Book Companion: The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

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Book Description

Marlee is quiet, really quiet. She has a hard time talking to anyone, except for her sister. She’s sure starting middle school will only make things worse . . . until she meets Liz. Liz is confident and teaches Marlee how to use her voice. However, their friendship is tested when Liz suddenly leaves school upon being discovered as “passing “ for white. Marlee can’t even seek comfort from her sister who is sent to another town to go to school when the local high schools are shut down instead of following orders to integrate. As tensions continue to rise, Marlee realizes her voice might be more powerful than she ever imagined.

Little Rock, Arkansas

Find It: Find Little Rock, Arkansas on a map and see how far away it is from where you live.

Read It: Explore the role Little Rock played in the civil rights movement by visiting “The United States Civil Rights Trail” website.

Creative Drink Menu

Do It: Marlee likes to describe the people around her as different drinks. Think of some of the people in your life and what drinks they remind you of. Draw each drink and create a description including a little bit about the person who inspired each one.

The Life and Music of Buddy Holly

Marlee is a big Buddy Holly fan. Learn about Buddy Holly’s contributions to Rock N’ Roll music . Then, use your favorite music service to look up some of his famous songs, including the ones Marlee loved. You can also listen to them at these YouTube links.

Watch It: Buddy Holly – Educational Music Biography for Kids | 02:48

Watch It: Buddy Holly and the Crickets Sing ‘Peggy Sue’ Live in 1957 | 03:00

Alabama Sweet Tea

Betty Jean often offered Marlee a glass of tea. In Alabama, when people say tea, they usually mean ice-cold sweet tea. Try your own tea with this recipe from Little Passports.

Read It: Alabama Sweet Tea Recipe

Hard History

In 1958, and the years before, Little Rock, Arkansas was in the public eye for its divisive battles over school integration. While we have come a long way, today battles are being fought in our public schools over what should and shouldn’t be taught about our nation’s history, especially as it relates to people of color. In some school districts, books about the Little Rock Nine, Ruby Bridges, and other important figures in the Civil Rights movement have been removed from the curriculum because some parents are concerned these topics might be too uncomfortable for their children.

Research these issues and how they affect your area. Do you think parts of our history should be censored in public schools, or do you think they should be taught? Why or why not?

The Little Rock Nine

Marlee references the Little Rock Nine many times throughout the story. Find out more about them and how their brave actions led to schools closing in 1958.

Watch It: Little Rock Nine: Black Students Challenged Segregation | 20:00

Read It: The Little Rock Nine – National Park Service

Do It: Imagine what it must have been like to be one of the Little Rock Nine. Choose one of the teenagers and write a journal entry from their point of view after attempting to go to school on the first day.

Magic Squares

Marlee loves math, especially magic squares. Do you think you can tackle one of these fun math puzzles?

Do It: Magic Square Worksheets

Learn About Selective Mutism

Marlee struggles with talking to people. It’s hard that some people think she can’t speak. For people like Marlee who have Selective Mutism, it’s not that they don’t want to speak. It’s that they can’t talk in that moment or in that situation. Find out more about what it feels like to live with Selective Mutism and how you can support friends or family who struggle to talk.

Watch It: What is Selective Mutism? What Does it Feel Like? | 08:00

Watch It: Tips on how to support peers with Selective Mutism | 05:00

Read It: How Should I Interact with a Child Who Has Selective Mutism? Tips and Tricks for Everyone

STEM Space Pioneers

Marlee wants to become a mathematician working for NASA. Learn about some amazing women who have worked in space. Then, conduct your own space study.

Watch It: Women of Nasa | 05:00

Do It: 9 Black History Month Science Activities and Experiments: Activity 2: Study Space Like Dr. Mae Carol Jemison

Timeline Binder

Check out the list of people, places, events and more to research further and add to your timeline binder or a notebook. Here are some options for how to structure your writing. We also have free printables available here.

Daily Quick Writes: Nothing formal here, write a comfortable amount about one person or event per day.

Weekly Research: Choose one person to research and write a paragraph (or a few).

Research Project: Pick one person or event to research and write a longer, more in-depth paper on.

Daily Journal: Write a journal entry from the perspective of the person you’re learning about or someone who would have attended the event.

People

Katherine G. Johnson
Mary W. Jackson
Dorothy Vaughan
Quapaws people
Emmet Till (Warning: Graphic Death)
Ernest Green (Little Rock Nine)
Minnijean Brown (Little Rock Nine)
Elizabeth Eckford (Little Rock Nine)
Terrence Roberts (Little Rock Nine)
Thelma Mothershed(Little Rock Nine)
Carlotta Walls LaNier (Little Rock Nine)
Melba Pattillo Beals(Little Rock Nine)
Jefferson Thomas (Little Rock Nine)
Gloria Ray (Little Rock Nine)
Buddy Holly

Places

Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas
Birmingham Dynamite Hill

Events

Launch of Sputnik
Little Rock Lynching 1927 (Warning: Graphic)
August 12, 1959 Protest at Central High, Little Rock Arkansas

Other

NASA
Communisum
U.S. Supreme Court
Ku Klux Klan
Jim Crow Laws
WEC Organization (Women’s Emergency Committee)
STOP (Stop this Outrageous Purge)
NAACP

More Books and Resources

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Hidden Figures Young Reader’s Edition by Margot Lee Shetterly | Biography | 9-12
March Forward, Girl by Melba Pattillo Beals | Memoir | 10+
Night on Fire by Ronald Kidd | Historical Fiction | 9-12
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray | Historical Fiction | Adult
This is Your Time by Ruby Bridges | Memoir | 6+
When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods | Historical Fiction | 10+