Fire from the Rock

by Sharon M. Draper

Sylvia Patterson is shocked and confused when she is asked to be one of the first black students to attend Central High School, which is scheduled to be integrated in September 1957, whether the citizens or governor of Arkansas like it or not. Before Sylvia makes her final decision, smoldering racial tension in the town ignites into flame. When the smoke clears, she sees clearly that nothing is going to stop the change from coming. It is up to her generation to make it happen, in as many different ways as there are colors in the world.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, African American, Fiction, Teen, School

231 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2007

About the author

Sharon M. Draper is a professional educator as well as an accomplished writer. She has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year, is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award, and is a New York Times bestselling author. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Reviews

[Emily D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am amazing historical fiction story that I’ll keep around for my kids to read someday. It was written in an easy to follow, intriguing way that appeals to older children and adults. I remember learning about the Little Rock Nine in school, but after reading this story I had to look up more about them. It was really insightful to read about the perspectives of the families in the community where the Nine lived, but also about the racial hatred going on in that part of the country in that time period (which isn’t that long ago). This story also incorporated a Jewish character and showed how she and her family also endured hateful acts and prejudice even though her father had survived Auschwitz.

[Tiarra Andrews-owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sylvia Patterson lives in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Sylvia is a shy and smart girl who is unaware of her abilities. Sylvia lives with her little sister Donna Jean, her big brother Gary, her mother, and her father who is the pastor of a church. Sylvia’s whole world is changed when she is selected to be one of the first black students to go to a previously all white school. This book would be very educational to people who have little knowledge of the integration of school and the problems that African-Americans had to go through to have the same education as white people. I would definitely recommend this book because it has a lasting value, it is interesting to read, and it teaches a lesson that everyone should learn.
Fire from the Rock has a lasting value. This book helps to understand what African-Americans had to go through to a place where we had the same educational opportunities. Though this story is fictional it has realistic characters that bring history to life. Like Gary, Sylvia’s hot headed brother that got beaten up after trying to stand up for himself. “His wounds will heal, but not the fury that keeps growing in his heart.” This book can help everyone connect to what occurred in history.
This book was very interesting to read. The book had interesting characters. Fire from the Rock also had interesting plot twists. This book was emotionally written from the heart. This book shows that Draper has a connection to this subject because it really touches you. Fire from the Rock is definitely a good book to recommend to people who want to read something from the heart.
Fire from the Rock teaches a very good lesson that everyone should learn. This book teaches people that even though you do not believe in yourself, you can be capable of so much. Sylvia did not see that she could change the world but many adults did. That is one of the major reasons why her parents let her go. Miss Lillie who owns the flower shop was an example of seeing that in Sylvia, “…It might just be this integration stuff, it might be something else. But I see something in you that I don’t see in other teenagers…”
Fire from the Rock was just a very good book overall. Fire from the Rock had a lasting value because it taught something that everyone should know about. Everyone should know what African-Americans had to go through to get the same education and this book touched me emotionally. Fire from the Rock was just an interesting book that had fictional but realistic characters that were interesting. Fire from the Rock also teaches you a lesson that problems should not be solved with violence. When Gary lost his temper it dissolved his chances of getting on the list to go to the integrated school. Miss Washington said that it ruined his chances, “Gary has always been volatile and impetuous, and I must admit that his behavior might work against you…” Fire from the Rock also taught a lesson that you should not let your bashfulness make you feel like you are not capable of something because one day you might end up changing the world. This book was just really good and I would recommend it.

