The Teachers March!

by Sandra Neil Wallace, Rich Wallace, Charly Palmer (Illustrator)

Demonstrating the power of protest and standing up for a just cause, here is an exciting tribute to the educators who participated in the 1965 Selma Teachers' March, featuring evocative illustrations and eyewitness testimonies.

Reverend F.D. Reese was a leader of the Voting Rights Movement in Selma, Alabama. As a teacher and principal, he recognized that his colleagues were viewed with great respect in the city. Could he convince them to risk their jobs--and perhaps their lives--by organizing a teachers-only march to the county courthouse to demand their right to vote? On January 22, 1965, the black teachers left their classrooms and did just that, with Reverend Reese leading the way. Noted nonfiction authors Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace conducted the last interviews with Reverend Reese before his death in 2018 and interviewed several teachers and their family members in order to tell this important story.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Social Justice, Historical, Activism

44 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 2020

About the author

Sandra Neil Wallace had a lengthy career as a news anchor and ESPN sportscaster. She succeeded in breaking a gender barrier by becoming the first female to anchor an NHL broadcast. Her books have been named to state and national awards lists, including Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Book of the Year, ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, and Booklist’s Top 10 Sports Books for Youth. She lives in New Hampshire and Maine with her husband, author Rich Wallace. To learn more about her, visit sandraneilwallace.com.

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1965, there were many local and statewide laws in place that restricted many people from voting, including laws requiring people to take unfair tests or to pay a poll tax to vote. Reverend F. D. Reese wanted to change things, and he decided to take action to do so. He asked his fellow teachers to march against these laws, and many decided to join Reese. The Teachers March! tells the story of this historic event when teachers in Selma, Alabama marched, risking imprisonment and beatings.

This is a powerful story that has not been widely-told. It's an inspiring story with bold illustrations, drawing on research and interviews with participants. I felt like I was marching with the teachers as I turned the pages of the book, unsure of what would happen next.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book gave me chills. It's about real people...teachers. Preachers. Children. Selma on the edge of violence, determination, courage. Reverend F.D. Reece, a teacher during the week, in deeply segregated Alabama, ready for a change. Ready to cast his first vote. He inspires other teachers to march for voting rights. And with the help of a young John Lewis, and Reverend Martin Luther King, the Black teachers of Selma march into the billy clubs of white law enforcement, determined to deny fundamental rights to these community leaders. One teacher, Too Sweet Parrish, worries about her job, about her daughter, Joyce, but decides to march, FOR her daughter and for her students.

The authors interviewed many people who were there, including Joyce Parrish. They learned from the documents, the recordings. Between their words, the inspiring story, and the bold illustrations, this book is a treasure.

Included at the end is a timeline, a works cited list, photos, and all the places the authors visited while writing this book.

The teacher in me found my brain spinning with lesson ides, connections, reading ladders...

I'm in awe of this short book.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction picture book tells the story of an early Civil Rights march that set the stage for future demonstrations. The text and illustrations are both vibrant and engaging, and because the story focuses on the experiences and emotions of people who were involved, it gives the reader a sense of how suspenseful, dangerous, and risky this undertaking was. This book also serves as a reminder that the Civil Rights Movement is not distant history, and helps readers see both how far we have come and how much further we still have to go.

Because this book has a lot of text, it is not ideal for picture book audiences. Younger children can experience this as a read-aloud once they have the attention span for it, but it is best suited for older elementary school or middle school readers. Parents should also be aware that even though the book has no graphic content, its suspense level and direct, unflinching acknowledgement of policy brutality could make this challenging for sensitive readers. Children who are younger, or who are very easily upset, would probably be best off reading this with an adult, especially if most of this information is new to them.

My only criticism of this book is that the ending is very abrupt. There is an author's note at the end to share more information and context, but the story cuts off so quickly that when I was reading my digital copy, I went back and thought that I had missed a page. I think that this book would have benefited from a better developed conclusion, but it is a great resource that makes history feel immediate and educates readers about an essential, little-known part of Civil Rights history.

I received a temporary digital copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE TEACHERS MARCH: How Selma's Teachers Changed History is written by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, with illustrations by Charly Palmer. Every time I feel that my personal, academic, and actively informed lifelong efforts have given me a firm sense of the major moments and events within the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties, I discover another important resource that remind me how little I actually know.

Much credit is do to the co-authors of this book for their determination to uncover and provide those stories for people like me and especially for young people who deserve the whole truth of heroic stories of our American history. This is especially true for social justice stories, hidden or ignored for far too long.
Landmark events like the march led by Martin Luther King, Jr. across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma stand out as pivotal in achieving the 1965 Voting Rights Act, but not without blood, arrests, and terror tactics by the Jim Crow "law and order" powers in charge.

