What do you think?
Rate this book
Susie Q Fights Back
When ten-year-old Susan Marcus discovers a world of prejudice right in her own back yard she makes a small but courageous stand in this irresistibly appealing historical novel set in 1943.
You wouldn't even know there was a war on, thinks Susan Marcus as she surveys her new neighborhood in Clayton, Missouri. There are no air raid wardens, no blackout curtains. It's so different from her old home in New York City: no tall apartment buildings, no bustling city streets.
Susan can barely understand people, their accents are so thick, and of course eveyone in Clayton is a St. Louis Cardinals fan and sworn enemy of Susan's beloved New York Yankees.
Worst of all, for the first time in her life, ten-year-old Susan encounters prejudice -- against New Yorkers, Jews, blacks, and the Japanese. She must be circumspect about her friendship with Loretta (the daughter of the black janitor), for Jim Crow laws still exist in 1943 Missouri. Outraged, Susan decides to strike a blow against them. She's not going to break the rules exactly; she's just going to bend them.
A great book for highlighting the struggle for social justice and sparking family discussions about the history of racism and Jim Crow laws in America.
Published in hardcover as Susan Marcus Bends the Rules.
A PJ Our Way selection.
You wouldn't even know there was a war on, thinks Susan Marcus as she surveys her new neighborhood in Clayton, Missouri. There are no air raid wardens, no blackout curtains. It's so different from her old home in New York City: no tall apartment buildings, no bustling city streets.
Susan can barely understand people, their accents are so thick, and of course eveyone in Clayton is a St. Louis Cardinals fan and sworn enemy of Susan's beloved New York Yankees.
Worst of all, for the first time in her life, ten-year-old Susan encounters prejudice -- against New Yorkers, Jews, blacks, and the Japanese. She must be circumspect about her friendship with Loretta (the daughter of the black janitor), for Jim Crow laws still exist in 1943 Missouri. Outraged, Susan decides to strike a blow against them. She's not going to break the rules exactly; she's just going to bend them.
A great book for highlighting the struggle for social justice and sparking family discussions about the history of racism and Jim Crow laws in America.
Published in hardcover as Susan Marcus Bends the Rules.
A PJ Our Way selection.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2014
3 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 2, 2014
This was a descriptive and thoughtful story of segregation. Susan lives in NYC in 1943, but her father lost his job. The family moves to Missouri where they encounter prejudices against Japanese, Jews, and blacks. They also experience segregation and Jim Crow laws that they had little exposure to in New York. Susan doesn't really understand why there is this segregation and plots to shake up the town by bending the Jim Crow laws. What I enjoyed most about the story is the time spent describing life during WWII after the Great Depression. The cost of items, the separate accommodations for segregated people, and the shut down of the pool and movie theater to curtail the spread of polio. Each of these events will generate discussion of a time few children of today would understand but should be know about. Plenty of worthwhile discussion and perhaps a pairing with Ruby Bridges or Rosa Parks (though those are a few decades later).
February 14, 2015
In 1943, 10 year old Jewish girl Susan Marcus has to move with her family from NYC to Missouri when her father changes jobs. Things are pretty different in the south, with the Jim Crow laws in action, and they make no sense to Susan. When she befriends an African-American girl, Loretta, Susan and her other new friend Marlene determine to bend the Jim Crow laws as far as they can.
Blah. This was a bland book with little action, and is too young for middle school. Other books have done this so much better. And why does it always have to be the noble, righteous white girl swooping in magnanimously to save the African American girl? Even if she is Jewish and subject to prejudice herself. What made the most impact on me was when they went to a Chinese restaurant and people had spray painted “Go Home Japs” on the doors and broken the windows—I think that was more of a story than Susan enjoying her summer skating and swimming.
Blah. This was a bland book with little action, and is too young for middle school. Other books have done this so much better. And why does it always have to be the noble, righteous white girl swooping in magnanimously to save the African American girl? Even if she is Jewish and subject to prejudice herself. What made the most impact on me was when they went to a Chinese restaurant and people had spray painted “Go Home Japs” on the doors and broken the windows—I think that was more of a story than Susan enjoying her summer skating and swimming.