[Austin C · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Fire From the Rock by Sharon M. Drapper made in 2007 is a wonderful Historical Fiction book. In my opinion this book gets 4 out of 5 stars because this book was one of my favorite books that i have ever read, but it was not my favorite one that's why it gets 4 out of 5. Also because of how brave the main character is. The biggest main character is Sylvia. Sylvia is a girl that get's a chance to go to a integrated school ( A Black and White race school). Another main character is Gary. Gary is Sylvia's brother and before Sylvia got asked to maybe go to the integrated school Gary was the one that really really really wanted to go. The last main character is Mrs Patterson. She is Sylvia's teacher at her regular school(not the integrated school). Mrs Patterson is a huge reason why Sylvia get a chance to go to the integrated school. The main conflict of this book is that the biggest main character Sylvia gets a chance to go to the integrated school. The bigger question is will she go? This book takes place in Little Rock,Arkansas,1957. The main plot line of this book is that Black and White people shoudn't be treated differently. I recommend this book to someone that likes to read a book that has a lot of interesting events/facts. I liked the book because of how brave the main character is. She is brave because when her best friends families store was burning down she went farther back into the fire to save her friend from the fire. This story was predictable because when Sylvie was thinking about whether or not she should go to the integrated school she was always thinking of why NOT to go. From her thoughts it was predictable that she wouldn't go to the integrated school.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sylvia Faye has been selected to be put on a very important list... a list that help change the country. It is 1957, and Sylvia lives in Little Rock, AR. She has been chosen to be one of the students to integrate the "White" Central High School. Sylvia is finishing her junior high years, and Draper has created a not-just-your-normal coming of age novel. Sylvia is growing up, and she is doing the normal growing up things like getting her first boyfriend, maintaining her good grades and being excited at breaking a few of her parents' rules. On the other hand, Sylvia could make history if she decides to go to Central High School. It would be a privilege and an honor, but she would also be giving up so much. She could lose her boyfriend, she could lose her friends, she would give up extra-curricular activities.

I would strongly recommend this book to students in grades 7-10. It would be a great book to read while learning about the civil rights movement or any unit about acceptance. Both boys and girls will be interested in this even though the main character is a girl because her brother also plays a major role.

Going back and forth by telling the story in third person and then in first person through Sylvia's journal, helps the reader get the story from many different angles while still getting the intimate feelings of one of the teens going through this exciting and scary time in America's history.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Possible book for civil rights lit circles.

Sylvia Faye Patterson is finishing her eighth grade year in Little Rock, Arkansas. The city is a boiling kettle of unrest over black and white segregation. Youths of both color are hot blooded and hot tempered in their words and actions, buoyed on by adults of the same mindset. Physical violence is a norm on the streets in spite of Martin Luther King Jr's preachings. Sylvia's father, the preacher, and her mother are very conservative and feel prayer and patience are the only way that racial tensions will ever be eased.

Sylvia is an excellent student and a well rounded individual. It is these qualities that place her name on the list of students to integrate the all-white Central High School next fall. Convincing her parents, dealing with social pressures from adults in the community, and coming to terms with the beliefs of her friends will weigh heavily on Sylvia over the next few months as she wrestles with what her place in history will be.

This book is definitely more for girls since the main character delves into a lot of emotional boyfriend things. There are several astounding poems scattered throughout the book that would be great for Poetry Madness.

[Ruth Noemi Rojas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just want to thank the Lord for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.This book is about Sylvia Patterson and the way her family struggles with racism. She has a brother named Gary, who is hardheaded, and a little sister named Donna Jean, who was my favorite character. The school board of Education has chosen several children based on their academic performance to integrate Central High School. Being such an excellent person, Sylvie is chosen.;) Will she decide to go to Central High school and fight for the right to be treated equal or will she decide to stay with her own kind? The answer is very abrupt, however; very unsuspecting. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel, and I will definitely be checking out more of Sharon M. Draper's books.;)

[Nicole Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical fiction novel set during 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas amidst the time of integration. The book is based on the nine students who were part of the first movement toward integration. Sylvia, fictional character, is chosen by her teacher as one of the students who will be integrating the all-white school. As she works to overcome her fears and make her family proud she wonders if she is really up to the task of being a hero.

[Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good! I read it in class, and only a few other people liked it, but I feel I could read it over and over again. There was never a dull moment, always action, and when there wasn't action, there was action waiting to happen. I love the way this story went, it's one that I could picture everything in my read as I was reading.

[Liliana Hohn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the concept, and I thought that it was a good plot, but I didn’t feel like much happened. I felt like they talked more about the romance, than the story. I wanted to like it more than I did. I read this for school, so maybe if I hadn’t I would’ve liked it more, but I was disappointed.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

An important book about the forced integration of Little Rock's schools in the late 1950's. Once again I find Draper's desire to "teach" us through her character's dialogue forced and unnatural. All in all, though, a compelling story that surprised me with some of its plot twists.

