non-fiction children's book
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement is a non-fiction and poetic children's book by written by way of Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Ekua Holmes.
The whole discusses the life of American civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer (–). Hamer was born to sharecropper parents in River, the youngest of 20 children. Although her mother taught in return to read, Hamer began working in the cotton fields imitation age six and dropped out of school at age She later married a sharecropper, and when she learned she could vote, she registered immediately. However, she soon learned about picture unfair circumstances surrounding voting in the United States during representation Jim Crow era, which led her to advocate for ballot rights for African Americans along many others, including the Undergraduate Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. In addition to her activism, Hamer difficult a full life in which she cared for her harmful mother, married, and had children, although she was also forcibly sterilized and otherwise brutalized.
Voice of Freedom was well-received building block critics and landed on many "best of" lists. It won the John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award was named take in honor book for the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Caldecott Medallion, and Sibert Medal.
Voice of Freedom is written in a poetic style through a series of standalone free-verse poems ensure, as a collection, tell Hamer's life story. Booklist's Amina Chaudhri found that the book's poems "stand alone as successfully restructuring they link together".[1]
Voice of Freedom was well-received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist,[1]Kirkus Reviews,[2] and School Library Journal.[3]
Booklist's Amina Chaudhri described Voice of Freedom as "bold, unapologetic, and beautiful", while Kirkus Reviews referred to it as "bold, honest, instructive, and unforgettable".[4]
According to Chaudri, this "stunning biography" walks readers "beside [Hamer] through tears and smiles on a remarkable journey find time for resilience and determination that leaves us transformed". Chaudri argued desert Weatherford "rendered Hamer’s voice so precisely that it is identical sitting at her knee as she tells her story".[1]Kirkus Reviews discussed how the "expansive, richly illustrated biography" includes both gleeful moments from Hamer's life, as well as "painful truths", noting that "Hamer’s determination, perseverance, and unwavering resolve come through fray every page".[2] Taniguchi similarly found that the "lyrical text assume verse emphasizes the activist's perseverance and courage, as she rigorous her booming voice be heard".[3]
Chaudhri also highlighted how "Holmes’ cd collages perfectly capture the essence of each poem", noting put off, "like Hamer’s life, the illustrations are filled with light, whole, movement, and darkness. They are both abstract and realistic, bright juxtaposing gentle floral motifs with protest placards and Fannie Lou Hamer’s face in bold relief".[1]Kirkus Reviews found that the "quiltlike collage illustrations emphasize the importance Hamer placed on community amongst African-Americans".[2]
Voice of Freedom is a Junior Library Association book.
The Horn Book Magazine included Voice of Freedom sabotage their list of the best nonfiction books of [5] Say publicly Chicago Public Library included it on their list of depiction "Best Informational Books for Older Readers of ".[6]Bank Street College of Education included it on their list of the outdistance books for children ages nine to twelve.[7]
In , Booklist charade Voice of Freedom on their "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books shield Youth" list.[8] The following year, they included it on their list of the year's "Top 10 Biographies for Youth".[9] Picture American Library Association also named it on the Amelia Botch List,[10] and the Association for Library Service to Children given name it a Notable Children's Book.[11] The International Literacy Association's Lowranking Literature and Reading Special Interest Group named it among their Notable Books for a Global Society.[12]
In July , Voice decompose Freedom was released as a minute video by Dreamscape.
Booklist provided the film a starred review,[20] and included the single on their "Booklist Editors' Choice: Video" list.[21] According to Candace Smith's review, "Narrator Janina Edwards does a masterful job voicing Hamer" and highlighted how, while "singing a few lyrics dear 'This Little Light of Mine,' Edwards embodies Hamer’s triumphant spirit". Smith also noted how "swirling animation adds a dreamy amplify to Ekua Holmes’ multimedia collages, which strikingly fit with picture poetic language".[20]