Read
December 5, 2023Susan is Jewish, and her experiences growing up in mid-century NYC don't prepare her for the various kinds of open prejudice/segregation she experiences when her family moves to the midwest for a job during WWII. Jim Crow as well as prejudice against Jews, Asians, etc. are now things she can't escape knowing about. She doesn't understand why things have to be that way, and she wants to break the unfair rules. She learns, by listening to her black friend and conversations with the group of friends she builds including that friend, that sometimes breaking the rules on someone else's behalf isn't as good an idea as you think-- but that there are ways to bend the rules that can improve things not just for one person, but more.
October 7, 2019
When Susan & her family moved from NYC to Missouri I feel as if thats when Susan´s life changed! She has to leave her friend Lorretta, which is black. It may not seem like a big deal now, but back in 1943 when it was segrated back in the south, it was a pretty huge deal. But her 2 other friends, Liz & Marlene think its very normal & they dont really have much sempathy for Susan losing a friend just because of the simple fact that shes black. When Susan realize theses ¨Jim crow laws¨ she wants to change the laws for everyone!
November 30, 2020
Susan Marcus Bends the Rules by Jane Cutler is a work of historical fiction. It was written for children ages 9-11 years old. It is set in 1943. It is a novel about a girl named Susan who moves from New York to St. Louis. Susan witnesses the injustice of the Jim Crow Laws and tries to find a way to work her way around them. This book paints an accurate picture of life in the 40’s. This book could be used in a lesson in a classroom during Black History Month. This book can be used as a good way to start the conversation about prejudice and equality.
March 18, 2018
This was a quick read with my 10 yr old. I liked the basic plot of a white girl moving from NYC to Missouri and learning about Jim Crow. I enjoyed the idea of the girls finding a way to "protest" in their own way.
I did not like the lack of details, the copious use of racial slurs in relation to the Japanese during WWII, or the mocking type of language the Chinese restaurant owners were shown to have.
I did not like the lack of details, the copious use of racial slurs in relation to the Japanese during WWII, or the mocking type of language the Chinese restaurant owners were shown to have.
Read
February 3, 2014It all happened because of the war. If it hadn't been for the war, Susan Marcus's dad wouldn't have lost his job when his boss's son was killed in action. And Susan wouldn't have had to move to St. Louis, Missouri because of her dad's new job, leaving behind her best friend Marv and his sister Rose in the Bronx, probably never to see them again.
And when they got to St. Louis, it didn't seem like their were any kids on her new block until one day there was knock on the door, a girl her age bearing a plate of homemade welcome cookies. Marlene lives just down the street from Susan, with her mother and little sister Liz and her two grandmothers. Now friends, Susan and Marlene begin playing together, except when Marlene is off with her other friends. That's when Susan meets Loretta, the black girl who secretly lives in the basement with her mother in Susan's building. Secretly, because Jim Crow laws forbide blacks and whites to live in the same building. And before long, Susan learns the Loretta's mother Irene is pretending to be Luther, the building's janitor. But as Susan's father explains, it's hard to find a place to live because of the war, so mum's the word about Irene.
Summer in St. Louis is hot and sticky. One day, Loretta invites Marlene and Susan into her makeshift home in the basement where it remains cool and comfortable. The three girls become secret friends and often play games there. One hot Sunday, Susan, her parents, Marlene and Liz head over to the town swimming pool. Before they leave, Susan asks if Loretta can come along. Her dad says no, but he will explain later. A week later, Susan remembers to ask about that day and learns about Jim Crow.
Jim Crow makes her angry, and she wants to do something but what? Meantime, Susan also feels the bite of prejudice when one of Marlene's grandmothers makes disparaing remarks about Susan's family being Jewish. Now, Susan is even more determined to do something.
The three girls concoct a plan that isn't exactly against Jim Crow laws, it just bends them a little by doing something that people just don't do. The buses in St. Louis are integrated to the point where people can sit anyplace they want. But by what might be called silent mutual agreement, blacks and whites never sit together. The plan is to ride side by side: Marlene, Loretta, Susan. And they plan to integrate one restaurant - the small Chinese restaurant that Susan and her parents liked to eat in after going to the movies.
