Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, The Original H.I.R. (Historical Investigative Reporter)

The year was 1960; the place was a whites-only lunch counter at Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina. That was the day four courageous African American friends decided to do the unthinkable...to sit at that counter and order a donut and coffee, with cream on the side.

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down, is a moving book. Penned by Andrea Davis Pinkney, and illustrated by husband Brian Pinkney, it chronicles the story of David, Joseph, Franklin and Ezell--four friends who risk their lives and safety in a quest for equal treatment.

Holding tight to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy of peace, the "Greensboro Four" tackle harsh discrimination with love, not hate. Ignored at first, they quickly risk being arrested...even though they do nothing more than sit quietly at the counter and ask for to be served. Daily they are denied, and daily they return with but one request: a donut and coffee, with cream on the side. Then one day there is violence; white patrons throw pepper in their eyes, and milkshakes over their heads. But the four do not fight back; they tackle discrimination with love, not hate. Word of their crusade spreads, and soon protesters from Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia take up the worthy cause...

Pinkney and Pinkney make a wonderful story-telling team. Andrea Pinkney re-tells this important story in a way that is easily understood and accepted by readers of all ages. Husband Brian compliments it by delivering mesmerizing illustrations that help "make" the book, yet can just as easily stand on their own.

This big, eye-catching 12X9 book offers everything for the Civil Rights historian. There is a detailed, illustrated timeline at the end of the book that highlights major events in the movement. There is an authentic photograph of the Greensboro Four, circa 1960, and there is even a a detailed bibliography--a virtual road map for any Civil Rights-hungry reader.

You can't--I repeat, can't--miss out on this historic re-telling of an unforgettable event. Hurry out and add this wonderfully-written and illustrated book to your multicultural library. You'll be glad you did.