The back matter of this new book brightens the under-reported heroes who risked their lives to make those more visible struggles possible. The authors provide a timeline that reveals efforts to secure the vote in that area of Alabama (Dallas County) beginning three decades earlier. It includes young John Lewis helping to lead the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), who laid the path for the hero of this profile, Reverend F. D. Reese, a science teacher in the segregated schools who championed voting rights. He began leading marches for those rights more than a year before the Selma bridge events, with no fanfare, and facing constant threats. He died in 2018 with accolades from those who knew him but with little public fanfare.

It was Reese who conceived of bolstering the voice and power of the marches by challenging the Black teachers of the community. He urged them to lead the marches, overcoming the fears of the African American community through the power of their leadership and widespread respect. Those roles as leaders and their high public regard could lend success to the marches, but also meant they had the most to lose. They could be fired, They could be jailed. The relative financial and educational strength they had, that they often contributed to their community could be wiped out. Yes, their suits and polished shoes and unified voices would amplify the right to vote, the demand for equal treatment. But they had more to lose, including their own families who could be threatened.

The longer-than-typical picture book text provides a thorough revelation of the dramatic challenges and choices they faced, the confrontations that ensued, and the ways in which Reese's vision of momentum came to pass. Without a doubt, the heroism called for in that time and place was beyond the comprehension of modern readers, especially those not facing social injustice, even in today's world. This history is revealed with storyteller skills, high stakes pacing, and compelling scenes that bring to modern attention the immeasurable dangers and determination these teachers that merit a bright spotlight in history.

This is an outstanding example of powerful nonfiction for established readers, especially in context with the current Black Lives Matter and social justice movements. The extensive research, resources, and supplementary notes in the back pages can be used to extend further investigations and to authenticate the details of this depiction. Sadly, the massive infection of distorted truths, outright lies, and hidden history continue to affect a tidal wave of media making its way into all of our lives. It is particularly essential to prepare learners with reliable tools to determine what is and is not factual. Books such as this one move that process forward.

[Carol Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Teachers March! (Boyds Mills & Kane, 2020) is a nonfiction picture book that many of you will be interested in adding to your home or school library.

This is the story of Reverend F.D. Reese's activism and how it led to obtaining equal rights for African Americans. Set in 1965 in Selma, Alabama, co-authors, Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace use storytelling techniques to bring this story alive.

REVIEW

The first line hooked me right away.

"Reverend F.D. Reese taught science at R.B. Hudson High School, but his favorite subject was freedom."

Reverend Reese loved teaching science, but he was passionate about teaching his students that under the Constitution, they had the same rights as whites.

He led marchers to the courthouse to register to vote but was met by Sheriff Clark who swung his billy club and threatened harm to the Negroes. Reverend Reese knew that even if they registered, they would be forced to take a voting test that Whites didn't have to take--and that was impossible to pass.

Reverend Reese thought about how the Black teachers were respected in their community. "They were the somebody somebodies. College educated. Shiny leather shoes. Suits and Sunday brooches seven days a week. No group like that had marched for freedom before."

(Side note: When I interviewed people for Half-Truths this was the attitude that was expressed toward the Second Ward High School teachers. They were respected and loved.)

But how would he convince the teachers to march? They were frightened. Reverend Reese needed a "glorious opportunity" and a "triumphant idea."

He discovered he had both. After hearing Dr. Martin Luther King talk on television, he decided to write to him and ask for help with the teachers.

The night that Dr. King spoke at Brown Chapel, seven hundred people packed the auditorium. Two people from the community came also, 15-year-old Joyce Parrish, and her mother "Too Sweet."


Despite their fears of going to jail or losing their jobs, one by one, over a hundred teachers agreed to march for the cause: they were leaders of the community and they would come forward and demonstrate their commitment to gaining the right to vote.

As a teacher, Too Sweet had a difficult choice to make. She was a single parent. Who would take care of Joyce if she went to jail? More than a hundred teachers pledged to march, and Too Sweet was one of them.

On the morning of January 22, 1965, the teachers who had said they would march packed a peanut butter sandwich and a toothbrush. They would need them if they were arrested. Reverend Reese was worried. He'd seen other individuals arrested as they tried to register. Would the teachers show up for the march?

They did!

When they arrived at the courthouse, they were greeted by the same sheriffs who had angrily confronted Reverend Reese before.

But this time, the sheriff and his deputies faced a huge crowd of teachers. If they all got arrested, who would teach the students? The superintendent would have to close the schools. The sheriff knew that and had to put away his billy club.

"Reverend Reese and his triumphant idea had gained a glorious victory."

Afterward, Joyce was relieved when she found her mother amidst the group of marchers. She and her mother hugged; Dr. King came back and praised the teachers.

Because the teachers marched, other groups marched also. Beauticians and barbers. Undertakers. Even the students.

"Many of the Selma marchers were arrested and the nation took notice. They wondered why respectable citizens in suits and dresses, and school kids carrying books, were jailed."

In the summer of 1965, the Voting Rights Act passed. In August, Reverend Reese, Too Sweet, and other teachers climbed the steps to the courthouse. There were no voting tests or bully clubs.

And the first thing they did, was vote Sheriff Clark out of office.

AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS NOTES
The back pages of the book are filled with information. The authors, Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace discuss their interviews with Reverend Reese, Joyce Parrish O' Neal, and Lawrence Huggins, another teacher mentioned in the book. In addition, the illustrator, Charly Palmer, discusses his use of photographs to create his unique illustrations. A detailed timeline and bibliography make this an excellent curriculum resource for students in 2nd-5th grades.

GIVEAWAY
Leave me your name and email address by September 11 to enter the giveaway. For an extra chance to win, share this post on social media and let me know what you do. https://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com...

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Calkins Creek from Edelweiss+.
Neil Wallace shares the story of the Teachers March in 1965 Selma. Rev. Frederick Douglas Reede organized the teachers to march to the courthouse to protest for voting rights. It was the first time professionals marched together and moved the cause significantly forward. The descriptive language works for upper elementary level readers. Soft focused illustrations provide a gentle light to the intensity of the subject matter. Informative text, timeline and bibliography are included at the end of the book.

[Blythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. The story is so, so important and inspirational. The illustrations are gorgeous. But the writing is so very choppy and skips around. We kept having to stop because my kids couldn’t follow.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie’s Picks: THE TEACHERS MARCH! HOW SELMA’S TEACHERS CHANGED HISTORY by Sandra Neil Wallace, Rich Wallace, and illustrator Charly Palmer. Boyds Mills/Calkins Creek, September 2020, 44p., ISBN: 978- 0-06-288276-9

“The connection between race and voter suppression did not end in the 1960’s. While the overtly racist suppression tactics of the Jim Crow past are no longer with us, voter suppression remains a mainstay of electoral politics in the United States today.”
-- Brennan Center for Justice, “The New Voter Suppression” (2020)

The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was one of my childhood heroes. I became a reader--and a newspaper reader--in an era when Dr. King was often in the headlines and on TV. Fortunately, I had some progressive young elementary school teachers who were big fans of his. They shared their excitement, so I paid extra attention to news of Dr. King’s work. His ideals influenced my view of America and my developing personal values.

“Dr. King said people shouldn’t be afraid of being arrested. They should go to jail by the thousands to defend the right to vote.”

THE TEACHERS MARCH! HOW SELMA’S TEACHERS CHANGED HISTORY is a gripping tale involving the voting rights struggle that too many black Americans faced in the past and still face today in some of these United States. It’s a picture book that involves Dr. King and one of his fellow ministers. It features a positive depiction of activism, one involving teachers as community leaders.

“Reverend F.D. Reece taught science at R.B. Hudson High School, but his favorite subject was freedom. He believed that everyone was a first-class citizen, just like the Constitution stated. To be treated as less than equal, that just wasn’t right.”

THE TEACHERS MARCH! exposes the unjust and brutal manner in which many black Americans were denied the right to register or to vote. We see a physically violent and unfettered police force that confronts Reverend F.D. Reece when he leads teachers on a march in Selma, Alabama--a march on behalf of voting rights. In those days, in many portions of the United States, people of color were at risk of a police beating--or worse--if they dared seek to register to vote.

Charly Palmer’s vivid acrylic paintings depicting the march complement the equally powerful text.

As we learn in the Author’s Note, these teachers in Selma motivated others to stand up and to keep standing up. Just six weeks after the march depicted here, Reverend Reece and others involved in the Teacher’s March stood alongside Dr. King on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and took their licks from the cops. Those events helped persuade then-President Lyndon Johnson to make his all-out push for what became the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

As detailed by the Brennan Center for Justice, many states are still enacting registration laws whose purpose is to disenfranchise certain parts of the population. Of course, in a more just America, all citizens would be encouraged to vote, not made to jump through hoops.

It was a blemish on the nation that, in the 1960s, black Americans were still being brutally denied the vote. It’s even worse that, fifty-five years after these events took place, voter suppression remains such a pressing Civil Rights issue in America.

THE TEACHERS MARCH! is one of the best Civil Rights books I’ve seen lately. It’s one that I encourage you to read and to share with 9-14 year olds, as well as teachers in your life.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine teaching your African American students that freedom and equal rights are guaranteed in the United States Constitution, but not for them. That was one of the dilemma's faced by science teacher Reverend R. B. Reese in 1965 Selma, Alabama. Selma was a segregated city and the white people there intended to keep it that way, and one of the ways they did it was by denying black citizens the right to vote.

