To the Victor...

...go the spoils.  Anyone who has studied history knows that the main flaw in many of our historical texts is that they were written by the winners. Now this is changing and many historians make it their mission to seek out those missing voices and try to write history from multiple perspectives.  But the fact remains our mainstream history is entirely dictated by the victors.

Perhaps that's the reason that we all know the name Rosa Parks, but not the name Claudette Colvin.  Now, hopefully, your education on the civil rights movement was better than mine...but if not I strongly encourage you to read Phillip Hoose's Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice.

Claudette Colvin also refused to give up her seat on the bus.  She was also arrested and forcibly dragged off the bus.  Her testimony played a critical role Browder v. Gayle, the court case that ended segregation on public transportation.  But she was just a teenager.  Could she be mature enough to be the face of a movement?

Hoose has created the best kind of non-fiction, you are engrossed in the story of Claudette's life, you are rooting for her every step of the way.  Each page has meaningful pictures from the time and the 'heavy history' (just the facts that aren't all that interesting to read, but you need that knowledge to understand what's going on) is tucked away in text boxes to the side-you can read it at your leisure, it doesn't interrupt the flow.

I have often said I'm not the biggest fan of non-fiction.  But if all non-fiction books are going to be like this I just may have to change my tune...

Standing up (or staying seated)...that's kids stuff