The Lions of LIttle Rock

Title: The Lions of Little Rock 

Author: Kristin Levine
# of Pages: 304

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for young Readers (January 5, 2012)
Age Range: 10 and up
Grade Level: 5 and up

This book takes place in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1958. This time in history was called the Lost Year. Little rock closed the schools to block desegregation. The protagonist in this story, Marlee Nisbitt, is a 12 year old girl of silence. She would rather count prime numbers in her head than speak to another person. This all changes when she meets a new girl in her first week of school. Her new friend is named Lis Fullerton, a confident young girl who was the exact opposite of Marlee. ON the first day of lunch Lis goes up to Marlee during lunch and starts a conversation; this was the start of their friendship. Liz wants to help Marlee conquer her fear of speaking and convinces her to participate in an oral presentation with one of their classes. On the day of the presentation, Liz is absent. It turns out she was pulled from the school because she was caught "passing" which is an African American trying to pass as white for a better education and more opportunities. Marlee was devastated, but her and Liz found ways to still see each other in secret. During their times spent together they would do many unfortunate and heroic events. This book is filled with facts and educates readers about this year in Little Rock. Marlee and Liz's friendship makes this story beautiful, and shows love, true friendship, ignorance, and  allowed these young girls to find their voice in these difficult times. 

This book is truly a beautiful story that is also very factual and informative. The facts are accurate and is very educational. It is an amazing story about education and friendship. Although students may not be able to relate to this story, they can connect it to their own friendship and school experiences. The time period is greatly portrayed accurately and there are many lessons to be learned from this book. I love this book and should be a must read! 

Classroom Activities and Lesson Ideas: 

• Teach about the education during the lost year
• Geography about Little Rock, Arkansas 
• Common Core matching lesson plans 
• Fun activities such as making a newspaper, role play lawyers in court, character comparisons, etc.

Here's the book trailer: