"'I thought it might be hard always being quiet,' Liz said finally. 'I thought you needed a friend.'
She was right. I did.
'I needed a friend too,' said Liz.
And I suddenly knew what Liz was - a cup of warm milk with a dash of cinnamon." (The Lions of Little Rock pp. 40-41)
A good friend is hard to find. This is especially true for twelve-year-old Marlee Nisbett, a shy, intelligent girl growing up in 1958 Little Rock. Marlee is so shy that she hardly talks to anyone. Only a few trusted people like her mother, father, sister Judy, and brother David ever hear her speak.
She was right. I did.
'I needed a friend too,' said Liz.
And I suddenly knew what Liz was - a cup of warm milk with a dash of cinnamon." (The Lions of Little Rock pp. 40-41)
A good friend is hard to find. This is especially true for twelve-year-old Marlee Nisbett, a shy, intelligent girl growing up in 1958 Little Rock. Marlee is so shy that she hardly talks to anyone. Only a few trusted people like her mother, father, sister Judy, and brother David ever hear her speak.
When Marlee attends her first day of junior high, she meets a new girl named Liz. Liz is smart, funny, and patient and turns out to be the perfect friend for Marlee. They spend time together visiting the zoo and playing magic square. With Liz’s encouragement, Marlee even agrees to talk during their class presentation. Then one day, out of the blue, Liz stops going to school. Marlee is stunned. Could the rumors be true? Was Liz a colored girl trying to pass for white? And if so, what does that mean for their friendship?
Kristin Levine artfully explores this lost year in Little Rock history, a year after the infamous Little Rock Nine took a stand against segregation. During the year of 1958, the high schools of Little Rock were closed in order to keep out black students. Many teenagers, like Marlee’s sister Judy, were forced to leave town and move in with relatives in order to continue their education.
Levine uses Marlee’s timid yet steadily growing voice to describe this painful period of Little Rock history. She ties in a wealth of factual information such as the role played by the Women’s Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools (WEC) and Stop This Outrageous Purge (STOP) in reopening the schools – this time, integrated.
Like the lions in the Little Rock Zoo, Marlee will not be silenced. She will fight for the rights of her friend despite all odds. But can one quiet girl from Arkansas really make a difference? Or is she placing all of their lives in danger?
Goodreads: 524 ratings; average of 4.13 stars
Goodreads: 524 ratings; average of 4.13 stars
I just finished this one and really liked it. I liked how even the "bad" characters weren't caricatures. I liked how Levine showed the conflicts within Marlee's family. Marlee seemed like a very authentic character with real struggles that kids today can relate to, even though this is historical fiction. I think this is the strength of the book: making "history" seem very real, immediate and messy. Didn't like - the cover. I don't think it conveys the themes of the book.
ReplyDeleteI've just finished my review of The Lions of Little Rock and I think it will definitely rise to the top three in our first-round voting. The rich and believable voice of Marlee, combined with a compelling and neatly woven narrative make LLL a memorable read.
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