Freedom Riders

Written by Ann Bausum

Two young men risk everything on a perilous journey for justice in the segregated South.

4.0 Goodreads · 306 ratings

80 pages· 14,243 words· Est. 1.5 hour read· 1090L

$18.95Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

John Lewis and James Zwerg, driven by a shared passion for justice, embark on a dangerous journey as Freedom Riders through the Deep South. After violence leaves their predecessors in retreat, they bravely continue the mission, knowing the risks could be deadly. Their courageous stand against segregation not only transforms their lives but also alters the course of history. Will their resolve withstand the brutal challenges ahead?

From the publisher

Freedom Riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of John Lewis and James Zwerg in a way that helps young readers understand the segregated experience of our nation’s past. It shows how a common interest in justice created the convergent path that enabled these young men to meet as Freedom Riders on a bus journey south. No other book on the Freedom Riders has used such a personal perspective. These two young men, empowered by their successes in the Nashville student movement, were among those who volunteered to continue the Freedom Rides after violence in Anniston, Alabama, left the original bus in flames with the riders injured and in retreat. Lewis and Zwerg joined the cause knowing their own fate could be equally harsh, if not worse. The journey they shared as freedom riders through the Deep South changed not only their own lives but our nation’s history. National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.