The Lions of Little Rock

Purchased for 6th grade Pre-AP ELAR class. My daughter loves it and says it is amazing! The book is written well and does the subject matter justice (I have a history degree with a specialization in this period of history).

Beginning the new school year in 1958 at Little Rock's West Side Junior High, Marlee wondered how long it would take for her teachers to figure out that she would not speak at school. Not a word, for Marlee did not speak out loud to anyone except her family members.

This situation turned on its head when Marlee befriended a new girl at school named Liz. Liz could somehow understand Marlee and even encourage her to give an oral presentation before the entire class. Surprisingly though, Liz stopped coming to school one day when word got out that she was a light-skinned African American trying to pass as white in an all-white junior high school.

Just a year after the "Little Rock Nine" had courageously integrated the high school, the elementary and junior high schools remained segregated and racial tensions had led to actual closings of the public high schools. Marlee now had a very good reason to find her voice and speak out so she could try to get her friend back.

This skillfully-crafted novel for young adults does an excellent job communicating what it was like to come of age in such a racially charged setting. Along the way the book covers important concepts in economics, especially the economics of education and racial discrimination in the provision of public services. Adding to the uniqueness of the book is its focus on Little Rock in the year after forced integration of the high schools, a year that garnered less coverage in the history books but one that encapsulated further noteworthy events related to integration and social cohesion.

In 1958, the high schools in Little Rock, Arkansas are closed in attempt to prevent desegregation. Twelve-year-old Marlee still attends her junior high, and her father, a teacher who seems in favor of desegregation, still has his job. However, Marlee's mother, who is supposed to teach at a high school and whose position on segregation Marlee's not really sure of, reports to an empty classroom, and her sister Judy is eventually sent to live with their grandmother so she can attend school.
At school, Marlee, who doesn't talk to anyone outside her family meets a new girl, Liz, who befriends her and helps her start to find her voice. However, when another classmate finds out that Liz is actually "colored," Liz has to leave school. Faced with the loss of her first real friend, Marlee starts to realize what her feelings about integration are, what friendship is worth, and that some things are worth speaking up for.

I loved this book. I loved Marlee and seeing her growth, and Liz was so smart and spunky; she was great. I loved seeing Marlee's evolving relationships with her family members, too. I loved learning more about this time in history. I'd heard about the Little Rock Nine, of course, but I don't know if I'd ever heard about the Lost Year before. I found this book to be very readable and while I found it to be so interesting just for my own reading, I wish my kids were older so I could share this book with them! This book is a great discussion book--there's a lot of stuff to talk about. This was a really powerful story.

Required Summer Reading = Unhappy Tween Boy

My poor boy. Apparently, the school is ruining his summer! Did you know they are intentionally STEALING his vacation time away from him?? Oh, the drama...

Post-meltdown, I went in my closet and had a little laugh, composed myself, and then sat down and made a plan. I've always made an effort to read along with my boy and summertime is no exception. So we went on a book hunt (with a frappuccino stop of course) and printed out all the assignments the school organized for each book...which was a lot I have to admit. With books in hand, and audio on standby to keep us on task, we mapped out which chapters would be read on which days. With 57 chapters, it evened out to approximately ten chapters a day (they're fairly brief chapters). So this is how it went...

Day 1: Chapters 1-9
Day 2: Chapters 10-19
Everything going as planned! Yay!

Day 3: Chapters 20-39
I stopped him at chapter 30 but he wanted to keep reading. Okaaaaay...

Day 4: Chapters 40-57
Again, I stopped him at 50...but he didn't want to stop.

Basically, this is my review. An incoming sixth grader came to this required book with a negative outlook. He had a week to finish it and he finished it in four days. Some may say he just wanted to get it over with, and that may be true, but I was there. His gasps, smiles, and concerned frowns spoke for themselves.

He's working on his assignments as I write this with no complaints. It's like he actually liked the book and doesn't mind reflecting on it...it's my turn to gasp.