But when the girls witness just how cruel and dangerous hated can be, have they biten off more than they can chew with their plan?
For the most part, I like Susan Marcus Bends the Rules. I liked the idea of bending not breaking the law in this case, because breaking could have had some serious consequences and not by law enforcement. This is a mild, though engaging novel, long on period details. Just hanging out and talking, roller skating, playing monopoly and jacks are all things girls did back in 1943. Not having to worry about blackout curtains or air raid sirens because the enemy would never get as far as the middle of the country to bomb it where also nice touches that I have forgotten about. Men sittting around listening to ball games on the radio, while women playing bridge, kids not being closely watched as they are today also added to the historical realism of the novel.
I thought the characterization of Susan worked, but her family and friends were not terribly well fleshed out. They felt very two dimentional to me and are what I think of as 'functional characters' - existing for the purpose of moving Susan's story along, but not really developed themselves. I should mention, despite this, the characterization of Loretta was well handled and avoided the usual stereotypical depiction of African American. She and her mother may have been poor, but they didn't speak in a dialect that was incomprehensible and seems to be the way people believe all African Americans spoke in the past.
I thought it was interesting that the strongest expressions of hate and bigotry in the novel is against the Chinese people who owned the restaurant and others who owned the Chinese Laundry and who were mistaken for being Japanese. I would have expected to see it against the Loretta because she is African American or even Susan because she is a Jewish girl from New York (with an accent she is trying to lose), particulary since it is Jim Crow laws they are bending. Too confusing for young readers? Maybe, but it would work nicely in school as a supplemental text about WW2. It could help begin lots of conversations about life on the home front.
In the long run, Susan Marcus Bends the Rules has enough merit to recommend it and will probably be very well liked by the age group it is meant for.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book is an E-ARC recieved from NetGalley
This book is supposed to be available in March 2014 but it appears to be available now.
This review was originally posted at The Children's War
And when they got to St. Louis, it didn't seem like their were any kids on her new block until one day there was knock on the door, a girl her age bearing a plate of homemade welcome cookies. Marlene lives just down the street from Susan, with her mother and little sister Liz and her two grandmothers. Now friends, Susan and Marlene begin playing together, except when Marlene is off with her other friends. That's when Susan meets Loretta, the black girl who secretly lives in the basement with her mother in Susan's building. Secretly, because Jim Crow laws forbide blacks and whites to live in the same building. And before long, Susan learns the Loretta's mother Irene is pretending to be Luther, the building's janitor. But as Susan's father explains, it's hard to find a place to live because of the war, so mum's the word about Irene.
Summer in St. Louis is hot and sticky. One day, Loretta invites Marlene and Susan into her makeshift home in the basement where it remains cool and comfortable. The three girls become secret friends and often play games there. One hot Sunday, Susan, her parents, Marlene and Liz head over to the town swimming pool. Before they leave, Susan asks if Loretta can come along. Her dad says no, but he will explain later. A week later, Susan remembers to ask about that day and learns about Jim Crow.
Jim Crow makes her angry, and she wants to do something but what? Meantime, Susan also feels the bite of prejudice when one of Marlene's grandmothers makes disparaing remarks about Susan's family being Jewish. Now, Susan is even more determined to do something.
The three girls concoct a plan that isn't exactly against Jim Crow laws, it just bends them a little by doing something that people just don't do. The buses in St. Louis are integrated to the point where people can sit anyplace they want. But by what might be called silent mutual agreement, blacks and whites never sit together. The plan is to ride side by side: Marlene, Loretta, Susan. And they plan to integrate one restaurant - the small Chinese restaurant that Susan and her parents liked to eat in after going to the movies.
But when the girls witness just how cruel and dangerous hated can be, have they biten off more than they can chew with their plan?