But when Reverend Reese led marchers to the Selma courthouse to register to vote, they were stopped by Sheriff Clark and his white policemen wielding billy clubs and they didn't hesitate to use them. Realizing he needed a "triumphant idea" that would make the voices of the black citizens of Selma heard, Reverend Reese came up with the idea he needed - what if the teachers marched? After all, they were leaders, but would teachers march? Since judge had declared marching and talking about civil rights against the law in 1964, Selma's teachers might not be so willing to put themselves on the line.

How to convince the teachers to march anyway? After all, they could be arrested, go to jail, loose their jobs. Reverend Reese invited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr to come and speak to them.

After listening to Dr. King's inspiring talk, one hundred and four teachers signed up to march. Packing a sandwich and a toothbrush in case they were arrested, and led by Reverend Reese, the teachers marched to the courthouse and were twice repelled by Sheriff Clark and cops, but the teachers went back despite their bumps and bruises.

This time, the school superintendent came out, realized what it would mean to arrest so many teachers and next thing he knew, the police had put away their billy clubs and handcuffs: "Reverend Reese and his triumphant idea had gained a glorious victory".

Reverend Reese's marchers may not have been able to register to vote that day, but in 1965 the Voting Rights Act was passed and there were no one on the courthouse steps to stop black people of Selma from registering to vote and yes, in the next election, they voted Sheriff Clark out of office.

One of the interesting things about this nonfiction picture book for older readers is that the story, though basically focused on Reverend Reese, also shows the impact the teachers march had on one teacher, Too Sweet Parrish, and her 15-year-old daughter, Joyce, and to a lesser extent on Coach Lawrence Huggins. And the authors were fortunate enough to be able to interview Reverend Reese shortly before he passed away, as well as Joyce Parrish O'Neal and Coach Huggins to get first hand accounts of that day.

Though the Teachers March was a smaller, lesser known protest, the teachers showed so much courage and determination that they inspired others to march, too. And it shows how people can make a difference.

The book is well-written and well-researched. I find that the Wallace's always seems to make a complicated event more accessible to young readers, and more personal so kids really get a sense of what it was like to be present during the events they write about.

Charly Palmer's emotional illustrations are painted in bright, bold acrylic colors with thick brushstrokes, adding texture and depth to the text.

Be sure to read the Authors' Note in the back matter for more information about the Teachers March and the participants. You will also find a Timeline relating to the Voting Rights Movement, and a Selected Bibliography for further investigation.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was an EARC gratefully received from Edelweiss+

[Vidya Tiru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Teachers March!
Author: Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace
Illustrator: Charly Palmer
Length: 44 pages
Genre: Children’s Nonfiction/History (7 – 10 years, and up)
Publisher: Calkins Creek (September 29, 2020)
Source: Edelweiss digital review copy

What It Is
A heartfelt and inspiring tribute to the participants of a little-known but deserves to be more well-known event in history; to all those wonderful educators who risked their lives and their livelihood as they took part in the 1965 Teachers’ March at Selma. With eyewitness testimonies and beautiful artwork, this book is a must-have.

The How (I Felt)
While I knew about some of the more prominent things about Selma – the march with MLK in specific, I did not know about Reverend F.D. Reese or the teachers’ march, I did not know how it sparked many more such marches among regular people – barbers, doctors, and other professionals – to take up the right to march and to fight for their rights. The book also revealed many other details of racial segregation that I had been aware of only slightly, like the truly unnecessary and vague tests black people needed to take to become registered voters.

The Teachers March! takes readers right alongside all those marchers of years ago, with an inspiring, engaging, and dramatic narrative, and stunning artwork that captures the emotions and actions effectively. We learn about some of the specific educators who took part in the march, including Reverend Reese, a teacher named Too Sweet and her daughter, as well as a couple more.

Back matter includes an author’s note, illustrator’s note, a timeline, historical photographs, and a selected bibliography with a rich list of resources.

Perfect Pairing
One book from books I have read earlier – Someday is Now.

In Summary
An important story that deserves to be read, especially in the current climate.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A timeline in the backmatter highlights dates from 1936 to August 6, 1964 when the Voting Rights Act was passed. It travels past to that year's death of a Voting Rights Activist then to 2018 when Reverend F. D. Reese passed away. He was the teacher of high school science also and had the idea that teachers marching, those respected, well-dressed, and educated people in the community could rise up and march together, would make a difference in the fight for African American's right to vote. That summer of 1964 a judge had declared that marching and talking about voting rights was against the law. Reverend Reese wrote a letter to Dr. King asking him to come to speak, to persuade the teachers. Only one pastor (of Brown Chapel) was not afraid to have Dr. King speak and 700 people showed up!
An underlying story centers on a single mother and her daughter. Teachers feared being fired and losing their incomes, especially those with only one breadwinner in the family. If they went to jail and lost their income, what would happen to their children? And as many write, the rest is history! They did march to the courthouse steps and break the law, but the Superintendent of Schools came out and wondered how he could fire them all. There would be no one left to teach. They were triumphant and because they marched, other groups began that journey, too, students saw the courage of their teachers and parents. Later, they marched from Selma to Montgomery with Dr. King and they got the right to vote!
Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace have created an inspiring story that becomes real in this book. There are other important characters that added strength and courage I haven't mentioned. There's a lengthy extra piece by the author and many source notes to help everyone look for more information. Read photographs of the main people are also on the pages, including the Sheriff who used his billy club more than once to keep people from the courthouse. As soon as the right to vote was given, he was voted out!
Illustrations show realistic, but blurred images, history past, still here, but fading? Charly Palmer's note states she used real images as her source material. They help tell the action and emotion of this important story well.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

