Child of the Dream (A Memoir of 1963)
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
An incredible memoir from Sharon Robinson about one of the most important years of the civil rights movement.In January 1963, Sharon Robinson turns thirteen the night before George Wallace declares on national television "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" in his inauguration speech as governor of Alabama. It is the beginning of a year that will change the course of American history. As the daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, Sharon has opportunities that most people would never dream of experiencing. Her family hosts multiple fund-raisers at their home in Connecticut for the work that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is doing. Sharon sees her first concert after going backstage at the Apollo Theater. And her whole family attends the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. But things don't always feel easy for Sharon. She is one of the only Black children in her wealthy Connecticut neighborhood. Her older brother, Jackie Robinson Jr., is having a hard time trying to live up to his father's famous name, causing some rifts in the family. And Sharon feels isolated-struggling to find her role in the civil rights movement that is taking place across the country. This is the story of how one girl finds her voice in the fight for justice and equality.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this coming-of-age memoir, Robinson (The Hero Two Doors Down), daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, focuses on the year 1963, when she was 13, illuminating how political activism on the national stage intertwined with her growing awareness of the civil rights movement. Robinson lives a privileged life in Stamford, Conn., with a large house and her own horse. Yet as one of two black students in her class, she feels a disconnect between her family's focus on the church bombings, nonviolent protests, and imprisonment of marchers taking place in Birmingham, Ala., and her schoolmates' lack of awareness about current events. She also worries about her brother, who struggles with the pressure of being his famous father's namesake, and she enjoys new experiences attending all-black social events, such as a Jack and Jill club designed to nurture future African-American leaders. Observing her father's commitment to furthering the cause of justice, watching the Children's March in Birmingham, and hearing Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech inspire Robinson to embrace political activism and honor her family's legacy. Robinson's unique viewpoint, accompanied by illuminating photographs from this charged historical period, offers plenty to hold readers' attention. Ages 8 12.
