House spoilers galore and it's very much tied to its Midwestern location. That said, I'll be sure to recommend it to my librarian friends with the hopes that it's just right for somebody.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley to read in exchange for an honest review. show less