For the most part, I like Susan Marcus Bends the Rules. I liked the idea of bending not breaking the law in this case, because breaking could have had some serious consequences and not by law enforcement. This is a mild, though engaging novel, long on period details. Just hanging out and talking, roller skating, playing monopoly and jacks are all things girls did back in 1943. Not having to worry about blackout curtains or air raid sirens because the enemy would never get as far as the middle of the country to bomb it where also nice touches that I have forgotten about. Men sittting around listening to ball games on the radio, while women playing bridge, kids not being closely watched as they are today also added to the historical realism of the novel.
I thought the characterization of Susan worked, but her family and friends were not terribly well fleshed out. They felt very two dimentional to me and are what I think of as 'functional characters' - existing for the purpose of moving Susan's story along, but not really developed themselves. I should mention, despite this, the characterization of Loretta was well handled and avoided the usual stereotypical depiction of African American. She and her mother may have been poor, but they didn't speak in a dialect that was incomprehensible and seems to be the way people believe all African Americans spoke in the past.
I thought it was interesting that the strongest expressions of hate and bigotry in the novel is against the Chinese people who owned the restaurant and others who owned the Chinese Laundry and who were mistaken for being Japanese. I would have expected to see it against the Loretta because she is African American or even Susan because she is a Jewish girl from New York (with an accent she is trying to lose), particulary since it is Jim Crow laws they are bending. Too confusing for young readers? Maybe, but it would work nicely in school as a supplemental text about WW2. It could help begin lots of conversations about life on the home front.
In the long run, Susan Marcus Bends the Rules has enough merit to recommend it and will probably be very well liked by the age group it is meant for.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book is an E-ARC recieved from NetGalley
This book is supposed to be available in March 2014 but it appears to be available now.
This review was originally posted at The Children's War
December 23, 2025
Great story of cultural differences and respecting each other.
December 19, 2016
When Susan Marcus and her family move from New York City to Clayton, Missouri in 1943, she befriends an African-American girl named Loretta. Disgusted by segregation laws that keep her and her new friend from enjoying movies and swimming at the pool together, Susan decides that she, Loretta, and another friend, Marlene, will challenge the rules just a little bit in order to show their disapproval of the Jim Crow laws.
Author Jane Cutler's writing style is lyrical and descriptive, and it is easy to become swept up in her words as she describes Susan's experiences jumping from the high dive and rollerskating in a cool basement on a hot summer day. Unfortunately, the beautiful writing is not enough to give the story credibility. In a very short span of time, Susan is exposed to bigotry against Loretta, a hate crime against the owners of her parents' favorite Chinese restaurant, and anti-Semitic insults directed at her own family. By including all of these events, the author makes the story into an explicit lesson on tolerance that feels preached and forced. The didactic tone is likely to lose most readers, even if they are otherwise invested in the story. The cover, too, is a strike against the book, as it looks significantly outdated.
The strength of the writing might be enough to buy this book a spot on the shelves at larger libraries where titles for black history month book reports are in exceptionally high demand. Otherwise, the same material is covered much more completely in non-fiction titles about Ruby Bridges, and readers seeking feel-good historical fiction will find what they're looking for in the popular American Girl series.
Author Jane Cutler's writing style is lyrical and descriptive, and it is easy to become swept up in her words as she describes Susan's experiences jumping from the high dive and rollerskating in a cool basement on a hot summer day. Unfortunately, the beautiful writing is not enough to give the story credibility. In a very short span of time, Susan is exposed to bigotry against Loretta, a hate crime against the owners of her parents' favorite Chinese restaurant, and anti-Semitic insults directed at her own family. By including all of these events, the author makes the story into an explicit lesson on tolerance that feels preached and forced. The didactic tone is likely to lose most readers, even if they are otherwise invested in the story. The cover, too, is a strike against the book, as it looks significantly outdated.
The strength of the writing might be enough to buy this book a spot on the shelves at larger libraries where titles for black history month book reports are in exceptionally high demand. Otherwise, the same material is covered much more completely in non-fiction titles about Ruby Bridges, and readers seeking feel-good historical fiction will find what they're looking for in the popular American Girl series.
October 12, 2014
Susan Marcus is leaving New York and heading to St. Louis, Missouri. It is 1943 and the family is moving so her dad can start a new job. Living in St. Louis is much different than New York. Susan has a hard time accepting the Jim Crow laws of Missouri. She doesn't like the fact that her new friend Loretta can't go to the movies, the swimming pool or to restaurants just because she is black. Susan, Loretta and Marlene concoct a plan to fight Jim Crow when they realize that public transportation is not segregated.