[Ciara Wilkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really informative and eye-opening. I hadn't read anything about segregation before so I enjoyed reading a historical fiction that made us understand it from a young black girls perspective.
It's horrible and sad all of the brutality and injustice that occurred. Sylvie was brave but she also didn't want to put her family at risk. Many of the first 9 kids who were segregated dealt with extreme bullying, terror tactics, and outright abuse. They are truly heroes.
I am giving this 3 stars because I really enjoyed this but the writing style lacked for me. I believe it's geared for younger kids to understand racism.

[Jo Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for a younger audience, this young African American girl’s perspective on the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas was a worthwhile read. It’s honestly wild to think that these events took place in my grandparents’ lifetime.

A favorite line, (unrelated to the main events): “Just when you think you’ve got your parents figured out, they turn around and act like humans.”

[Jaden Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book is a great example of integration and how life was back in the segregated days. Sylvia is a really tough young women because she went through a lot at that school and people were treating her wrong and looking at her in many bad ways. I think the she would be the type of person to change how people of different races feel and think about other races. It was hard on her at first because she was separated from her friends and that is a really hard thing to do when you are a teenage girl. If had the choice to go through what she did I would not want to even think about doing it.

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Draper fictionalizes the real-life struggle to integrate schools in Arkansas creating a fictional protagonist (Sylvia) to stand alongside the 'Little Rock Nine' and encourage equality for all by attending an all-white school.

Draper does an excellent job of mixing history with fiction, drawing upon historic figures (Gov. Orval Faubus, Martin Luther King Jr. etc.) with fictionalized counterparts that represented citizens of the era.

[Kali Burks-Mosier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done! I've had a class set in my room since my first year of teaching and finally read it.
Draper has a great way with words and incorporating engaging drama while simultaneously stirring up deeper thinking and empathy. I don't know why it took me until the end to connect this story to the Little Rock Nine, but this was an amazing telling of the process of desegregation of schools.

[Midge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, easy to read. It would be good for teens to see how fortunate they are, especially the white ones.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decided to return to Black History and a book I have seen a lot and never read—this one is set in 1957 Little Rock, Arkansas as a young family is struggling with integrating schools despite heavy opposition. Gary, Sylvia and Donna Jean are the children of a religious family meekly surviving by not making waves, working hard and keeping their heads down so when an all-white high school is rumored to be allowing blacks in; signing up the children is not accepted by the whole family or even understood.
“I don’t get it Sylvie,” Donna Jean said, leaning over. “Isn’t it better to go to school with kids who look like you and know what you are talking about when you say you got nappy hair or ashy legs?” (Pg.22)
Though segregation was illegal since 1954 many places found ways to extend the division of the races as long as they could and Arkansas was no exception..--while yes, the students knew they would be more comfortable among their own race they still also wanted the resources and education offered at white schools as well. The story’s main character Sylvie has a Jewish best friend that she has known since she was four years old and though their friendship causes difficulty the girls try and make it work. Yet these super tense race relations make it hard for her parents to see any reason to allow her to be the first student integrating, add to that a new possible boyfriend--- Sylvia has a lot to think about..On the one hand things were fine with whites and blacks having their own barbershops and stores—should schools be any different?
LouAnn said, “Why do you want to go to a school where you can’t join in stuff? If you go to Mann, you can be a cheerleader, run the newspaper, go out for track, and still be head of the smart kids. You can go to dances with boys that look like chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla, boys you can touch, boys who want to touch you back. You’d be giving up so much.” (Page 96)
Aside from the school integration issues there are really brilliantly diary entries that chronicle and illustrate some historical events in Black History such as the traumatic Jet magazine with Emmitt Till’s abused and mutilated body his mother courageously requested be placed for all to see open casket; the lack of black representation anywhere on television or in toys and magazines; the bombing of MLK’s house; the birth of the African country Ghana, MLK’s photograph on the cover of Time Magazine; Nat King Cole’s television show and other examples painting the picture of strong racial undercurrents while school integration is coming the book surprises with the Jewish grocery store and a colored woman’s flower shop going up in flames..Was this also racially motivated-was it revenge, who would do something so cruel when people could have been killed and family businesses were destroyed?
Its not really a mystery but it does influence her decision not to be on the list to integrate—
“I need what the colored school will give me for the next four years. I have to suck up as much pride and dignity as I can while it is here for me. Integration will happen eventually, and we’re gonna lose something really special when we walk in the school yard because it’s just us.” (Page 200)
Sounds like such an endorsement for attending a HBCU and being educated around those who look like you…It was however a very serious matter—"Governor Faubus ended his speech by saying “blood will run in the streets” if black students should try to enter Central High School. Gary and Sylvia stopped laughing. (Page 204)
Not your typical book as the ending is surprising, you would think she would push through and go to school but her decision not to go was just as strong an action…Based on the true story of the nine brave students that integrated Arkansas’s school system through force and while a fictional girl based on true events..Good read that I liked but didn’t love and think a young girl will find something interesting here—maybe 7th grade..

