Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation
When Sylvia Mendez, an American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, was forbidden from enrolling in her local school, her parents organized a lawsuit that eventually brought the end of school segregation in California seven years before Brown vs. Board of Education. Based on interviews with Sylvia Mendez, as well as court files and news reports, award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh brings the Mendez family's story to life in this compelling title that remains as relevant today as it was in 1947. A glossary and an author's note are included.
For the classroom: See this related activity guide.
Language: Spanish vocabulary featured
Special Populations: Newcomers
Culture/Community: Mexican / Mexican American
Heritage & History: Hispanic Heritage and History
Book Awards: Américas Award & Honor Books, Pura Belpré Award & Honor Books, Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award & Honor Books
Themes for Children: My School, Celebrate Diversity!, My Neighborhood, Social Studies and Biography, Civil Rights, Strong Girls and Women
Genre: Biography, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book
Audiobook: No
Age Level: 9-12, Middle Grade
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Topic page: Important ELL Court Cases
Book Series: Back-to-School Stories, Celebrating Women's History: Latina Trailblazers, Stories About Mothers and Fathers: Hispanic Heritage
9781419710544