Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Stephen Alcorn is an excellent book for 4th-6th graders that brings to life the personality of each of the ten subjects and demonstrates the importance of each womans boldness and perseverance against oppression. It is an inspiring read that celebrates the courage and determination of Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Rosa Parks, Biddy Mason, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Ella Josephine Baker, Dorothy Irene Height, Fannie Lou Hamer and Shirley Chisholm. Wonderful illustrations accompany these stories. Each portrait displays evocative, often dreamlike, imagery that echoes the theme of the profile. While the text is simple enough for independent readers, its a perfect book for reading as an adult and opening a dialogue with the child about civil rights, womens rights, and the value of speaking up for your beliefs. This primer on female African-American activists belongs in every school library, as their stories of bravery and conviction will speak to children regardless of race or gender.
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus and sparked a boycott that changed America. Harriet Tubman helped more than three hundred slaves escape the South on the Underground Railroad. Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.The lives these women led are part of an incredible story about courage in the face of oppression; about the challenges and triumphs of the battle for civil rights; and about speaking out for what you believe in--even when it feels like no one is listening. Andrea Davis Pinkney's moving text and Stephen Alcorn's glorious portraits celebrate the lives of ten bold women who lit the path to freedom for generations. Includes biographies of Sojournor Truth, Biddy Mason, Harriet Tubman, Ida B.Wells-Barnett, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ella Josephine Baker, Dorothy Irene Height, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Shirley Chisholm.