Reading Metrics
Description
In 1961 the children of Mayfield are concerned with air-raid drills and fallout shelters, but the civil rights movement becomes real when a neighbor joins the Freedom Riders.
Quick Summary
Set in 1961 Mayfield, this story follows a group of children navigating Cold War fears of air-raid drills and fallout shelters while witnessing the civil rights movement become real when their neighbor joins the Freedom Riders. The book explores themes of racial tension, friendship across racial lines, historical change, and growing up during a pivotal moment in American history. If your kid likes "The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963" by Christopher Paul Curtis, they'll love this snapshot of everyday life during the civil rights era. This is a great choice for fourth through sixth graders reading at a 4.1 AR level who want to understand history through a personal, relatable lens.