NCTE ORBIS PICTUS HONOR BOOK 2021

January 1965.
Selma, Alabama.

"If teachers marched, people would notice, and change would come."

This is a powerful story about teachers putting themselves on the front-lines of the civil rights movement, teachers who could lose their jobs and livelihoods, stepping up and stepping out. This march by teachers sparked the courage of others (including their students) to march, leading to the marches later that spring with Dr. King and John Lewis and ultimately to the signing of the Voting Rights Act late that summer by President Johnson.

This is a particularly moving story given that I am writing this in the midst of a global pandemic and teachers are "again" putting themselves on the frontlines--making sure that children have safe spaces at school or virtually to learn and thrive despite the dangers all around. (I put "again" in quotations because, sadly, it appears that the Black teachers engaged in the 1965 Teachers' March were not accompanied by white teachers in the Selma area.)

Wallace and Wallace's text has a sharp edge to it, creating tension, making the reader (or students listening to the book read aloud) want to turn the page to see what happens next. Palmer, the illustrator, reveals a great deal of the story in how he chooses to illustrate the body language of the various people.

DON'T SKIP THE AUTHORS' NOTE - Wallace and Wallace reveal more details about the key figures in the book - Reverend Reese (who initiated the march), Lawrence Huggins (who took the lead in the march) and Joyce Parrish O'Neal (whose mother was a teacher and marched). AND there's an interesting ILLUSTRATOR'S NOTE about how Palmer "hired a photographer to restage multiple images" to use as source material.

Other BACK MATTER includes photographs of the march and a timeline. And the "selected bibliography" includes "interviews" and "in-person visits" that are not necessarily sources a student can consult, but instead serve to affirm the accuracy and authority of the details included in the book.

GREAT FOR AN INTERACTIVE READ ALOUD with middle grade students. Read it aloud for the JOY of learning this story and then return to specific parts for students to ponder and discuss in small groups. So many possibilities for grand conversations.
*What did Reverend Reese mean by a "glorious opportunity" and "triumphant idea"?
*What does it mean to be a leader? Who were the "leaders" in this story?
*How does change in society happen?
*What did Reverend Reese mean when he said, "We were like giants...Great giants!"?

[Sathya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally really enjoyed reading this book. The Teachers March, written by Sandra Neil Wallace is a great informational book for students in middle to late elementary school to read about. This book is an informational novel with illustrations that depicts the march led by Revered F.D. Reese campaigning for African American rights to register to vote. This is a quality piece of children's literature because of how the author uses unbiased language and provides accurate information on the topic. I enjoyed reading this because I was able to learn about the teachers march the occurred and it was easy to read. This is a powerful true story that has valuable information for children to learn about African American Suffrage. In addition, the author included great illustrations that enhance the readers experience.
I think this book is truly a WOW book because of how the author does a great job with presenting unbiased information about an important event in African American history.

[Anina Falco · Rating 4 out of 5]

On January 22, 1965, teachers in Selma, Alabama, took a stand for their right to vote. This read does a fantastic job at explaining the story and includes a timeline of African American rights. In my future classroom, I would use this book as a resource to help my students understand the moral of a complex snowball of issues. Children aged 8-11, so that it is an issue that will also be discussed in the history portion of their schooling.

[Grace Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I had never heard of this march. Even with as much as has been written about the Selma marches and Bloody Sunday, this hadn't been part of my education.
As a teacher and librarian, this books fills me with pride in my fellow educators who were willing to put their freedom and livelihoods at risk for the right all people should have- the right to vote!

[Kris Dersch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really well done and the illustrations are phenomenal. I'm sure I'm not the only one who hadn't heard this important part of the story and it's really well told here and inspiring with absolutely fabulous back matter. When you think about these college educated adults willing to go to jail who were denied the right to vote...it's insane. It's so important we keep telling this story.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Teacher’s March

I hadn’t heard of the Teacher’s March and find it so inspiring. As a teacher myself, it’s a profession that is tightly controlled and geared against controversies. This is a great example on how teachers can change history.