My favorite quote:
"We tell kids that sometimes. We pretend the world is straightforward, simple, easy. You do this, you get that. You're a good person and try your best, and nothing bad will happen. But the truth is, the world is much more like an algebraic equation. With variables and changes, complicated and messy. Sometimes there's more than one answer, and sometimes there is none. Sometimes we don't even know how to solve the problem. But usually, if we take things step by step, we can figure things out."

My "reviews" are really more of a personal response to a book - how I connected to it, what I liked and didn't like. I felt a particular connection to The Lions of Little Rock because I went to high school in Fort Smith, the second largest Arkansas city, in the late 50s, and I had a friend who went to Central High. My grandparents lived in Little Rock and the book snapped me into a recollection of going to the zoo there. I remember the lions and the elegant lion house, which you can see behind the fence on the cover of my hardback copy. I also remember the elephant and her name, Ruth, with fondness. The idea of the roaring lions lulling our heroine to sleep charmed me, and although the book started as a fairly conventional teenage story, when I got to chapter eight where the girls are practicing their school presentation in front of Ruth at the zoo, I was hooked.

The book is an informative sequel to Carlotta Wall's A Mighty Long Way, which I highly recommend. Integration in my high school didn't happen until after I graduated, which was 1960. I didn't recall the Little Rock school closures in 1959 and the grassroots campaign to re-open them. In that respect the book is engaging even as an adult read.

I did have a little trouble with the pat "teenage" story, but am not familiar with that genre. I'd like to know what young readers think of it and hope I can get my granddaughter to read it. Certainly Melee and Liz were strong characters, but the rest of the cast seemed a bit stereotyped. Least convincing to me were the baddies, JT and his brother Red. They got in trouble with the police for throwing eggs at a house on Halloween? That was expected and accepted behavior when I was a kid. But later when they engage in life-threatening racist actions, the police do nothing? That I could believe, but not the egg incident. Also there was a hint that the boys' father abused the mother, but we didn't get a follow-up on that.

I did enjoy seeing Marlee change and grow from the very early chapters, and was especially pleased when she turned down JT in spite of his transformation at the end. Most of all, I liked the message that even young people can make a difference, or maybe ESPECIALLY young people can make a difference when it comes to overcoming prejudice. I've never said this before about a book, but I'd like to see it made into a movie.

Dana Bagshaw, Santa Cruz, CA

This was a delightful historical fiction novel set in Arkansas in the midst of attempted (forced) school segregation. As I've read Cybils' fiction each year, those set in this time have been among my favorite historical fiction novels. I think that kids are interested as well, mostly because they are somewhat baffled by it.

In addition to this being a good story of Civil Rights, it's just as strong -- or stronger -- on the theme of friendship, and also quite inspiring about overcoming your fears. It really packs a punch, and I highly recommend it for boys or girls, probably 6th grade and up, depending on maturity level. There's no real objectionable content, but there are disturbing thoughts and behaviors and violence in keeping with the reality of what went on in this time period, in addition to some mild romantic content.

I think this could appeal to boys and girls, because though the 2 main characters are girls, there are many strong secondary boy characters. If you think the paperback cover is too girly, look at the hardcover. The hardcover is just blah, yet gender neutral, while I think the softcover is going to scream "girly" to any young man out there who might attempt to read it.

That's one good thing about ereaders, because you can put books on there and forget about the cover (and no one else will see them either!

Friendship can never be broken, no matter what you face. This book was a very great novel, it never got boring and it had me at the edge of my seat with all of the twist and turns. Lions of Little Rock taught me that even though you might be in a different area you can still communicate and stick up for your friends. The two main characters in this novel are two girls, Marlee, and Liz. One good example of their friendship is that after Liz had to leave school, Marlee finds a way to see and call Liz without getting caught.

These girls almost have nothing in common other than being in middle school. They are also living during segregation. Liz always has the words to tell people in front of the class. Marlee can’t speak in front of her class to save her life. Although, they are of a different race, they become best of friends and learn to stick up for each other, even though they could risk their lives. If you are interested into excited novels this would be the book for you. - K. Newberry

We are all familiar with the Little Rock Nine and the court-ordered integration of schools. A less publicized event occurred in Little Rock the following year, known as the 'lost year.' During the lost year segregationists forced all the public high schools in Little Rock to be closed to avoid integration for the entire school year. The Lions of Little Rock is a novel set during this lost year, exploring the complex friendship of a two thirteen year old girls, one of which is caught passing as white. Their innocent friendship sparks a series of events that are anything but.