I like the fact that this book is set in Missouri and it was interesting to read about the Jim Crow laws that affected this state. Most historical fiction dealing with this time period is set in the South not the Midwest so this is a new and different perspective. I think Susan's confusion over the difference between New York and St. Louis came off completely realistic. I am sure there were a lot of kids who didn't really see color if they didn't grow up being told to notice it. It is a nice message for kids today. However, I did have a couple of issues with this book. There is a lot packed into this very short novel, yet strangely not enough. A lot of the book is taken up with the Jim Crow laws and the issues facing people who are not white. Very little is actually mentioned about the war and the rationing and how this affects every day life. There are a few instances, but you would have thought it would have more of an impact on the characters. I also truly hate the cover of this book and think it will turn kids off. I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover but we all do and this one looks too old fashioned for kids today.
I like the fact that this book is set in Missouri and it was interesting to read about the Jim Crow laws that affected this state. Most historical fiction dealing with this time period is set in the South not the Midwest so this is a new and different perspective. I think Susan's confusion over the difference between New York and St. Louis came off completely realistic. I am sure there were a lot of kids who didn't really see color if they didn't grow up being told to notice it. It is a nice message for kids today. However, I did have a couple of issues with this book. There is a lot packed into this very short novel, yet strangely not enough. A lot of the book is taken up with the Jim Crow laws and the issues facing people who are not white. Very little is actually mentioned about the war and the rationing and how this affects every day life. There are a few instances, but you would have thought it would have more of an impact on the characters. I also truly hate the cover of this book and think it will turn kids off. I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover but we all do and this one looks too old fashioned for kids today.
January 16, 2014
When the war (WWII) causes ten-year-old Susan Marcus and her family to relocate from New York City to Clayton, Missouri, Susan hates leaving everything and everyone familiar behind her. Things are different in her new home, and it's almost as though no one remembers that the war is being fought. The town is hot, and her neighbors seem to dislike New Yorkers. When Susan becomes friends with Loretta, an African-American girl who lives secretly in the same building, she faces prejudice toward the girl and learns first-hand about Jim Crow laws. By the end of the book, she has encountered all manner of prejudice--toward blacks, Jews, New Yorkers, and the Japanese. Eventually, she and her neighbor Marlene concoct a plan in which the girls can spend some time together without getting in trouble. Although the plan is risky and doesn't really prove anything, what the girls find while on their trip is eye-opening. The hatred of others toward all Asians, for instance, is evident in the destruction of a neighborhood Chinese restaurant and the provocative messages left on the building where food is served. I liked a lot of this book and enjoyed Susan's persistence and creative solutions to problems, but sometimes the book's message gets lost in all the descriptions of her neighbors' behavior. I also felt that Susan faces all too much prejudice during the limited time frame of the book. I find it hard to believe that this was the first time she had ever experienced bigotry.
March 12, 2014
It's 1943 and ten-year-old Susan Marcus and her family have moved from New York City to small town Missouri. Lots of things are different here. Susan needs to make new friends and try to fit in. She tries to tame her New York accent, but her New York upbringing balks at the Jim Crow laws in effect in her new town, and the prejudice she sees against people of different ethnicities. Her own Jewish family comes in for a little of it as well. She makes friends with a Negro girl. (Yes, that is the word used in the book and it is historically accurate in a first-person narrative set in this time period.) Then she decides to bend one of the unspoken rules of the community. Buses aren't segregated, but she wants to sit by her new friend. With a sister and another friend along, the girls stage their small act of defiance. This is a gentle, well-written slice-of-life story. The author's use of sensory images is wonderful--you can smell the chlorine in the pool, and feel the sweat in the humid summer air. Short enough for a quick read-aloud, this chapter book would be a good way to introduce children to a different era, and to explain why the Civil Rights Movement was necessary.
