Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom - by Lynda Blackmon Lowery (Paperback)

About the Book

As the youngest marcher in the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, Lynda Blackmon Lowery proved that young adults can be heroes. Jailed nine times before her fifteenth birthday, Lowery fought alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. for the rights of African-Americans. In this memoir, she shows today's young readers what it means to fight nonviolently (even when the police are using violence, as in the Bloody Sunday protest) and how it felt to be part of changing American history.

Book Synopsis

A SIBERT INFORMATIONAL BOOK MEDAL HONOR BOOK - Discover the power of youth activism in this moving memoir about the Civil Rights Movement, ideal for young readers interested in America's fight for equality.

"A testament to the power we each have within us to stand up for what is right and to make the world a better and more just place."--Dan Sturman, Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker

"This inspiring personal story illuminates pivotal events in America's history."--Booklist, starred review

Jailed nine times before her fifteenth birthday, Lynda Blackmon Lowery refused to give up the fight for equal rights. She was the youngest marcher on the historic 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. She vowed to make a difference--and she did.

Lynda's story of overcoming terror and winning one of our nation's most important battles is eye-opening and inspiring--a memoir that brings us into the heart of the civil rights movement to offer compelling proof that young people can be heroes.

Review Quotes

"A testament to the power we each have within us to stand up for what is right and to make the world a better and more just place."--Dan Sturman, Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker

"I was profoundly moved by Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom. This book left me breathless with its clear-eyed and thought-provoking accounts of what it meant to be a child on the front lines of the civil rights movement."--Jacqueline Woodson, Newbery Honor Winner and National Book Award Finalist

"Extraordinary--unlike any other book for young readers I've seen. Lowery's is a unique and essential voice in civil rights literature, and her stories of unfathomable courage are conveyed with wrenching clarity. Exquisite."--Cynthia Levinson, author of We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March

"Lynda Lowery is truly a hero of the civil rights movement--her story is touching and inspiring. All of us who treasure freedom and equal rights owe her our gratitude."--Bill Guttentag, Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker

"Lynda Blackmon Lowery tells a compelling story; I hope it will be widely read, it's part of our American heritage."--Joy Hakim, award-winning author of A History of US

"This inspiring personal story illuminates pivotal events in America's history."--Booklist, starred review

"Vivid details and the immediacy of Lowery's voice make this a valuable primary document as well as a pleasure to read."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"One of those rare books that is genuinely accessible to a broad audience."--BCCB, starred review

About the Author

Lynda Blackmon Lowery, the youngest person to take part in the whole Selma to Montgomery March, now works as a case manager at a mental health center, and still lives in Selma, Alabama.

Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley have collaborated on several previous history and geography books for young people. Elspeth lives in Brooklyn, New York, and Susan lives in New York City.

P J Loughran is an illustrator, creative director, and musician. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.