We Were the Fire: Birmingham 1963

An African American tween finds a way to contribute to his community's struggle for an end to segregation. . . . Moses takes readers inside the movement that saw its youngest become effective challengers to the segregation status quo. Her narrative seamlessly weaves a personal family story with the larger one of the fight for change. Rufus is an engaging, thoughtful narrator whose voice and perspective ring true as he works to make a difference, even disobeying his mother, who is terrified about what might happen. The love and determination of his community are realistically and richly portrayed. A stirring, cleareyed look at the young people who risked much for social change as they fought for their civil rights

Moses (The Legend of Buddy Bush) pays homage to Black children living during the civil rights era whose contributions to the movement were often left undocumented, in this riveting historical fiction volume set in 1963 Birmingham, Ala. Ten-year-old Rufus Jackson Jones Jr. lives with his mother and sister in Bull Hill, a Black neighborhood where the "houses are all raggedy and owned by a white man." After steelworker Mr. Paul marries Rufus's mother, the family moves to Ivy Town, which is "home to mostly poor white folks," where the siblings revel in having an indoor bathroom instead of an outhouse. Though Rufus's mother claims "ain't no colored folks" living in Ivy Town, Mr. Paul remains optimistic about their reception. The family's arrival incites rage among their neighbors, however, so when Rufus's pastor, Reverend Shuttleworth, and Martin Luther King Jr. collaborate to organize segregation protests, Rufus--against his mother's wishes--feels compelled to join them. Birmingham and its citizens, culture, and struggles are empathetically wrought in this eye-opening novel. With intention, Moses thoughtfully highlights the real-world horrors that Rufus courageously faces--including police, fire hoses, and dogs--and provides levity through his introspective and energetic first-person narration. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)

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Moses leads readers into the scene through the eyes and voice of eleven-year-old Rufus Jackson Jones Jr., rooting these historical events in a memorable family story. Rufus's mama and stepdaddy tell him and his little sister, Georgia, that they are too young to join the protests, but Rufus does anyway. . . . He wonders where the fire is but realizes that the protesters 'were the fire, ' a fire the police intend to extinguish, but also a fire igniting the passions of citizens seeking justice. This is a good match with Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963. . . . Moving and memorable . . . and the author's note is important reading in its own right.