Kristin Levine paints Little Rock, Arkansas, through the eyes of 11-year-old Marlee Nisbitt, a white student who is in middle school the year after the renowned integration of Central High School. As the new school year unfolds, Marlee grapples with holding on to a new friend; missing her sister, who has been sent away for her high school education; and trying to understand the strong feelings of her parents and the citizens of Little Rock concerning integration. Julia Whelan gives an even-voiced and nonjudgmental narration. As Marlee, her voice is questioning, confident, and, at times, full of the foolhardiness of youth; as Marlee’s new friend, Liz, she sounds subtly yet consistently determined. Whelan also provides steely voices for the bullying Dalton brothers and a tight voice for Marlee’s anxious father. An interview with the author expands on the time period and her reasons for choosing the year after the integration of Central High for her novel. A.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

I had two near-simultaneous thoughts upon closing Kristin Levine's latest novel…The first, as a reader, was simply, Ahhhhh. The second, as a writer, was of admiration. Creating a book that reads as though written in one effortless breath requires a rare talent…Marlee and Liz's love for each other, the lengths they are willing to go to fight back against the injustice of their plight, and the larger integration struggle playing out in Little Rock drive the book's story. Readers will root for a painfully shy girl to discover the depths of her own courage and find hope in the notion that even in tumultuous times, standing up for the people you love can't be wrong. Satisfying, gratifying, touching, weighty—this authentic piece of work has got soul.
—The New York Times Book Review

Successfully weaving historical events with a dynamic personal narrative, Levine (The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had) offers a riveting, frequently tense portrait of 1958 Little Rock, Ark., the tumultuous year when the governor refused integration by closing local high schools. The story is told through the sensitive voice of painfully quiet 12-year-old Marlee Nisbett, who makes a rare friend in Liz, a new student at her middle school. Liz instills some much-needed confidence in Marlee, but when it’s revealed that Liz is “passing” as a white student, Liz must leave school abruptly, putting their friendship to the test. The girls meet in secret, and Marlee joins an antisegregationist organization, both actions inviting serious risk amid escalating racist threats. Levine’s characters fall on both sides of the integration issue, but she avoids painting them too broadly, and many of their views evolve over the course of the book. The best evolution, though, belongs to Marlee, who starts off almost pathologically shy and gradually learns to face her fears, find her voice, and speak up for what’s right. Ages 10–up. Agent: Kathryn Green Literary Agency. (Jan.)

"Creating a book that reads as though written in one effortless breath requires a rare talent . . Readers will root for a painfully shy girl to discover the depths of her own courage and find hope in the notion that even in tumultuous times, standing up for the people you love can’t be wrong. Satisfying, gratifying, touching, weighty—this authentic piece of work has got soul."—The New York Times Book Review

“Kristin Levine’s The Lions of Little Rock, the story of a black girl and a white girl who become friends during the integration of that city’s schools in 1958, has been awarded the New-York Historical Society’s first children’s history book prize.”—New-York Historical Society Children’s History Book Prize Award

“A story of friendship between two girls in the civil-rights-era South.”—The New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice Award

* “The remarkable story of the Little Rock Nine is familiar to many, but what happened next? In this quietly powerful page-turner, Levine focuses her attention on the events that unfolded in Little Rock the year after the integration of the city’s public schools.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “With remarkable depth and clarity, Levine unflinchingly portrays racial tension in the 1950s Deep South. Reader will be moved by Marlee and Liz’s strong bonds and inspired by Marlee’s unwavering tenacity in the face of what seems like insurmountable adversity.”—School Library Journal, starred review

* “Successfully weaving historical events with a dynamic personal narrative, Levine (The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had) offers a riveting, frequently tense portrait of 1958 Little Rock, Ark., the tumultuous year when the governor refused integration by closing local high schools.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

 "Creating a book that reads as though written in one effortless breath requires a rare talent...Readers will root for a painfully shy girl to discover the depths of her own courage and find hope in the notion that even in tumultuous times, standing up for the people you love can’t be wrong. Satisfying, gratifying, touching, weighty — this authentic piece of work has got soul." —The New York Times Book Review

