Back of Book: This welcome biography brings to light one of the civil rights movement’s most inspiring leaders. The youngest of 20 children, Fannie Lou Hamer grew up in a family of sharecroppers in the Mississippi Delta. Forced to leave school after sixth grade, she joined the rest of her family in the fields picking cotton. Still hungry for knowledge, she found strength in the love of her family and through her Christian faith. Weatherford describes the hardships that Hamer endured.
This picture book has won many awards! It is the tale of how one woman would not be beat down. I had not heard of Fannie Lou Hamer and found that this story gave me a strong insight and into her life and struggle. The material can be hard to read and is not intended for young children. There is a place in the book that has strong language and could be seen to some readers as offensive. I found that this story was very thought provoking and helped me to understand the fight of Jim Crow Laws a bit better. The illustrations are beautiful show readers a very clear look into one strong woman’s journey. I thought the first person narrative was a nice touch to showing readers the strength behind Fannie Lou Hamer.
Ages 10 and up