[Malcolm Shephard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book is really (Action) like, because the beginning of the book is about Sylvia getting bet by a dog and having deep Bruises. And the end of the book is all about Sylvia's boyfriend (accidentally) blowing up the Crandall's store. But that is problem the best book I read this year. Its my style and my family's style. I mean I don't look like an Exploding, School, Action, Love kinda guy its my personality. But the thing is about the main character, Sylvia Patterson, she needs to learn how to Grow up and being more tough on others accepted her self. All see wants is her and her brother to go to a college school so they can be happy together and also her brother can protect her. I would want the same thing if i was Sylvia. But she needs to realize that she is growing up and she is going to be by her self one day. The book takes place in the Civil Writes movement and her being an African American student that want to get her education and be Equally treated.
But when i first herd Fire From The Rock, was an actual Volcano that suppurate Fire from the Rock.

[Lenni Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fire from the Rock was definitely and interesting book. It was required reading for my Social Studies class, so I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I wasn't forced to.

So, first of all, I was a little surprised that this was a school book since there was some minor romance and kissing. Not that I minded, since I love romance. It was cute romance, although Sylvie's boyfriend was a little too passionate about topics such as integration. I couldn't decide whether I liked his character or not until the very end(I went with, "He's okay.").

I also felt that this book was like a window to the past. It made many references to many famous events that happened during these times. I wish that the book continued and that one character would've come back. There was a guy named Jim in a scene at the library and I really liked his character. I also really liked Rachel's character. Maybe the author should write a sequel from her point of view.

Fire from the Rock was an okay book, if a little dramatic at times.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have recently finished reading the book Fire From The Rock which is a good book.I would of rated this book a 5 out of 5 but in particular I didn’t like the ending.I didn’t like the ending because I was looking forward for Sylvia to go to central high which is a whites school,which she said she was going to change the world. In the middle of the book Sylvia was confident in herself about going to central high and changing the world by having equal rights. Further on she was bullied by the smiths which made her afraid about going to central high because they threatened her. Also the school threatened her that their parents were going to lose their job. So she backed up of the idea and let her friend go for her. This was the reason that I gave the book 4/5 stars. But the reason I liked the book is because they accomplished what they wanted. So I recommend this book because it was one of my favorite books I have read.

[Joslin Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to someone because it teaches as well as entertains. Fire from the Rock by Sharon Draper is about a teenage girl named Sylvia. Sylvia has been given the opportunity to be one of the first blacks to interstate into Central High School. not only will Sylvia have to face a tough decision, but she'll also have to face horrible discrimination from both black and white people.

I first read this book as a fifth grader and again this year as an eight grader. I believe the intended audience for the book would be for anyone who's interested in black history, civil rights movement, and/or historical fiction books.

I'd give Fire from the Rock by Sharon Draper five stars because once I opened it, it was hard for me to set it back down.

[Hooma]

I loved this book because it's written with honesty and sincerity. Sharon Draper is my new favorite author. Mainly because she deals with topics that need to be dealt with. Her books are written with class. I spent some time thinking DJ's voice was too mature for her actual age of 8 but then I realized she grew up in time period where children went through so much and perhaps the voice that you were hearing is the maturity that she had gained through experience and seeing things that a child her age should not have to see.

[mayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. It talked about all the normal things a teenager worries about, and somehow manages to blend that with being a black teenager in a time where black people were treated very unfairly. It's full of surprises, and troubles mixed with peace. And, just like Towers Falling, it touches a difficult subject in time, in a way young people will understand. It touches things like racism and bombing and anger with grace. And you absolutely HAVE to read it.I couldn't put it down.

[Indiya S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good, it taught me many life things like how to star strong and if u want really want something go and do it even if its tough.This book had many emotions and life lessons.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly powerful, and I (once again) think I provided much more coherent thoughts about it on my blog. For those who would rather not read a novel-length review of this book, however, I will share some of my thoughts here.

Though this book does an excellent job of sharing the horrors of segregation and racism before and during the Civil Rights Movement, my favorite thing about this book is its willingness to show both sides of the coin. There are clearly racist, hateful white characters, but there are also a number of hateful African American characters unwilling to mix the races together. Similarly, the African American characters are not the only ones to face prejudice; Sylvia's friend Rachel, who is Jewish, also faces discrimination from her fellow white people. It is also mentioned several times that her father survived Auschwitz, alluding to the atrocities committed during the Holocaust.

Sharon Draper does not shy away from the injustices faced by African Americans in this book, but she paints a very full picture of what it might have been like to live during this time period. Not all white people were villains, just as not all African Americans were innocent of hatred and wrongdoing. Sylvia's friend Reggie is so full of hatred and fear that he ends up building a couple of bombs, which ultimately explode in the wrong place and end up putting entire families in danger. He learns his lesson, of course, but his presence in the novel reminds us that there will always be hatred and anger on both sides of any racial divide; Draper seems to be conveying the message that more violence and hatred will not solve violence and hatred that already exists, a powerful and poignant message that resonates well today.

As I said in my blog, this book helped me to examine the fact that I was born in a rather privileged era, never having to fear for my life while attending school or deal with harassment and bullying because of my skin color or ethnicity. Reading about uncomfortable and controversial moments in our nation's history helps to remind us all why we still fight for equality today, but it also cautions us not to fight violence with violence. In giving in to his hatred near the end of the novel, Reggie only ends up hurting his own community more; I believe the same principles apply today. It takes empathy, conversation, and mutual understanding to enact real change, and that is a message that I think Draper conveys exceptionally well in this novel.

Though I'd already heard of the Little Rock Nine before reading this book, I think this work of historical fiction helped give me a clear window into what living during this time period might have been like. I truly admire the courage and bravery it took these students to come to school every day, knowing that at the very least they would be mocked and ridiculed for doing so. At the worst, they were literally risking their lives to get an education, and that's something I will never have to face. I can certainly appreciate the sacrifices others had to make to make integration work, and the actions that led to the positive changes we've seen since the days of the Civil Rights Movement.

This was a very enlightening, powerful, and humbling read, and I would definitely recommend it to those with an appreciation for history and the desire to enact real change in the world today.

[Braulio Urena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Draper, Sharon
Fire From the Rock
Penguin Group (New York)
Copyright 2007


This captivating and interesting book gives the reader an understanding of what a child of color would live through in this well developed and easy to follow story line.


Sylvia Patterson, a young African-American girl who grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas 1957. As a child she grew older she began to notice that her parents and older siblings were mistreated by whites. She and her family faced racism which was very common in her home town. She tried fighting back against racism by joining the integration of Central High School, her the along with many other colored people stood up for their rights.

This book talks about Sylvia, her mother Mrs. Patterson, her father Mr.Patterson, and her brother Gary Patterson. Her family supported her, along with her brother who was angered by racism and wanted to join the Integration of Central High School to make a difference on how people of color are treated in her community at this time. She was focused in school and tried avoiding trouble at all times, however she still had problems because of her skin color and her social class, others treated her as inferior.


Readers might also enjoy other famous books like The Watsons Go to Birmingham. Similar books include I Have A Dream: Dr Martin Luther King, the biography of Martin Luther King, describes the hardships that colored people and the history of segregation in the country. This book would be best fitted for readers ages 12 and up because the author talks about racism.


Draper Sharon was born August 21, 1984 in Cleveland Ohio. She wrote many other titles that books that talked about similar things such as, Double Dutch, Out of my Mind, and Darkness Before Dawn.


