Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom by Lynda Blackmon Lowery - Available

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom

My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March

by Lynda Blackmon Lowery
Elspeth Leacock
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
A memoir of the Civil Rights Movement from one of its youngest heroes
A Sibert Informational Book Medal Honor Book
Kirkus Best Books of 2015
Booklist Editors' Choice 2015
BCCB Blue Ribbon 2015
As the youngest marcher in the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Albama, Lynda Blackmon Lowery proved that young adults can be heroes. Jailed nine times before her fifteenth birthday, Lowery fought alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. for the rights of African-Americans. In this memoir, she shows today's young readers what it means to fight nonviolently (even when the police are using violence, as in the Bloody Sunday protest) and how it felt to be part of changing American history.
Straightforward and inspiring, this beautifully illustrated memoir brings readers into the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, complementing Common Core classroom learning and bringing history alive for young readers.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    May 2, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781524779108
      • File size: 29284 KB
      • Duration: 01:01:00

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 780
    • Text Difficulty: 3-4

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Damaras Obi who, with director Ally Sheedy, adapted this book for the stage, turns in a robust performance as the youngest child to participate in the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965. Lynda Blackmon Lowery recounts her childhood in Selma where, after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speak, she enthusiastically joined the fight for voting rights and was jailed nine times before her fifteenth birthday. One missed opportunity in an otherwise laudable production is the lack of an African-American Alabama accent, as Obi's voice is unmistakably tinged with New York City, thereby removing accuracy of place and culture. But, overall, Obi expertly voices a broad array of emotions, from excitement to terror to exhilaration, allowing listeners to fully grasp the turbulence of the Civil Rights era. S.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 24, 2014
      Lowery’s dogged participation as a teen in the fight for equal civil rights—as told to Leacock and Buckley (collaborators on Journeys for Freedom and other titles)—offers a gripping story told in conversational language. “We learned the drill real quick: We went to jail, we came back out, and then we went to jail again.... Pretty soon we knew to take our own little bologna sandwiches... because jail food just wasn’t good.” The matter-of-fact tone often belies the danger Lowery and other protesting teenagers faced. Enhancing the narrative’s appeal are Loughran’s dramatic comics–style illustrations, which accompany archival photos. As the 1965 march to Montgomery drew closer, Lowery found herself in increasingly dangerous situations (e.g., the sweatbox in jail or being tear-gassed). Undeterred by fear, she joined the historic march, offering her description of what it was like as the youngest participant on the wet, four-day journey. In time to mark the march’s 50th anniversary, this recounting informs and inspires. An afterword briefly explains U.S. segregation history and profiles people who lost their lives in connection with the march. Ages 12–up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:780
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

Loading
Check out what's being checked out right now