reviewed

This book is a fabulous look at Sylvia Mendez and what her family did to fight segregation in California. Most students and kids learn about the court case of Brown versus the Board of Education, which desegregated schools nationwide. Years before that landmark case, the Menendez family did the exact same thing for their local Orange county community. This led to California becoming the first state to have a law against school segregation. The story is told from the point of Sylvia and what she experienced. This book is wonderful, and the artwork is truly unique. When looking at how the students in the book are drawn, it has an Inca or Myan feeling. Particularly with the way, the ears are drawn, but it makes such a statement that the illustrations stand out and pop off the page. This is a fantastic book for any reader and should be in all library collections. ( )

Truly inspiring story of strength and perseverance when facing extreme odds. It began almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California when they moved from Santa Ana to a farm near Westminster. When they went to enroll into the local school they were turned away and sent to the local Mexican School. Eventually the Mendez family and four other families filed a lawsuit against the Orange County schools. They won and on appeal had to then appear at the state court. They again won. A few months later Governor Earl Warren put into law the desegregation of schools in California. ( )

Sylvia Mendez and her family worked to end segregation in schools in California. This story shares how hard it was for Sylvia to transition to the new school as the only minority.

Description: This inspiring true story follows Sylvia Mendez and her family as they fought for equal education in a landmark case.
Age Group: 6-9 years