Elise Saenger-Heyl's Reviews > Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer

Voice of Freedom is a great upper level (grades 3-5) picture book in the informational or biographical genre. The book tells the story of Fannie Lou Hamer and her role in the civil rights movement, as the "voice of freedom." Written in the dialect she spoke from her perspective, the powerful picture book tells her story. Starting with her humble beginnings and telling the story of her life and involvement in the civil rights movement, the book gives the reader a personal perspective of an important member of the civil rights movement that is not talked about as much.
In the classroom this would be a great book for a read-aloud, especially with the quality illustrations. It would also be very helpful to talk about dialects and analyze the written form of a dialect. In addition, it brings up many important topics relating to civil rights. It would also be useful for students in research for biographies and the civil rights movement as well.
This book is a wow book because of the amazing illustrations and authentic feel of the text. Because it is written in her dialect and the images are well-drawn in full color, it brings the reader into Fannie Lou’s story and gives the reader a sense of what she lived through. The book makes a tough topic like the civil rights movement more accessible to students and the messages are clear and powerful. It is important to remember and learn from our history and this book is an important reminder of what our country went through, and the many people who made history by standing up for what they believed in. Definitely a must read.