December 20, 2014
In addition to a new school and new friends when her family moves to Missouri during WWII, Susan must also learn dialect and segregation laws. She embraces the dialect, but not the segregation and finds a way to ‘bend the rules’ just a bit - making this a great read aloud for fourth graders.
We are never told her family is Jewish until ‘the grandmothers’ make a statement. There are few hints beforehand, the first being that she had never had a friend who had worn a cross - which makes us ponder that she has seen one, but we don’t get another hint for many pages.
I’m becoming accustomed to informational backmatter in fiction, especially historical fiction books, but none is found here. The reader must have a background or might need to do some research to find out, yet it is not critical to understanding or enjoying the story.
Great book to pair with Jacqueline Woodson’s “The Other Side” and Pat McKissack’s “Goin’ Someplace Special,” especially during MLK season. It could also be used in any unit focusing on friendship or to introduce segregation, or WWII.
We are never told her family is Jewish until ‘the grandmothers’ make a statement. There are few hints beforehand, the first being that she had never had a friend who had worn a cross - which makes us ponder that she has seen one, but we don’t get another hint for many pages.
I’m becoming accustomed to informational backmatter in fiction, especially historical fiction books, but none is found here. The reader must have a background or might need to do some research to find out, yet it is not critical to understanding or enjoying the story.
Great book to pair with Jacqueline Woodson’s “The Other Side” and Pat McKissack’s “Goin’ Someplace Special,” especially during MLK season. It could also be used in any unit focusing on friendship or to introduce segregation, or WWII.
March 22, 2014
During World War II Susan Marcus' father loses his job in NYC. The family moves to St. Louis, Missouri where a job is waiting for him. The suburb of their new home seems friendly at first, but soon words of prejudice are whispered around town about blacks(most of the town is still segregated), Jews, and Japanese. Susan is a 10 year old city girl who has never been exposed to these injustices before. She befriends bubbly blond Marlene, and Loretta an African American who is direct and aware beyond her years. The three build a sincere friendship and break a few rules enforced during the Jim Crow Era. The historical background and racial prejudices are woven deftly into the story, so young readers can understand their impact on these clearly defined characters, at that point in time. Girls who enjoy historical fiction will appreciate this story of friendship, and learn a bit of history along the way.
July 5, 2017
"I would love to do something against old Jim Crow, but I don't know what."
It's 1943 and Susan's dad has lost his job. So, the family is forced to move from New York to Missouri. It's hard leaving her friends behind. Even more difficult, Susan is a huge Yankees fan and she's moving to Cardinal territory. It's better to just not talk about baseball. The people in Missouri sound much different than New Yorkers, too. Susan is determined to sound like them before school starts. But most difficult of all, Missouri still has segregation. This idea is completely foreign to Susan coming from New York. She doesn't understand why her friend, Loretta, can't come to the swimming pool with them. When her father explains about the Jim Crow laws, Susan feels like something needs to be done. That's when she devises a plan to "bend the rules."
Themes: friendship, prejudice, standing up for what is right
It's 1943 and Susan's dad has lost his job. So, the family is forced to move from New York to Missouri. It's hard leaving her friends behind. Even more difficult, Susan is a huge Yankees fan and she's moving to Cardinal territory. It's better to just not talk about baseball. The people in Missouri sound much different than New Yorkers, too. Susan is determined to sound like them before school starts. But most difficult of all, Missouri still has segregation. This idea is completely foreign to Susan coming from New York. She doesn't understand why her friend, Loretta, can't come to the swimming pool with them. When her father explains about the Jim Crow laws, Susan feels like something needs to be done. That's when she devises a plan to "bend the rules."
Themes: friendship, prejudice, standing up for what is right
July 4, 2014
This book provides an interesting view into the lives of Americans in the Central U. S. during World War II. Susan's family is forced to leave New York City and move to St. Louis when her father loses his job. She must cope with not only the typical changes that come along with living in a different part of the country, but she faces a type of prejudice that she has never seen. Along with a couple of friends, she sets out to take a stand for equal rights.
