Daisy Bates co-published the newspaper, State Press in Little Rock, Arkansas. Because of their leadership against racial violence and injustice, Mrs. Bates became Arkansas' president of the NAACP in 1957. She guided the "Little Rock Nine" in their struggles to integrate Central High and sought to protect them from the worst of the violence.

This book follows her life-her childhood, her motivations, her involvement in the State Press, her activism, and of course, the struggle revolving around Central High and the consequences of being involved.

Nothing I have read before has so thoroughly depicted the abuse that these people suffered. I've seen short clips on TV and brief descriptions from books. Mostly the big protests are discussed-not 1 1/2 to 2 years of day to day verbal and physical abuse (some of that while National Guardsmen and teachers watched). I cannot fathom how there could be so much hatred that students could attack other students repeatedly on a day to day basis with no retaliation from the victims. In the book there is a well-known picture of Elizabeth Eckford facing the mob alone. I wonder about the girl behind her with such hatred captured on her face.
RL=7th-YA