A novel based on the experiences of the Little Rock Nine who integrated Little Rock’s Central High School. Major focus on the difficult decision to face violence and the violence before and during integration.

Integration is coming to Little Rock and Sylvia Patterson's name is on
the list of black students recommended for integrating Central High.
Sylvia is excited about her role in history but differing opinions are
coming at her from all sides: Her angry brother Gary doesn't believe in peaceful action to obtain civil rights. Her new boyfriend Reggie wants her to stay with him at Mann High, the black school. Her parents worry about her safety. And it seems the black community is counting on her to do the right thing. In contrast to current events is her close
friendship with the Zuckers and their daughter Rachel, a Jewish family who runs a grocery. One day Reggie's bad aim with a firebomb accidentally destroys the Zucker's store instead of the racist Crandall's barbershop. Sylvia, who was in the store at the time, knows now she doesn't have it in her to integrate Central and she pulls out. But she monitors the news events closely and prays for the nine black students' safety. ( )

RGG: Historical fiction, emphasis on the historical, about the events leading up to the integration of Little Rock, AK, Central High School. Sylvia and her family are likeable, and there is some boyfriend-girlfriend stuff. But the plot primarily serves as a vehicle to all the historical detail and happenings. Reading Level: 10-14.

If you had the chance to change history at the possible expense of your happiness and maybe even your life, would you do it? That is the question that plagues 15-year-old Sylvia Patterson in Fire From the Rock by Sharon M. Draper. Set in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957, this historical fiction novel follows the events of school segregation through the eyes of Sylvia, a black girl who wants nothing more than to go to school with her crush Reggie Birmingham.

But when her teacher announces that a select number of students will be attending all-white Central High in the fall, Sylvia begins to wonder if she could be someone to take a stand and make a difference. Encouraged by her strong-willed, angry, yet loving older brother Gary and her supportive yet scared parents, Sylvia decides to place her name on the list for consideration. What follows is mixed reactions from friends and family members. In a dairy told through first person, Sylvia vacillates between wanting to be a normal teenager in a school with friends and Reggie or to be someone to change history. Events occur that cause Sylvia to doubt her decision.

The themes in this book include racism, segregation, family, rage, coming-of-age, love, friendship, and acceptance. Draper’s writing style is easy to follow but at times it seems forced and unnatural. This novel would appeal to students ages 12 – 15.

This book could be paired with a true story of desegregation. A teacher could use it to discuss one of the many struggles that African Americans have faced over hundreds of years. In order to insure its historical accuracies, teachers could pair it with text books or non-fiction books on American history. Historical fiction provides an opportunity for readers to question texts – if it’s in print, does that make it true? Pairing the fiction work with the non-fiction facts can help students become more critical readers.

The Little Rock Nine by Stephanie Fitzgerald could be a great choice to pair with this book as it tells the story from the point of view of those who integrated. Remember Little Rock: The Time, the People, the Stories by Paul Robert Walker chronicles the story from all sides. ( )

Sylvia Patterson, an African American high school junior in Little Rock, deals with the typical teenage issues of boys and family relationships. However, life is not typical when Little Rock begins integration and Sylvia is chosen as a candidate to go to the "white school." Sylvia must face opposition from white community members who think she would "contaminate" the high school, as well as her own classmates who feel she is betraying their heritage. This book does a good job of showing a non-stereotypical picture of a teenage girl who must face adult situations, though sometimes the dialogue is stilted. Recommended for ages 12-16.

Awards: NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Committee as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People for 2008; also honored on the 2008 New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age. ( )