Road To Awakening

By Nancy Weatherspoon

In the 1950s, many families took long family-oriented summer vacations. As the summers went by, Sally Jarman became more aware of the WHITES ONLY and COLORED signs. She also saw other evidences of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0975480375
• ISBN13: 9780975480373
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: TurnKey Press
• Length: 143 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.5" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Important historical information for teens and pre-teens

Review by Lorraine Robins for Reader Views (7/06) This book was historical fiction. I believe the author's main point was to educate the reader about racism in the south, specifically Texas, in the 1950's. She illustrates the point with passages like the following: "I sang the Sunday School song about Jesus loving all the children of the world, 'red and yellow, black and white'....Yet I looked at the signs in the little Texas town. The signs said Whites Only. The signs said Coloreds Here. I saw the churches in Texas for white people, and I saw the churches for black people..." The historical part of this book, such as the Jim Crow laws of the south, I found to be very important. I believe that anyone who is not aware of this history, perhaps teenagers and pre-teens, would benefit from learning about our country's past with racism. The book also speaks about the KKK, and the Civil Rights movement. What I did not like about the book was the fictional story the author told. I found it to be very unrealistic. I also felt it had a forced happy ending, which is historically untrue. In addition, while I think pre-teens and teenagers would benefit from learning about our racist history, there are things in the book that are not appropriate for young people. This includes some very graphic violence, and excessive use of the "n" word. I believe the author's heart was in the right place about racism being wrong, but I didn't agree with the way she expressed herself in this book.

This is a fun trip back into the 1950s

I learned about the 50s and Texas and the south and how blacks and whites treated each other in a small town. I know it it fiction but it really made me think about growing up and making my own choices. The book was fun to read and I want my friends to read it. I really like the part of Sally sneaking out at night to go down to the deserted train station. That must have been really scary.

She was my 8th grade teacher

The author was my 8th grade teacher and this is the type of book she used to make history exciting in the classroom. If you like history and you like good books, read this book.

Couldn't put it down!!!

This book reminds me of To Kill A Mockingbird. It is well written and very exciting. I am going to read it again and again.