Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg… by Ann Bausum

Bausum, Ann. (2006). Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement. Washington D.C: National Geographic.

Grade Level:
I would reccommed this book for students in grades 4-8.

Author Credibility:
Ann Bausum has written several children’s books for National Geographic. A few of her other works include: With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman’s Right to Vote, Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs: A Photobiography of Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews, and Our Country’s Presidents. A National Geographic Staff were assigned to help work on the book. They are listed on the Verso. This book has won several awards including: Sibert Honor Book, Top of the List, Booklist 2006 Editors' Choice, 2006 Notable Children's Book, Best Books for Young Adults 2006, Orbis Pictus Awards, Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award, 2007 Books for the Teen Age, Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts, Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People.

Summary:
The Foreword of this book included two sections one written by John Lewis and the other written by Jim Zwerg. The author then introduces the Freedom Riders and their cause. They fought against Southern segregation customs. They planned to sit together and eat together. That sounds simple enough, but in the South old customs died hard. They Freedom Riders would face a difficult journey. The author explains that all of the Freedom Riders were important, but in this book she will focus on John Lewis and Jim Zwerg.
Bausum starts at the beginning for each of these men. In the first chapter she describes the childhood of John Lewis. Lewis was born in Alabama, and from the very beginning knew he had to get out. The school he attended had no playground equipment, no furnace, no running water, and no bathrooms. Every material they received was a hand-me-down from white schools. His home was in the same shape as the school. As a young boy Lewis was given the nickname “Preacher.” As he grew older he traveled to Tennessee to American Baptist Theological Seminary. He faced a lot of the segregation issues all throughout his childhood.
Jim Zwerg was born just three months before John Lewis, but the contrast in childhoods was dramatic. He did not see a black person until he was about four years old. Then he thought it was a white person that needed a bath. Throughout his childhood he had very little encounters with people from different races. Zwerg’s house had electricity, running water, three bathrooms, central heating, and even a rec room in the family’s basement. It was not until college that Zwerg finally experienced diversity. He made many African American friends. Zwerg ended up at Nashville studying Sociology.
Both men join the Civil Rights movement while in college through the Nashville Student Movement. The groups first target was segregated theatres. They held stand-ins, when they were refused tickets they went to the back of the line to try again, over and over. The two men joined the freedom riders. The author tells of the trials that they faced along the way. They were attacked by mobs on several occasions. Many thought they would die on these trips. They were also arrested on several occasions. But, through it all they preservered. In Montgomery they were attacked by a fierce mob. The police did not come for at least ten minutes. The Freedom Riders were beaten mercilessly. Medical attention was also slow arriving. Laying in a hospital bed Zwerg held an interview that inspired many to join the Freedom Riders. Many of the Freedom Riders were arrested when they arrived in Jackson, MS. They eventually ended up at Parchman. Lewis spent 27 days in Parchman, and more than 6 weeks in jails across MS. In 1961 regulations were put in place that helped inforce the Supreme Courts earlier desissions about segregation.
The author ends by telling what happened to the two men after these Freedom Rides. John Lewis is elected to represent Georgia in Congress. Jim Zwerg becomes a preacher, then works in the local business community in Arizona. They did meet again for the 25th anniversary of these rides.

Standards:
Social Studies:
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places, and Environments
*Individual Development and Identity
*Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
*Power, Authority, and Goverance
*Civic Ideals and Practices

Illustrations:
The illustrations of this book consist of black and white photographs. They are accompanied by captions that tell what is happening in the photograph. The photographs complement the text, visualizing what the author is discussing. The illustrations are all credited in the book.

Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Foreword
*Introduction
*Photographs with Captions
*Map
*Partial Roster of Riders
*Chronology
*Resource Guide
*Research Notes and Acknowledgements/Citations/ Bibliography
*Index
*Illustration Credits

How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book when doing a unit on the Civil Rights Movement. This book helps to bring the people of the movement to life. They are more than people you read about in a book. They are real people who put their life on the line for equality. Using this book (or other books like it) will give students such a clearer picture of the struggles during this time.

My response to the book:
I seem to have read a lot of books on the Civil Rights Movement lately, and they are all so powerful. The sacrifices so many people had to make to gain individual rights is overwhelming. I had never heard of the Freedom Riders and what they done before reading this book. They knew they were going to face opposition, but the pussed on anyways. What bravery they had to have. I had also not heard a lot about white people and the role they played in the Civil Rights movement, but there where some that put their lives on the line for justice and equality.

Related Texts:
Any books relating to the civil rights movement would go along with this text. Some accompanying books include:
*Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice (Pivotal Moments in American History by Raymond Arsenault
*Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
*The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them by Freedom Writers and Zlata Filipovic
*Freedom Ride: A Freedom Rider Remembers by Ann Curthoys
*Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman

Other:
This book has 67 pages plus the access features. The author took a neutral stance and just informed the reader of the things that took place. Access features were very helpful, including a partial roster of the riders. An inspirational quote heads the page at the top of each chapter. Chapter titles are vague, but they are meant to capture the reader’s attention. The resource guide includes music and videos, and places to visit in person and online.