Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis. Illustrated by James E. Ransome. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024. 978-1-534-49662-0. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades 3-6.

John Lewis grew up working on his family’s farm in the segregated South. Although he was surrounded by a loving family, it bothered him that he and his family were not treated equally in public. For instance, they had to eat standing up outdoors rather than sitting inside at a lunch counter, and they had to drink from a rusty water spigot instead of from the Whites Only fountain. One Sunday morning, he is listening to the radio when he hears a young Martin Luther King, Jr. preach about segregation and justice. This sermon inspires him to take an active role in the nonviolent protests taking place around the country. Lewis eventually becomes involved with the Nashville chapter of the NAACP and with the Freedom Riders, participating in sit-ins and marches throughout the South. This picture book biography details both his early life as well as his important work as a civil rights activist. Vibrant illustrations and extensive back matter, including a timeline and bibliography, complement this detailed, informative biography. 

THOUGHTS: This is a great addition to elementary biography collections. Use it for research projects pertaining to the civil rights movement, or include it as part of a Black History Month display.

921 Biography