This Is the Dream

This book is an excellent teaching source for young students to learn about Martin Luther King's dream and how it inspired a nation to change. I have used this book to teach civil rights, comparison/contrast, and voice using Six Traits.

Many of the reviews already state this, but let me just reiterate: What a fine classroom tool you will find in "This is the Dream"! The story of the civil rights movement is summarized in simple, effective rhyme. It is perfect for all ages. The beginning pages clearly portray the injustice of "separate but equal" and Jim Crow laws. The middle of the story displays the tremendous strength of those who fought, not with guns and fists, but with walking, sitting, marching. Finally, we see the today we have taken for granted. It is a powerful witness to children of what once was and what could be again if we let predjudice take hold once more. What I particularly enjoyed was the authors' choice to not reduce the movement to the hard work of a handful of people. History books tend to single out Rosa and Martin as the impetus and the leader of the movement. Such status is misleading for children. It was a peaceful militia of millions, a team effort. This book shows the bravery of the many nameless people who changed our country. I believe this book would be a very worthy Caldecott winner. James Ransome is a "due" illustrator. If you haven't seen his work in other books-especially "Visiting Day" and "Under the Quilt of Night"- I'd encourage you to check it out. He is a master of depicting the subtle emotions of the human face. In "This is the Dream" his rich oil paintings brings history to life once again. And his use of photographs in his artwork is daring and innovative. This is a suberb, important book.

As a first grade teacher, it is sometimes hard to find a book about the civil rights movement that is age appropriate. This book has a simple rhyme and beautiful pictures. These pictures simply show the differences before, during, and after the movement. The students in my class were speechless. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!

This Is The dream, by Diane Shore and Jessica Alexander is a history packed book, with an opening statement by Martin Luther King, Jr. that sets the tone for the lesson to come in history. "White Only", "Colored Waiting Room", these are the signs that you see in the beginning of this book. It starts with a time when we as a nation were fighting for the basics of equality - the Civil Rights Era, and takes you straight through to today's society where the signs that you see are no longer racially motivated. This Is The Dream provides a timeline marking the stages that this nation went through to make civil rights a reality. Reading the text and looking at the pictures, made the struggle seem just a little more tangible for me as an adult, so I can imagine the impact that it will have on the mind of a child. Kids of all ages can and should read this book. I would be remiss if I did not mention the phenomenal illustrations by James Ransome. His pictures are most certainly worth a thousand words. This is The Dream, should be a requirement for all schools. Reviewed By: Eleanor S. Shields, Black Butterfly Review

I just finished reading "This is the Dream." It's not often a retired Air Force colonel gets misty-eyed, but your message touched me because it's definitely on target. I lived through the 50's in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; then in Florida during the 60's. Your book capsulized "where we were and how we got to where we are now," as well as a caveat about there's always room for improvement. Congratulations to the authors and illustrator. I believe they've hit a grand slam!