As a reader, this book was captivating and inspirational, but also educational to learn about the history of this imaginary world the author created and understand that this was actually happening in real life at one point which is really sad to think about someone having to suffer with racism at such a young age when they should not be worrying about any problems but instead enjoying their life.

[Elisabeth Hailu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set in the year 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas, right on the brink of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The central conflict of this story is the segregation of schools in Little Rock. Even though Brown v. Board of Education declared the use of separate public schools to segregate blacks and whites as unconstitutional in 1954, some states, mainly in southern United States, did not immediately comply, including Arkansas. Eventually these states had to follow the federal law and were forced to begin integrating schools, however, integration was met with an uproar of infuriated racists who did not want their kids to attend school with African Americans. For example, in the book, Fire from the Rock, Sylvia, a African American teenage girl, tells the story of the integration process of the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, which did not go smoothly. Laws were passed to interfere with the integration process and even the governor of Arkansas publicly went against the integration because he thought it “would provoke violence.” When the students first tried to attend the school, one of the nine African American students named Elizabeth tried to go through the front door, which was a horrible mistake. Adults threw food and yelled at this poor girl while she tried to make her way to the entrance. Even when she finally reached it, she was blocked by state troops that the governor of Arkansas had ordered to stop the nine African Americans from entering the school. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was forced to send one thousand federal troops to protect the nine African Americans students who had decided to attend Central High School. While the first day of school at Central High started on September 4, 1957, the African American students were not able to attend until September 25 due to these outrageous protests. These incredibly brave nine African American boys and girls helped paved the way for equal education for African Americans in the United States of America and will always be revered members of our country.

[lydia hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Far In Our Reading And English Class, We Have Read Three Books This School Year. One Of Them Was "Out Of The Dust" and " Shipwreck At The Bottom Of The World." This Was My Favorite Book Out Of All Three.
Fire from the Rock Sharon M. Draper


Wanderlust: Out of the Dust https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and The Endurance https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I believe in the goodness of people, sir, and the power of young folks like us to overcome what grown-ups like you might not be able to."

―Sylvia Patterson, Fire from the Rock, P. 129

This is a story that absolutely had to be told, and who better to give their perspective on such a weighty matter than Sharon M. Draper, whose words never fail to cut through the extraneous and get right to the heart of any issue? She writes this story, Fire from the Rock, to be a book emotionally accessible not only to African-Americans as they read about the tumultuous history of race relations in the United States, but to anyone who has ever felt demeaned or hated because of something about themselves that they couldn't control, as if they were wearing a sign around their neck announcing themselves to be damaged goods and inviting the world to kick them around some more. I don't believe there's any legitimate reason to have to take that kind of abuse, but just tell that to the harangued African-American citizens of the 1960s, '50s and earlier, who lived with that (and worse) as the status quo and had to make the best of it in what small ways they could, knowing that to try fighting fire with fire could bring down the bitter anger of a frustrated white population directly on their heads. There had been more than enough racially motivated bloodshed down through the years to prove the immediacy of that danger.

It's 1957, and Sylvia Patterson is preparing to enter her first year of high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. The integration of public schools is at last coming to this hostile region of the deep-south, and not everyone is in favor of the change. Many of the city's whites are strongly opposed to the policy of integration and are willing to defend the exclusivity of their schools by whatever means they consider necessary, but a select few black students will be chosen to attend Central High School in the coming year, and there's nothing that the angry residents of Little Rock can legally do to stop it. Sylvia is a strong, dedicated student, but much more passive than her older brother, Gary, and so she is stunned to hear that she is one of the students being considered to make the transition to Central in the fall. She doesn't know how bad it might get if she tries to go to that school, or what the reactions of the white kids will be to having African-Americans suddenly introduced into the general student population. Sylvia isn't sure if she wants to be a part of this project even if she ends up being chosen, but at least she has the whole summer to think it over and come up with her answer.

