JUNE 2022 - AudioFile
Shayna Small’s heartfelt narration conveys the anger, intensity, frustration, and sadness of the activists who lobbied for years to make Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, birthday a federal holiday. She brings reverence and passion to Kirkwood’s memoir-in-verse, which helps listeners understand why we now celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., Day in January and what this holiday means to Black Americans who lived through the Civil Rights movement. From Kirkwood’s story of her first Civil Rights protest at age 17 through her persistence in adulthood to commemorate King's birthday as a national holiday, the story helps listeners understand our connection to the people who fought for the rights we have today. They will also want to listen to the Stevie Wonder song that helped inspire the movement. S.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"Both informative and personal, this makes an engaging introduction to these civil rights–era events." —Booklist “Kathlyn J. Kirkwood’s stirring Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ’Round takes readers on a journey into the past so that we might better grasp the present. The poetry in these pages leans forward with an urgency that matches the historical significance of the events being described. Kirkwood’s story has never been more relevant or necessary.” —Matt de la Peña, Newbery medalist and New York Times best-selling author “In moving verse, this richly detailed memoir transports young readers to the front lines of the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The narrative comes full circle as Kirkwood joins the push for a national holiday in honor of the late civil rights leader. Engaging and uplifting, this memoir invites young people to become change agents in their own time.” - —Carole Boston Weatherford, Newbery Honor–winning and New York Times best-selling author “Movements for change depend on their foot soldiers as much as their leaders, and Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me’ Round reminds us that a single voice indeed matters. Recent history comes to life in lovely verse that feels like a kind neighbor sitting down to share her personal tale with photographs from the family album. A powerful story just right for today’s young activists.” —Kip Wilson, author of White Rose
JUNE 2022 - AudioFile
Shayna Small’s heartfelt narration conveys the anger, intensity, frustration, and sadness of the activists who lobbied for years to make Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, birthday a federal holiday. She brings reverence and passion to Kirkwood’s memoir-in-verse, which helps listeners understand why we now celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., Day in January and what this holiday means to Black Americans who lived through the Civil Rights movement. From Kirkwood’s story of her first Civil Rights protest at age 17 through her persistence in adulthood to commemorate King's birthday as a national holiday, the story helps listeners understand our connection to the people who fought for the rights we have today. They will also want to listen to the Stevie Wonder song that helped inspire the movement. S.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
