Small Shoes, Great Strides by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and Alex Bostic - ADVISABLE

Small Shoes, Great Strides: How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors to School Equality by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by Alex Bostic. PICTURE BOOK NON-FICTION Carolrhoda (Lerner), 2023 $20. 9781728419237 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

Leona, Tessie, and Gail were the first three black students in New Orleans, Louisiana, to enter a previously segregated public elementary school. By the end of the first day, they were the only children left in the class, and by the end of the day, they were alone in the school. For the whole year they remained alone with their teacher. 

Nelson dives deep into the details of the three girls' first couple of years as the pioneers of desegregating New Orleans schools. The story continues in the extensive back matter, following their subsequent years and the horrors they faced each day. The text is particularly dense - this is not a casual read. But it is also important, as it gives a deeper look at the struggle and danger it was to integrate schools in extremely reluctant communities. While I doubt most students will read this on their own, if you are in a middle school or high school that covers the material, I would check this out to a teacher immediately. The main characters are Black, with some white protestors depicted. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS