Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 12/01/2021 Gr 2–5—On March 2, 1955, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give her bus seat to a white person, nine months before Rosa Parks's famous act of civil disobedience. Parks befriended the young woman and encouraged her to get involved with the NAACP youth division. The author frames the narrative with the "Because" construct, showing how the civil rights movement was a series of acts of civil disobedience, all part of a larger movement to abolish segregation. Baptiste successfully demonstrates how the decision made by one young person reverberated through history. Cameos by Martin Luther King, Jr. and less-widely celebrated Aurelia Browder, Susie McDonald, and Mary Louise Smith reinforce how it was the collective work of many unsung people that led to victory in civil rights efforts. Engle's illustrations, rendered in acrylic underpainting and oils on textured vellum paper, are stunning. These exude a sense of warmth and unity. Especially powerful is a spread in which Colvin is understanding her place in history as one of many strong women who have "caused trouble" in the name of freedom. In the author's note, Baptiste explains how she was inspired to write this riveting picture book biography when she heard Fred Gray, civil rights attorney and Colvin's lawyer, say that the Montgomery bus boycott wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the teen's influence. Back matter includes materials for further reading. VERDICT A gorgeous tribute to a young Black activist that will inspire many readers. Add this to all picture book biography shelves. Luminous.—Shelley M. Diaz, School Library Journal - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/15/2022 On March 2, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, a 15-year-old Black student named Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person. Over the next nine moths, four other Black women, including Rosa Parks, were arrested on the same charge. In December, the Montgomery bus boycott began. It continued for more than two years, until the law was changed and enforced. During that time, Colvin testified in court about her experience. Baptiste points out that Colvin’s act of civil disobedience came after she had been studying Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman in high school. The book’s unusual title echoes the many sentences beginning with the word because and forming a chain of connected circumstances and events. The narrative offers an informative account of events and Colvin’s place in history. Created with acrylic underpainting and oils, the vivid illustrations capture the look of the times and the satisfaction of those who challenged injustice and prevailed. An effective picture book portraying Colvin and her significance in the civil rights movement. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.