Even just being on the fringe of the experience, Sylvia has to deal with some pretty nasty things as the weeks of summer speed by and the start of the new school year looms large in front of her and all of the other teenagers being considered for the integration experiment. In her final interview before the list of black students approved for the integration is finalized, Sylvia undergoes a virtual interrogation before a group of very white, wholly unsympathetic arbiters, trying her hardest to come across as sincere and respectful to a group that has apparently already decided that there's nothing a black kid can bring to the school experience that will be of any benefit to his or her white peers. I try to imagine being intensely disliked by people just because of my outside appearance, before they even really get to know me, and immediately I can feel the weight on Sylvia's shoulders and in her stomach, dragging her down like an anchor as she attempts to walk with shoulders straight and head held high. That's harder than you might think, but Sylvia conducts herself admirably even as the storm of emotions builds inside of her and threatens to capsize the boat. If anyone can survive in the extreme environment that is sure to pervade Central High School as zero hour approaches for the commencement of integration, it's probably Sylvia, though being tossed into the frying pan sure won't feel like any kind of a reward.

Fire from the Rock is as good a novel as it is, in my opinion, because it switches so smoothly from being one kind of a story to another, giving us a variety of looks at Sylvia's life and the rare opportunity that she faces to possibly be one of the first black students to integrate schools in Little Rock. We get all kinds of great history in this book, overlooked information and little-known facts as well as the more commonly known pieces of the integration story, and the depth of the characters does much to bring it all alive and make us feel the same core emotions that are affecting them. But this isn't just a story about social revolution and the quiet determination of an abused group of people. Fire from the Rock gives us inside access to the realistic world of high school as it existed in the 1950s, not all that different a place than fifty years later when one really looks at it, and the visceral excitement of unsure, budding love as it first ripens into something recognizable as more than just a passing attraction. Sharon M. Draper paints the scene of imperfect yet wondrous young love so that it will affect anyone, beating in sync with the memories of our own hearts and how we treasure those moments that first made the world glow in our eyes as a place eminently worth calling home. It's the knowledge of this ecstasy of love, in addition to the firm support of her family and friends, that gives Sylvia the strength to remain standing against forces that would buffet her mercilessly for no reason other than that she is willing to stand, to resist the idea that there is something broken or wrong with her just because she's different from the white kids, to refuse to yield to those whose calling card is hatred and to believe in her heart that she should be able to earn anything that those around her are given the chance to earn. Sylvia makes the decision to stand up in her own quiet way against the opposition that will always be there, unwilling to live less of a life because that's what the people around her thinks she deserves.

Sharon M. Draper writes beautifully, describing situations charged with tension and fury and blind passion, but never coming across as bitter or jaundiced in the way that she relates the story. As a result, the reader feels a sense of always being in good hands as the narrative moves along, ready to endure with Sylvia the next challenge as it arrives. Fire from the Rock is a solid, dependable novel that delivers what one would expect plus a few extras, and I think that it deserves its place on the shelves of junior high and high school classrooms across the country. I would probably give it two and a half stars.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It can be a daring thing to attempt to write a historical novel that is set during a divisive and polarizing time in our history. Especially when the particular subject could be seen as potentially insensitive if not accomplished well.

The author, Sharon Draper, does indeed accomplish it well because she not only KNOWS her subject matter intimately, but she has the eyes and ears of a skilled educator who knows how young adults learn. Her novel is well detailed and vivid in it's emotions of teenagers who are struggling with typical young adult issues and problems (parents, school work, extra curricular activities, not having enough money, etc)...but also overlapping the issues of racism and bigotry in Little Rock 1957 during the integration of Central High School. The main character, Sylvia Patterson, is chosen to be a finalist in choosing who will be the first African American students to attend previously all-white Central HS.

I found this book emotional and engaging because of these details. The author does well depicting much of the environment.

What I would like to have seen is a more diverse interaction between the main character and other characters attending the school. Or even go further into the school year rather than only leading up to the first days of classes. Perhaps that was intended to be for another story. Or perhaps the author felt there was enough actual history books on that, that a historical fiction book would not serve much of a purpose. I simply felt there could have been more of a story and was a bit let down when I got to the end and wanted to know more.

Otherwise the book does serve as an excellent YA introduction to the hate and discrimination of the time and spares nothing. The bigotry is not sensitized for young readers, which is actually inspiring.

I would still highly recommend this book to anyone.