Surely most U.S. readers have heard of Rosa Parks and the role she played during the civil rights movement but have you heard of Claudette Colvin? I know I had not heard of her prior to reading this book. It made me wonder how other important details were omitted from all my grade school and high school history classes.

Sadly, for many years Ms. Colvin was basically erased from history, including her activism and role in Browder v. Gayle.
She wasn't deemed to be good role model by the men who were making many of the legal decisions during that era and they were afraid her background would impact the outcome of the legal proceedings. As the book progresses, readers become aware that other women were also omitted from long-term historical reference. I won't add more details here, as I hope others will seek out this quick read.

I don't read a lot of graphic novels but I thought the story was told in a way that YA readers could easily understand while still being sophisticated enough for adults to appreciate. The illustrations readily compliment the messages in the story. As I write this, the ebook version is available to borrow through Hoopla. ( )

children's/teen/adult graphic nonfiction (adapted from Noire by Tania de Montaigne and originally published in French), 15 y.o. Black student Claudette Colvin is beaten and arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus in 1955 Montgomery, Alabama.

Told in straightforward illustrations and short text sparing the violence but not the seriousness of the topic in a way that younger readers can understand, though there is some language--bitch, whore, etc., plenty of racist insults, and teenage Claudette's getting pregnant by a married man (prompting the civil rights leaders to shift attention away from Claudette and towards the elderly Rosa Parks in a future boycott). It is occasionally tricky to identify which person is being referred to (I think this man behind the desk is one of the lawyers?--the backmatter helps a lot) but the story moves along quickly.
Backmatter includes more information on Jim Crow, NAACP, WCC (White Citizens' Council), WPC (Women's Political Council), Jo Ann Gibson Robinson, Fred Gray, Rosa Parks, E.D. Nixon, William A. Gayle, MLK, Mary Louise Smith, and Jeanetta Reese. ( )

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. ( )

Received via NetGalley for review.

A good introduction to the sadly forgotten Claudette Colvin, the first woman to protest segregation in Montgomery. Based on a book (which probably goes more in-depth), this simple graphic novel is a good way to introduce the issues of civil rights and feminism to younger readers. The simple art style and color palette means it will probably be dismissed as "too easy" for older readers, though. ( )

There are great points made in this story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott about how history gets simplified and less desirable people are erased from the accepted narrative of events and how women's contributions to history can be overshadowed by men hogging the spotlight, but the execution is muted, dull and vague. It really hurts that the illustrations are exclusively long shots, with pages being nearly static as little figures swarm like ants around prominent fixtures like buses, jail cells, or street fronts. With no close-ups it is occasionally hard to identify characters and very hard to identify with them, as they are literally kept at a distance.

I'm grateful to be introduced to this under-recognized person from history but am left wishing I got to know her. ( )