[Susan Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, compelling account of teachers marching for voting rights in Selma, Alabama. I will be reading this to students. (Library)

[Kevin Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selma was a turning point in American history, and Sandra Neil Wallace has captured the spirit of this important event in a manner that all ages can read, learn and understand.

[Lauren Fels · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Teachers March! is an information text that highlights teachers standing up for their right to vote. This book follows a science teacher that invites Dr. MLK to speak in Selma. This inspires the teachers to march in the streets for their rights. This book takes place in the Civil Rights Era and provides information about this little-known march. Through this book, readers get a better understanding of the smaller marches that inspired bigger marches in the Civil Rights Era. It also communicates the message that when a lot of people come together big things can happen.

I think this would be a great book to use to teach students about the Civil Rights Era and highlight some of the lesser known details. This information is something they would likely not come across in other classrooms even though this still occurred in history. I would also like to use this book to empower students to stand up for what they believe in since many of the themes in this text can still be considered relevant today. I would also use this book during teacher appreciation week to promote student respect for educators.

This book was a WOW book for me because I did not know about this teacher march and it was very inspiring to hear what they went through. I also said WOW when I learned how planned out this march was. Those participating packed toothbrushes and food in case they got arrested. They will willing to fight for their beliefs despite the consequences. I was also taken aback when I realized how the themes in this book relate to those in current events. This is a WOW book because it demonstrates change that can occur when many people come together and inspires students to do the same today.

[Rebeca Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reverend F.D. Resse was a leader of the Voting Rights Movement in Alabama. As a teacher, he saw that his colleagues and students deserved the right to vote. His primary subject to teach was science, but he also preached about the subject of freedom. In the 1960s, African-Americans had to do tests that kept them from voting and they knew to why it was so. Rev. Resse knew that there had to be changed but he also knew that it may be a dangerous task- when it comes to losing their jobs. Resse taught at R.B. Hudson High School, so he was motivated to make a better future for his students. One thing that came as an advantage was Dr. Martin Luther King coming to Alabama to support the cause. The meeting had to be held in a church, but in so many places were scared to be shut down when it came to this. As for the superintendent, he sees the teachers marching as useless when he sees that it may be more harmful to the students not having teachers left. From the march, the teachers were able to encourage others for the civil rights to be earned. The president also signed that voting rights for all didn't require testing for African-Americans.

I liked the book since it was mainly about the teachers making an impact on their students' and community's rights in voting. I originally didn't understand how teachers can do this since now many people are more concerned about themselves and their jobs. In history class, students are taught of the civil rights movements but there is no specification of which ones were special in this case. In the colorful and vivid illustrations, this story carries the importance of voting rights and more appealing for younger readers. For higher elementary students, this would be something to read for them to understand the rights gained when they're old enough to vote. This also shows relevance when children are able to encourage their parents to vote, but also see how far Americans have come from only a few people to vote.

[Neha Thakkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Show up and show out", Reverend Reese preaches, and show up they do, when the teachers march! This would be great paired with Let the Children March, and a deep dive into Selma, the parallels between the time of segregation, the peaceful protests of that time and the peaceful protests of now and how the media skews them. This could also be tied to a discussion of voters rights, voting tests (could you tell me how many drops of water are in the Alabama River?), government, and the importance of not only voting, but voting in your own communities at the local level. As well as understanding the platforms and bias of local candidates that will directly effect community needs and services: like schools, public transportation, police presence (or lack of), fire department services, public libraries, park districts, and more!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a treat it was to read this book about how teachers in Selma, Alabama stood up for their voting rights! While many individuals may know about the march across the bridge in Selma on Bloody Sunday in 1965, few may have heard about this particular piece of civil rights history. In riveting text the authors capture the determination of Rev. F. D. Reese, a science teacher, who fought relentlessly for the right of Blacks to register to vote. Having been rebuffed when he and some other citizens tried to do so, Reese reached out to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for inspiration and to the local teachers for help. Aware that the community looked up to its teachers, Reese urged them to join him in standing up for what was right. The author builds suspense as it isn't clear if any teachers will volunteer to march or even show up as they promised. But show up they did. As Wallace and Wallace write, "The teachers didn't breathe a word. They didn't smile or sing freedom songs. But you could hear the courage in their leather shoes churning up the red dirt road and see the bravery behind their Sunday brooches, catching the light of the sun" (unpaged). The authors make it clear just how much those teachers were risking as they hit the streets since they could easily have been fired by the school district. As they arrived at the court house to register, the teachers faced violence as they were pushed from the steps, but eventually, things settled into a stalemate since firing all the teachers would have meant having to find others to replace them. And oh, how those teachers' students drew inspiration from their example as they, too, protested. Clearly, the teachers' courage struck a note with them and with others who read newspapers and watched the news. And things began to change in Selma, Alabama, and all over the land. The acrylic illustrations are simply amazing, filled with emotion and movement. Readers will feel as though they have been immersed in every scene depicted here. Back matter includes an Authors' Note discussing the importance of Selma, photographs of Rev. Reese, Coach Lawrence Huggins, who led the marchers, and Sheriff Jim Clark, who tried to prevent them from entering the courthouse. There's also a timeline focusing on the Voting Rights Act. This is an essential book for anyone interested in civil rights history or the importance of having access to the ballot. Timely because of the recent elections, this book may also remind teachers of how important their place is in their communities. How many of us today would risk our jobs for our beliefs or to right a wrong?