The Lions of Little Rock is most appropriated for children in fourth grade to seventh grade. It draws the reader very gradually into the complexities of race relations during this year, without needless frightening young readers. Violence that occurred during this time, such as bombings, are discussed sensitively as the the reader gains a broader view of racism in 1958. Levine developed characters who mature in their ideas throughout the novel.

I gain The Lions of Little Rock only four stars because some of the story should have been tightened for a richer narrative. It is an excellent novel that I cannot wait to share with my daughter.

The Lions of Little Rock, by Kristin Levine, is a historical fictional book set in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1958. It is about two friends, Marlee and Liz who are briefly classmates in the local school. Liz is caught passing as a white person, but quits school before word gets out. Marlee and Liz struggle to keep their friendship alive, but it seems that every person they know, white or black, is against it. Some of the bests parts of the book are Marlee's thoughts: how she compares people to drinks "And I suddenly knew what Liz was- a cup of warm milk with a dash of cinnamon (41)" and how she deals with tough situations "I count prime numbers in my head... (129)". Liz is also a wonderful character. She speaks her mind and has a good sense of humor. She has strong beliefs and is a good friend. I enjoyed this great book because of its wonderful characters. I would recommend this suspenseful book to just about anybody, but I would make sure they aren't super sensitive to racial conflicts. The biggest problem is about what other people will think and do if they know that Marlee and Liz are friends. Will they go on a lynching riot? Will they throw bombs at them? This book should be read because it is about people changing, and it could inspire other people to speak out and make a difference for what they believe in, instead of watching how things play out.

Some books introduce you to a really special character. Kristin Levine has done that with the protagonist of her new novel, The Lions of Little Rock, twelve-year old Marlee. Marlee is a brilliant math student, who dreams of becoming a rocket scientist (although she wonders if it's only boys who can have careers in math). But at school, Marlee is painfully shy, and is so nervous she's scared of saying anything in class. Not surprisingly, it's difficult for her to make friends. It's 1958 in Little Rock, and Marlee's starting middle school. Her older sister, Judy, should be attending high school, but the governor has closed the schools rather than have them be integrated, even though nine African-American students had enrolled the year before (the famous Little Rock Nine).

Things seem to be improving for Marlee when, much to her surprise, a new girl at school, Liz, comes to eat lunch with her and soon becomes her friend. Liz and Marlee are even working together on an oral presentation for school, and Liz is helping Marlee gather the courage to speak in front of the entire class. But when the big day comes, Marlee is devestated to find out that Liz is not returning to West Side Junior High--and it's for a shocking reason. It turns out that Liz is African-American, but has been "passing" for white. When her identity is discovered, she must withdraw from school.

Although Marlee's mother is shocked by what she sees as Liz' betrayal, Marlee can't help missing her friend. Can Liz and Marlee still be friends even though it's become dangerous for them to even be seen together?

This novel is an excellent pick for tweens and middle school students, exploring serious issues of prejudice within the context of a story of two girls' friendship that students that age will easily identify with. The lions of the title live in the zoo not far from Marlee's house, and she hears them roaring sometimes at night. But the title also refers to the courage that Marlee and Liz demonstrate by fighting the prejudice that was so much a part of their milieu in 1958 Little Rock. Marlee even lies to her family to meet Liz secretly, not thinking that it might be dangerous for Liz and her family for the girls to see each other. The secondary characters in this novel, including Marlee's sister, parents, and their African-American maid Betty Jean are just as skillfully drawn as the two protagonists, and enrich the story as well. I would particularly recommend the book for mother-daughter or library book clubs, since the subject matter and the characters' response to their situations would make excellent material for discussion.

This novel was recommended at a workshop that I attended on writing middle grade fiction. I can definitely see why. I came to love the characters of Marlee and Liz, and rooted for them to remain friends despite all of the cruelty of their world. I also learned quite a lot of history about the integration of schools in Little Rock that I'd never heard before.

