Freedom Summer: 50 Years Later

This week, I've been thinking about the anniversary of FREEDOM SUMMER. My personal journey through the year-long commemoration began last February in Como, Mississippi, where I was part of a remarkable event that brought together former Freedom Workers, many of whom were still residents of Panola County.

There are a lot of fabulous resources out there.

Like this, part of  Miami University's CELEBRATING FREEDOM, year-long commemoration of the summer.


(where I'll be on Thursday! Check out the times and places HERE!)

My fictional character, Laura Lampert, began her journey into GLORY BE with my memory of sitting in the Bolivar County library in Cleveland, MS. My friend and inspiration, LePoint Smith, introduced us. We talked just that one time. And at first, she was a shadow character in my book, there for no discernible reason except to talk to Glory about her love of reading Nancy Drew books.

My critique group and others thought she needed beefing up. 
I'm glad I took that advice.
I believe one of the most powerful scenes in my book is when Glory shows her around the park and the courthouse. All added in later revisions.
 
Now I get a lot of questions about her from kids.
1. What does it mean when you say that she talks like that Walter Cronkite on TV?
2. Why does she dress so differently?
3. Will she and Glory always be friends?

A minor character can add so many layers to a story. Middle-grade and young adult historical fiction, in my very humble opinion, lives or dies on layers.

Do you have a supporting character who needs beefing up? If you're writing historical fiction, can the role she plays be significant to the times?

Glory's Birthday!

Yes, I know, it's a little strange to wish a book character a happy birthday. Sort of like having an imaginary friend, isn't it? 

But my first main character, Gloriana June Hemphill, has a birthday that coincides with a national holiday. 
A great excuse for a blogpost, right?



I previously wrote more about Glory and her
 July 4th birthday HERE.


I'm eternally grateful for all the teachers and librarians who've shared my book, Glory's birthday and Freedom Summer with young readers.

Horn Book recently included GLORY BE in a new list of books  about Freedom Summer.

And I'm beyond excited to have been invited to talk about my book and what I know about that summer. I'll be in Oxford, Ohio, home of Miami University where so many of the 1964 Freedom Summer workers were trained. Details to follow. At least one of the events will be open to the public, so I hope to see a few Ohio friends there!


If you missed the remarkable movie, FREEDOM SUMMER via PBS, here's a link:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/introduction/freedomsummer/ 

Have a terrific July 4th weekend, everybody! 

(And listen to Elvis, Glory. He doesn't wish just anybody a happy birthday.)

Freedom Summer, 1964

I'm proud to see GLORY BE on this excellent booklist from the Children's Book Council.

http://www.cbcdiversity.com/post/83011759367/14-books-for-children-teens-about-the-freedom-summer

50 years since Freedom Summer!

For teachers interested in sharing GLORY BE and other resources about the civil rights movement, please visit my blog page, "For Teachers" -on the tab.

Or click below to go right there!

http://ascattergood.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html 

Thanks for all the amazing things teachers and librarians do to make School Visits so meaningful to their students- and to me and my fellow visiting authors!

Hello, Como!

What a great week I had visiting north Mississippi.
Yes, it was cold (though, thankfully, I missed most of the ice and snow). But I saw old friends, ate well --too well-- and had some amazing experiences.

Here we are in pictures and links!

GLORY BE was picked as an ALL COMO READS book,
which meant I got to be a part of the remarkable programming to commemorate  
Freedom Summer, 1964, in Panola County, Mississippi.

Luckily, I got to town the day before my talk and was able to attend the panel of former civil rights workers from the county. They'd registered voters in 1964 and were back to talk about their experiences. Quite an evening that left me and their audience thinking hard.

Two of the civil rights workers chatting with my host and brother-in-law. Note the photography exhibit that lined the walls of the Como Library.

The program ended with this fabulous professional musician leading us in Freedom Songs.




















To share the week properly, I first should go back to this summer, when librarian Alice Pierotti helped me and NPR's Back Seat Book Club out, big time. When I was invited to be inteviewed for that amazing show, the producer asked if I knew any kid readers she could include in the broadcast. Yikes!
It was summer, all my school connections were unavailable. But I remembered one super librarian who'd loved GLORY BE. Alice didn't hesitate. She organized a group of Como Braniac kids, planned a listening party, and has continued to support my book.

Thanks, Alice!







Fast forward to February, 2014.

And here I am with two of the original Como Braniacs!

A local school librarian and several teachers came. Some brought their students. I loved it when one budding author told me they had a club at school and read lots of books and did all sorts of other fun things. "Some of the kids think we're nerds," she said. "We are and we don't care what they think."
She plans to be a writer. Probably soon!

I loved these kids and their questions.

It was all overseen by this talented young man and his cameras. He was everywhere! Doing everything!

Another favorite moment of the evening was chatting with this young teacher. Anda Weaver's entire class had read GLORY BE. My only disappointment was that there wasn't time for me to visit her school. I am going to try very hard to get back and thank those kids for reading.

Another enthusiastic teacher with lots of questions about writing. 

I predict we'll hear more from Precious Pirage!

My talk was about how authors' choose their characters, how they develop and refine them, often starting with real people.

It was really an excuse to use some pictures I love.
And share a few stories about writing GLORY BE.

Football Letterman, 1964.

Majorettes! Jesslyn's summer goal= Twirl a Fire Baton!

One of my favorite librarians, 1960s. Part of the "Delta Mafia" of librarians who stood up for their librarians and their library patrons. Miss Bloom followed in their footsteps.


If you're still reading, thanks. Since you're probably on blog overload, I'll save some of my pictures from the rest of the week. But truly, there's nothing like going home.