[Kaila Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Teacher’s March: How Selma’s Teachers Changed History is a narrative nonfiction picture book that can teach kids about some usually untold history in Selma, Alabama during the Civil Rights Era and about the power of working together//collective power. The story is told in a rather intriguing manner contradictory to run-of-the-mill, fact-reciting nonfiction, continuously captivating the reader’s attention by wondering what will happen to the teachers next. The text includes subtle sentences about issues of racism that are still present today, like police violence towards peaceful protesters, and does a wonderful job of indulging the characters’ and community’s emotions throughout the story, like when “Reverend Reese worried that nobody would show up” in regards to Dr. King’s speech, after somebody smoke bombed the church the night before. The back matter (extra information at the back of the book) is extensive as well, including a two-page author’s note, an illustrator’s note, a timeline, a considerable bibliography, where to learn more, and real-life pictures throughout the back matter.

The illustrations by Charly Palmer have a very lovely oil pastel-y aesthetic and are all individually empowering, from the image of teacher and mother Too Sweet hugging her daughter goodbye in case she doesn’t come back, to the depiction of the teachers’ nice, professional shoes goes from the Black side of town’s dirt road to the White side of town’s paved road. This book is upfront and honest about the realities of racism while staying age-appropriate and unobjectionable.

Full summary for those interested:
We follow the story of Reverend F. D. Reese, also a teacher at R. B. Hudson High School, who knew that segregation was wrong, particularly that Black folks were prohibited from voting and the presence of the knowledge tests. Reverend Reese worked hard to invite teachers to march in protest (even after a law passed prohibiting marching) and even got Dr. King to speak to the community. The book then begins to follow the stories of two other teachers, including Too Sweet who had a daughter at home to worry about, and Coach Lawrence Huggins, who wanted to set an example for his students of fighting for freedom. The teachers were scared of getting beaten or sent to jail, ruining their lives and careers, but then were met with overwhelming support from the school’s students. When the teachers got to the schoolhouse, they did get beat but then the superintendent came out, the teachers held their ground, and other groups followed their example and started to march as well, which sparked all kinds of national attention and eventually resulted in change.

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Teacher's March! by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace is a historical nonfiction picture book about a event in the Civil Rights movement that is not often mentioned, (I admit that I don't remember ever hearing of it before.), the Teacher's March in Selma, Alabama. Prior to the more infamous events in Selma, Alabama, featuring MLK Jr., John Lewis, and so many other brave civil rights activists, the Reverend F.D. Reese, a science teacher as well as a minister, led a group of 104 school teachers on a march through Selma to the court house to ask to register to vote...again. While they were denied their right to register at that time, they were, notably, not arrested, which made an important step in the campaign to secure the right to vote for Black Americans.

This book not only relays the story of the March itself, but also gives historical context from both before and after the March, setting it in the greater framework of the Civil Rights movement. The authors include first hand perspectives from surviving witnesses they personally interviewed, including Reverend F.D. Reese himself. The story is easy to read, with a compelling narrative structure and striking acrylic on board illustrations. Several pages at the end of the book offer an author's note which includes further information and context, as well as present day photos of two of the surviving marchers, and black and white historical photos from Selma marches. There is also a concise timeline of events and a comprehensive bibliography citing books, personal interviews and visits, films and audio resources, websites, magazines, newspapers, and journals. A portion of the proceeds from this book are being donated to the historic church featured in this story and a STEAM academy in Selma.

"The teacher's didn't breathe a word . . . but you could hear courage in their leather shoes churning up the red dirt road."

Overall this was just a great read, highly recommended for the children in your life. While honest about the nature of the resistance the Black residents of Selma faced, the book does not include detailed enough descriptions of violence to distress most young readers. Instead, this book shows how everyone can contribute to making a positive difference and standing up for what is right, and sheds a light on one historical event, set within a greater historical context--neither of which should be forgotten.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Astra Publishing for sharing a free advance copy of #TheTeachersMarch with me.

[Ben Truong · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Teachers March! is a children's picture book written by the team of Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace and illustrated by Charly Palmer. In 1965, a group of 104 teachers led by the Rev. F.D. Reese peacefully marched to the Dallas County Courthouse in Selma, Alabama, demanding Black citizens' right to register to vote.

