A poetic tribute to the victims of the racially motivated church bombing that served as a seminal event in the struggle for civil rights. In 1963, the eyes of the world were on Birmingham, Alabama, a flashpoint for the civil rights movement. Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the United States. Civil rights demonstrators were met with police dogs and water cannons. On Sunday, September 15, 1963, members of the Ku Klux Klan planted sticks of dynamite at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, which served as a meeting place for civil rights organizers. The explosion killed four little girls. Their murders shocked the nation and turned the tide in the struggle for equality. A Jane Addams Children's Honor Book, here is a book that captures the heartbreak of that day, as seen through the eyes of a fictional witness. Archival photographs with poignant text written in free verse offer a powerful tribute to the young victims.

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the YA category by the Jefferson Cup. It was recognised in the Junior category by the North Carolina Children's Book Award. It also was recognised by the Rhode Island Book Awards. It was recognised in the Older Children category by the Jane Addams Children's Book Award.

There are 40 pages in this book. This book was published 2007 by Boyds Mills Press .

Carole Boston Weatherford is an avid baseball fan and an award-winning poet. She has written more than a dozen books for children. She lives in High Point, North Carolina, with her husband, Ronald; their two children; and a lazy beagle.