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We March

A child describes his family’s participation in the 1963 March on Washington. They get up in the morning, gather at church, make signs, board a bus, and join people from all over to march. “We are hot and tired, but we are filled with hope.” Short, declarative, present-tense sentences (only ten in all) convey a sense of immediacy, while the spare, stylized illustrations show the warmth, determination, and spirit of a mostly African American crowd. In an affecting juxtaposition, the two final page spreads show first the young boy atop his father’s shoulders, one hand reaching out, and then a mirror image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,with his hand reaching out as if toward the boy, the ring of his Free at Last” call filling the space between. A note at book’s end mentions more about the March on Washington, other notable Civil Rights-era marches, and the author/illustrator’s belief in the power of people coming together. Highly Commended, 2013 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2012 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Shane W. Evans

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-9
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: 20th Century Activism and Resistance African Americans Civil Rights Historical Fiction U.S. History
Diversity subject: Black/African

Publishers: Neal Porter Books, Roaring Brook
Publish Year: 2012
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781596435391

CCBC Location: Picture Book, Evans

We March