Warriors Don't Cry

by Ian Campbell

Genres: School, Biography, Nonfiction

261 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1999

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warriors don't cry is a serious and eye opening novel detailing the year the little rock nine integrated central high school in little rock Arkansas. It is a truly inspiring story of courage and determination and the nine students go to school each day and are relentlessly are called names and harassed both with words and actions. It shows those days in detail and brings light on racism and segregation in the 1950's.

This story was both serious and spectacular. It opened my eyes to the racism and segregation going on just 60 years ago. It amazed me that those students would go to school each and every day and get hurt physically and mentally, but they would go back the next day. The courage and determination that took was very inspiring. The book was also written very well through the eyes of a young Melba Patillo. I would definitely recommend it to anybody. It was a fantastic book that shed light on some of America's less proud times, and it was a great read.

[Irene Perez]

Title: Warriors Don’t Cry
Grade:6-12
Reading level: 6.9
Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography
Main Characters: Melba
Setting: Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas
POV: Melba
Awards: Robert F Kennedy

Warriors Don’t Cry is a recount of the story of the little rock nine that
were the first to attend an all white school after it was ruled that
segregation was unconstitutional. The story focuses on the experience in
the POV of Melba. The story begins with Melba becoming aware with the
Supreme Court case Brown V. Board of Education. After this decision Melba
decides to sign up to be admitted in the all white school along with
twelve other peers. Due to the pressure and threats three students decide
to abandon the plan to attend Central High School. When the nine students
try to attend their fist of day of school they are attacked by a white
mob not allowing the students to enter the building. Throughout the story
Melba narrates the constant attacks that the little rock nine had to face
during their struggle in acquiring a quality education.


I would use this story to talk about issues like racism and also to talk about that important historic event that changed schools. It is great to support a lesson on the civil rights.

[Katie]

i really like this book because it talks about a girl named melba who inters an all white school, and it just talks about her hardships during the intergration process and the emotion toll it had threw her whole year at centol high school. i would suggest reading this book!

[Deniesha]

This was a very serious, sad, but at the same time a wonderful book.Racisim has done alot to this girl,but it did not stop her and her other 8 friends from being on top as African Americans.

[Julian G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because the rising action was satisfactory because in chapter two when the surpreme court rules that separate schools are not equal, Melba and a few other students volunteer to attend an all white school. The characters in the story are favorable in chapter because there isn’t too many to keep track of in the novel. Further the imagery is surperd in chapter five because of the way is it described and it is written.

[Christian Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book warriors don't cry was and nonfiction memoir book. it was a about a girl and a couple of her classmates wanting to go to central high school, which was a whole bunch of white kids and they were black. At the time whites and black mixed was not allowed at central high which they were integrating so they could have fair education. While that was going on that was all around segregation time, so it was a lot going on. people were starting up mobs just to get to the 9 students that decided to step up and be leaders. also there were a lot of lynching going on.

The main thing I like about this book was how it was based on history and the past. These things really was going on during this time and me personally i like history overall that's my favorite subject it may not seem like but it is. i like learning new things about history. but i also like how this book was teaching us how to not back down and give up, it was telling us basically to hang on and believe and succeed.

I recommend this book to people who really are into history and everything about history. I say that because this book would really take your interest. I'm telling you would end up reading this book in one single day. me i basically finished this book in three days. Also I recommend this book to people who don't know what never give up mean, yeah you may have them times where you want to just give up and kill yourself but as long as you get through it, then it's okay.

[Carhyne]

i thought this was one of the best books that I've ever read . this is the book that made me want to major in African American history in college. the things that these people in this story went through makes me really appreciate the fact that i am in school actually learning things and nit being harassed by some people that don't like me just because of my skin color or because i am who i am . i love how this story was written because it makes me feel like i was right there at that time feeling the same pain as these people felt. but i know that i will never have to go through that because they did fight for people like me. i just feel bad for them because they did lose their friends and boyfriends because they were trying to help kids like me in the future.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart hurt while reading this account of integration at a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The author, Melba Beals, is one of the nine students selected for integration. Her harrowing tale describes the horrors she experienced that first year. The author managed to walk a fine line of showing the true horrors of daily life without becoming too graphic.

This is an easy read but it is definitely not easy to read because of their hardships. But I think it is a MUST read and really tales the tale of integration far better than any textbook could even try to.

[Nicole Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was very interesting. I love reading books that involve segregation. Reading the struggles that the African American went through and how they handled it. A girl went to a white school and was harassed daily. They didnt want blacks in their school. They ended up kicking her out of the school and she pursued her dreams behind the white people without angrying the whites. She went to college and became a journalist.

[Allison Mccandless · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book of courage, determination, faith, hope, forgiveness, selflessness, perseverance and dedication to a cause no matter what the cost. It goes so much farther than racism or segregation. I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is very well written and has much to teach us about the beauty of the human spirit and how to fight a true fight and win well so that real change can occur.

[Saira Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warriors Don't Cry is a fasinating novel about the 9 teenagers that integrated Little Rock High School. The book consists of the events they all experianced in such emotional detail. I never knew how intense and serious the situation actually was until I read it. I highly recomend it to anyone interested in learning about civil rights.

[Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering adding this to my 9th grade curriculum. Non-fiction account of the Little Rock Nine and their year of integration in the 1950's. Very interesting to see how life has changed in such a short time. The story is compelling and well told, with some disturbing images and language. I think this could inspire some outstanding discussion in the right forum.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I'll be using this with students in the fall and cannot wait to experience it alongside them - it demands discussion. Will pair with nonfiction, images from the time, and possibly the YAL text that just came out this past year. Mentor recommended that we also consider the recent adult title exploring Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Byran's meeting as adults.

[Elizabeth]

I'm reading Warriors Don't Cry by Ian Campbell and I find it very moving how this young teenager fought to have her education that she deserved and how she stood strong even when light dynomite was thrusted at her! She stood up to the bullies of the world and I hope people of the world learn from her braveness, because in my eyes, she is a true Warrior.

[FaFa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, I have to say that this book is the greatest History Memoir writteen in history =) It was a very rough time period for the Little Rock Nine. It talks from Melba's (one of the nine) points of view as in what happenec to her eveyrday at Cental High. It's a great book for anybody who's into history :) GREAT BOOK!

[Kaelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very emotional and nice book. I think that the part when Link talks about her marrying a white person, since she said she couldn't date a white. I was kinda sad when Grandma India died. Honestly, she was my favorite person in the book.

[Tiffani R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book as well. It was a tear jerker.

[Sodapop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but I think it was scary.

[Khaliyah Johnson]

This Book Is Gettin Very Interesting Seems Very Eye Opening.

[Rayliene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes it so unbeliveably hard to believe this really happened, quite an eye opener.

[Hailey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so boring, and makes me want to kill myself. I have to read it for stupid summer reading... uggghhhhhhh

[Hey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it so far!!!

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for the book, mom.
If we ever do achieve real racial unity in this country, I don't think it'll happen for a very long time.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, eye-opening account of the Little Rock nine and the battle they faced each day to attend an integrated school.

[Spr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting how adamant many people were in there determination to keep going to central even after they had suffered so much there.

[Sylvia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good book about the human issues in the US. All US citizens need to read a book like this to understand our history and treatment of the blacks in the twentieth century.

[Olivia Curry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very good

[Allison Serr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of the 9 black children who first integrated into Central High in Little Rock. It is written by one of the 9. I gained such an appreciation of their sacrifice.

[Nivada Kibe]

It's the biggest and awesome book of all. I really like this book.

[Eugene34 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very eye opening book. (Its all I have to say)