This book was an amazing book because it was about forbidden friendship. It taught you about the toughest and challenges that you go through when in a friendship. It shows you how you should do anything that you can to be able to keep your friendship. It is about a black girl and a white girl who are in the times of segregation but the black girl passes as white. The black girl goes to a white school. I suggest that you read this book because it is all about the challenges of friendship and how you don't leave someone just because you cant be with them. This is a piece from the book and it talks about when they will meet secretly to keep the friendship together, "All we need is a time and place to meet. Mama's got me scheduled up to the gills, but Tuesday afternoons might work. I have to take Tommy to baseball, but I could probably sneak away for an hour or two." In my opinion, this is a true book and friendship should be a unbreakable bond.

This literally is the first review I have ever written for a book. I finished reading this book a few days ago but I am still thinking about it.

Even though the main character Marlee is 13 year old girl, her character will resonate with anyone who have ever dealt with shyness or is still dealing with it. This book tells the story of what happens when the most unlikely person decides to take a stand against racial injustice, and challenge society's idea of friendship.

I love history but even if you're the type that doesn't care much for real life events, you will still love this book. "Lions of Little Rock" is much more than a historical fiction it's a story about true friendship and bravery. This book is so well written, the characters are believable and so full of depth. You watch Marlee grow and find her voice, and inspire others to find theirs too.

I recommend this book to everyone. Young or old, this book will inspire you!

this book was incredible. it was a perfect portion of scary and what would happen next with nice calm friendship. I wanted to read this book everyday and when I could I was sucked in to the book. It was so good i wish it was not over. this was one of the best books I have read in a long time. and Kristen Levine is one of the best authors I have heard of in a long time.

A friend recommended I read this and I thought it was great. As an adult I liked reading something that was clean and interesting as well as teaching me something in the process. Which is why I am buying it now for my daughter. I feel good knowing this is well written book my daughter can read.

Ms Levine's juvenile novel reads like a time machine that lets the reader experience the stress of growing up during the school integration crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Little Rock voters opted to close all their high schools in 1958-1959 rather than accept a few black students into the two white high schools. Tensions in the city, in the junior highs and in individual families during that lost school year are accurately portrayed here. This is a fine novel for adult readers as well as teens.

An absolutely wonderful book that uses the friendship of two very different girls to bring alive the tragedies and triumphs of a fraught era in American history. Read it with your children. I promise you will be at least as moved as they are by this remarkable story.

I love this story, not just because of the bravado in taking on tough subjects gently and with heart.
There's so much cleverness going on in the writing. For example, Marlee compares those around her
to various drinks. It's such a unique perceptive for describing personalities. For a girl who has trouble speaking ,Marlee sure does know how to say what she's thinking, and even more importantly bravely finds clever solutions to some really big problems. BRAVO! Well done!

A good story for upper elementary or lower middle school-aged kids. Several themes in the book would lend to good discussion individually or as a class. This book is on the Oregon Battle of the Books list for the 2014-15 school year (middle division) - a good choice in historical fiction.

This book is wonderful for children and adults alike. The plot and characters are rich in depth and the author did a great job setting the tone of the environment in Little Rock at this time. A period of history that is rarely talked about but very important.

Shy, quiet Marlee finds the courage to speak up about things that really matter, thanks to the very special friendship she forms with Liz. And the two of them proceed to help Little Rock find its own voice in the "lost" year after the Little Rock Nine integrated the city's public schools. Exceptionally well-written, and a very convincing portrait of Marlee and what it must have been like to live through that tumultuous--and often dangerous--time. Loved this book!

so much emotion & love!!! i really enjoyed this book and i recomend it to you. :) @ashley thank you for telling me about it! i hope everyone enjoyed the book as much as i did! :) thank you for reading my review! as mention great book!!!

I absolutely loved this book! I am really not the kind of person to like historical fiction books, but this book was just wonderful. I loved seeing how people reacted back in the segregation time. I also loved the amount of humor in this book.