Freedom School, Yes!

by Amy Littlesugar, Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)

Overview

In 1964's Freedom Summer, one girl sees that nothing—not hatred, not fear, not anything else—can stand in the way of her learning about the world.

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 burned 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593694398
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	01/07/2025
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Amy Littlesugar, who was only ten during the Mississippi Freedom School Summer Project, interviewed teachers, volunteers, and even folk singers to tell this story. And one thing they all agreed on was how much courage it took to make certain the people of Mississippi—young and old—got the chance to learn. Littlesugar has written many other books for children, including Tree of Hope, Shake Rag, and Marie in Fourth Position. She lives in Columbia, Maryland.

Floyd Cooper always dreamed of becoming an artist, and he ultimately illustrated dozens of books for children. He received a Coretta Scott King Award for his illustrations in The Blacker the Berry and a Coretta Scott King Honor for his illustrations in Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea and I Have Heard of a Land . . .

Editorial Reviews

The skilled author-illustrator team that introduced readers to 1930s Harlem in Tree of Hope here explores another dramatic chapter in African-American history: the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project. In the summer of 1964, Jolie's family plays host to Annie, a 19-year-old white woman who has volunteered to teach Freedom School. The segregated community of Chicken Creek is rattled by this arrangement--blacks are skeptical of learning about their history and their heroes from a white stranger; whites are suspected of violent efforts (burning down the church, throwing bricks through windows) to drive Annie away. Despite the unrest and tension in the air, Annie helps open Jolie's eyes to her heritage and to the great test of courage that the Freedom School poses to all involved. Littlesugar personalizes the events of an era by colorfully detailing one girl's experience. Vivid imagery and realistic emotion will quickly grab readers' attention. But the story stumbles a bit, rushing to mention a list of African-American historical figures and slightly inflating Jolie's role in comparison to that of Harriet Tubman. Cooper's grainy-textured oil washes, as radiant as ever, depict the strength shining in faces of people newly enlightened. His portraits of various Chicken Creek residents capture their mix of fear, wonder, faith and determination. An author's note includes more information on the Freedom School project and the real-life heroes who inspired this story. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 1-4-This is a fictionalized account of events that took place during the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project in which more than 600 volunteers risked their lives to teach black children in the deep South "-'bout people and places-'bout who you are." Annie, a 19-year-old white teacher from up North, is staying with Jolie and her family, and the child instinctively feels danger. When vandals throw a brick through her bedroom window, she wishes the teacher would head home. After arsonists burn down the Chicken Creek Church, Annie holds the Freedom School under an old hickory tree and Jolie begins her journey toward knowledge, learning about Jacob Lawrence, Countee Cullen, and Benjamin Banneker. Gradually, the girl comes to care deeply about Annie's safety and to realize that fears must be overcome in order to win real freedom. Littlesugar has created a slice-of-life story with a potent message. Through Jolie's eyes, readers see the frightening violence of the 1960s South. The courage exhibited by the volunteers and the families offering them shelter is never minimized. Characters are fully developed; Jolie is very real in her apprehension and anger. The illustrations are masterful and lush. Cooper draws faces with exquisite strength and real pain. A unique and poignant look at a moment in history.-Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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