Gr 5–8—In 1958, a year after the Little Rock Nine made national news by attending Central School, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus ordered the city's public high schools closed rather than permit integration to continue. Kristin Levine's well-researched, detail-packed historical novel (Putnam, 2012) reveals the events of that "lost year" as seen through the eyes of Marlee Nisbett. The 12-year-old rarely speaks to anyone outside her close family, and she's so shy that she eats a packed lunch simply to avoid having to tell the lunch ladies what she wants. On her first day at West Side Junior High, Marlee meets Liz, a new student. Liz is bold and outspoken, and she takes on the task of getting Marlee to talk in front of the class so they can give a presentation together. But Liz is absent on the day of the presentation, and the teacher tells Marlee that her friend will not be returning to school. Rumors begin swirling that Liz is a black girl passing for white. Determined to hold on to her new friendship, Marlee contrives ways to see Liz. Before long, their families' concerns about the girls' safety if they are seen together are proved warranted. Marlee discovers that she is strong enough to overcome her fears, and that if she wants things to change, she is going to have to speak up. Julia Whelan brings Marlee to life along with a range of secondary characters. The chatty first-person narration works well in the audio format. The author's note and suggestions for further reading are included at the end. A compelling look at a little-known but important year in our country's history.—Beth Gallego, Panorama City Branch, Los Angeles Public Library, CA

Gr 5–8—In this stunning piece of historical fiction, Levine sheds light on the little-known period immediately following the Little Rock Nine's integration of Central High School in 1957. In September 1958, Governor Orval Faubus ordered the closure of all public high schools in the city. This novel depicts the tumultuous era through the eyes of 12-year-old Marlee Nisbett, who is painfully shy but eventually reclaims her voice by having the courage to do the right thing. On her first day at West Side Junior High, Marlee meets Liz, a new girl unafraid of speaking her mind. Emboldened by her friendship with Liz, Marlee begins talking and interacting more with her classmates. When Liz abruptly disappears amid rumors that she is a black girl—"Can you believe it….A nigger at our school?"—passing for white, Marlee is bereft but determined to uphold the friendship, at great cost to both girls' safety. In trying to sustain her relationship with Liz, Marlee ultimately realizes that there is a bigger cause at stake. With remarkable depth and clarity, Levine unflinchingly portrays racial tensions in the 1950s Deep South. Her descriptions of the Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools (WEC) and the Stop This Outrageous Purge (STOP) campaign further lend an air of historical authenticity to the book. Readers will be moved by Marlee and Liz's strong bonds and inspired by Marlee's unwavering tenacity in the face of what seems like insurmountable adversity.—Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA

Kristin Levine paints Little Rock, Arkansas, through the eyes of 11-year-old Marlee Nisbitt, a white student who is in middle school the year after the renowned integration of Central High School. As the new school year unfolds, Marlee grapples with holding on to a new friend; missing her sister, who has been sent away for her high school education; and trying to understand the strong feelings of her parents and the citizens of Little Rock concerning integration. Julia Whelan gives an even-voiced and nonjudgmental narration. As Marlee, her voice is questioning, confident, and, at times, full of the foolhardiness of youth; as Marlee’s new friend, Liz, she sounds subtly yet consistently determined. Whelan also provides steely voices for the bullying Dalton brothers and a tight voice for Marlee’s anxious father. An interview with the author expands on the time period and her reasons for choosing the year after the integration of Central High for her novel. A.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

The remarkable story of the Little Rock Nine is familiar to many, but what happened next? In this quietly powerful page-turner, Levine focuses her attention on the events that unfolded in Little Rock the year after the integration of the city's public schools. Readers meet quiet, 12-year-old Marlee and her outgoing and warm-hearted best friend, Liz, who is instrumental in Marlee's burgeoning ability to speak her mind to anyone outside of her family. To Marlee's dismay, Liz suddenly vanishes from school, and the rumor is that she has been passing for white. Marlee initially feels betrayed by her friend, but her understanding of the complicated nature of race relations and politics matures. Levine sensitively portrays her process as she sorts out these feelings, finds a way to stay friends with Liz and becomes involves with the Womens' Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools (WEC) after the city shuts down all of its public schools to prevent integration. When Marlee's father, a schoolteacher, is fired because of his pro-integration stance, the entire family becomes involved in the Stop This Outrageous Purge (STOP) campaign in an attempt to have all of the teachers rehired and the public schools reopened. This engaging story, with its emphasis on the impact of friendship and on finding one's voice when it is most important to be heard, will no doubt appeal to a broad range of readers and inspire many interesting conversations. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 10-14)