The Selma to Montgomery marches was three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. The marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the desire of African-American citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote, in defiance of segregationist repression.

Wallace's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. The Wallaces eloquently portray the vitality of the group effort as well as the high risk involved in participating in the initial and subsequent Selma marches. Backmatter includes creators' notes, a timeline, a selected biography, and further resources. Abstract, multilayered acrylic paintings by Palmer ground readers in the action, such as a moving scene in which lines of teachers march.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. This picture book highlights and interweaves the journeys of a few specific people: Rev. F.D. Reese, who led marchers to register to vote, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who visited Selma to speak on voting rights, and Too Sweet, a teacher and single mother who joined the march. This well-researched picture book proves riveting in its telling of how everyday heroes led a fight that resulted in the Voting Rights Act.

All in all, The Teachers March! is an alarmingly relevant book that mirrors current events.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reverend Reese is called a “troublemaker” by the (white) town sheriff because he is a black man who likes to protest, wants to register to vote, and fights segregation in places like Selma, Alabama. He is also a teacher. He wonders, what if all of the teachers march and send a message that they will not be silenced? Dr. King then gives his most important speech and, afterward, agrees to come to Brown Chapel – and everyone is encouraged to join the march. This is, of course, based on a historic march. They get to the steps to register to vote and the sheriff bars them entry, but he also does not arrest anyone. This all leads to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

How to Use This Book: Nonfiction should be included in lessons and readings about black life in America throughout the year, but are especially important during Black History Month. This book should be read to children as a quick, easy way to describe the effort that black individuals went through in order to get the right to vote.

Personal Response: Personally, the artwork in this book is not my favorite, however, the images that are being depicted are very unique to a certain era and moment in history, making them worthwhile for young readers. As a nonfiction example, this is a perfect length for the target reading audience and I appreciate that there are recommended reading lists in the back of the book for those interested in Civil Rights in the United States. A book that is needed, especially in areas where history is being erased/forgotten.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many people have heard of the march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights. But not many know about the teachers in Selma who marched before that. This book tells the story of the black teachers who risked their jobs and their freedom to stand up as community leaders and demand their right to vote.

The image of the teachers gathering in front of the school and holding "their toothbrushes gleaming like swords in the Selma sun" shows their determination and their understanding that their actions could have them spending time behind bars. "They'd stepped out for their right to vote, ready to be handcuffed - ready to lose their jobs for that right." The text mentions the literacy test that black citizens were required to pass in order to become registered voters. A test with questions like "How many drops of water in the Alabama River?" that even college-educated people could never answer correctly.

Readers will be cheering for the teachers as they stand up to the corrupt officials blocking them from their rights. Many may grin when they read that the first thing black voters did was to vote the sheriff out of office. Back matter includes a selected bibliography of sources - interviews, books, film and audio, periodicals, in-person visits, picture credits. There are also an author's and an illustrator's note, a timeline, photos of some of the major individuals from the march, and a list of suggested sources to Learn More.

A great addition to collections on Civil Rights.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction picture book for older readers. This book is about Selma, Alabama and the Civil Rights Movement. However, it is not about the famous march with John Lewis, but a smaller more local march that came before it. Black people in Selma were tired of being denied the vote. Under the leadership of FD Reese, a teacher and preacher, 105 teachers marched together to the courthouse to register to vote. Though they didn't get to register that day, they did get to go home without being arrested or losing their job. That showing of strength from the teachers inspired others and later many of them did march from Selma all the way to Montgomery.

This book goes into the human emotions behind the marches-- a preacher covering up his bruises from past police interactions, a young girl worrying what will happen if her mother is put in jail, risking job security to stand up for something that should already be yours. A powerful book to go deeper into this important time in history with upper elementary or older children. The illustrations are painted and colorful, with some faces having details and others being blurred. Extensive back matter has resource lists, more information, notes from the author and illustrator, timeline, and photographs.

[ClaudiaM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this powerful picture book in traditional book format after finding it on the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award website. I had not heard of this group of teachers before, their story is impressive. The book focuses on Reverend F.D. Reese and the Black teachers of Selma, Alabama, who risked their jobs and safety to march for their right to vote. It’s such an important piece of history that I didn’t learn about growing up.

Even though it’s nonfiction, the book has many of the elements we’ve talked about in class as key to strong historical fiction: it’s emotionally powerful, grounded in real events, and culturally authentic. The illustrations by Charly Palmer are incredibly bold, expressive, and full of emotion, which brings the story to life for younger readers.

This book is great for grades 2–5. One classroom activity I’d try is having students create their own “march signs” based on something they believe in, like fairness, kindness, or protecting nature. It’s a simple but meaningful way to connect the story to their own voices and ideas about justice.

I’d recommend this for any civil rights unit or even just to talk about how everyday people, especially teachers! can be leaders and changemakers.