I enjoyed the historical nature of the story. Living near St. Louis, it was interesting for me to read about life there during the 1940s. If I could change anything in the book, I would elaborate more on the thoughts and feelings of the characters. I didn't feel that I connected with them. That being said, this is a very short books, just over 100 pages, which would partially account for this. I would also change the cover; while it's a sweet picture, I do not think it will appeal to many of my middle grade readers.
I enjoyed the historical nature of the story. Living near St. Louis, it was interesting for me to read about life there during the 1940s. If I could change anything in the book, I would elaborate more on the thoughts and feelings of the characters. I didn't feel that I connected with them. That being said, this is a very short books, just over 100 pages, which would partially account for this. I would also change the cover; while it's a sweet picture, I do not think it will appeal to many of my middle grade readers.
November 21, 2013
Susan Marcus Bends the Rules
(C) Jane Cutler
2014
During World War Two Susan Marcus moves from New York to St Louis Missouri, where she learns that segregation is the law in that state. White's and Coloreds can't live together in the same building.
Susan Marcus and her friends decide that it is time to Integrate St Louis, starting with a Chinese Restaurant, so they bring there Colored Friend Loretta over for a lunch. It's a small step but something that they feel needs to be done.
This is a great book for children to read, after the book you could discuss Integration and Prejudice, and discuss why they felt Susan Marcus and her friends felt the need to make a change? I would definitely by this books for the kids in my life.
Happy Reading
(C) Jane Cutler
2014
During World War Two Susan Marcus moves from New York to St Louis Missouri, where she learns that segregation is the law in that state. White's and Coloreds can't live together in the same building.
Susan Marcus and her friends decide that it is time to Integrate St Louis, starting with a Chinese Restaurant, so they bring there Colored Friend Loretta over for a lunch. It's a small step but something that they feel needs to be done.
This is a great book for children to read, after the book you could discuss Integration and Prejudice, and discuss why they felt Susan Marcus and her friends felt the need to make a change? I would definitely by this books for the kids in my life.
Happy Reading
August 11, 2016
What I liked best about this book is that author Jane Cutler is able to deliver a message about segregation and integration without sounding preachy.
New Yorker Susan's family has just moved to the south for employment for her father. At it's simplest, this is the story of 3 girls; Susan, Marlene, and Loretta who become friends during the summer of 1943 in a suburb of St. Louis. Dig deeper, this book is much more as Susan learns that times are tough for many and not only her own family.
This will probably work best as a read-aloud, as the cover that (probably) accurately depicts the wardrobe of the era may deter young readers.
New Yorker Susan's family has just moved to the south for employment for her father. At it's simplest, this is the story of 3 girls; Susan, Marlene, and Loretta who become friends during the summer of 1943 in a suburb of St. Louis. Dig deeper, this book is much more as Susan learns that times are tough for many and not only her own family.
This will probably work best as a read-aloud, as the cover that (probably) accurately depicts the wardrobe of the era may deter young readers.
October 27, 2015
When Susan Marcus moves from New York City to St. Louis, Missouri in 1943, she finds much more to be concerned about than that the Cardinals beat the Yankees in the last World Series. As she begins to make friends the summer before 5th grade, she encounters both casual prejudice as well as the institutionalized prejudice in the form of the Jim Crow laws. Knowing in her heart that these are wrong, Susan sets out to bend the laws, if not outright breaking them. Recommended for grades 4-6.
July 31, 2015
Short easy read about prejudice during WWII in Missouri. Characters find prejudice of blacks, Jews, New Yorkers, and Japanese Americans. Shows the courage of a young girl and her friends who take a stand against the Jim Crow laws. Great for discussion of how each person can change society for the better.
May 3, 2014
I really liked this book. The setting, in terms of time and location, seemed totally believable and the flow was just so natural. I loved that it was about dealing with prejudice but not in a heavy-handed, overly dramatic way. Really a lovely book!
July 23, 2016
Nice historical fiction. I liked the internal voice of Susan as she observed her new surroundings. The portrayal of prejudice was clear without overwhelming the story.
June 18, 2015
Great story of friendship during civil rights times.
July 25, 2022
Like a child Rosa parks
Read
October 29, 2021It was an inspiring book that taught me more about the unfairness between people of color and not.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews