Without Separation

By Larry Dane Brimner, Maya Gonzalez (Illustrator)

A student challenges school segregation in a groundbreaking 1931 court case.

4.1/5 Goodreads · 173 ratings

40 pages· 1,130 words· Est. 9 min read-aloud

$18.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In 1931, Roberto Alvarez faces a life-changing challenge when he's barred from his school in Lemon Grove, California. Forced to attend a separate institution, Roberto and his community fight back against segregation. Will their stand for justice prevail in this pivotal civil rights battle? Discover the true story of courage and determination that set a precedent for future generations.

From the publisher

This important yet little-known civil rights story focuses on Roberto Alvarez, a student whose 1931 court battle against racism and school segregation in Lemon Grove, California, is considered the first time an immigrant community used the courts to successfully fight injustice. A must-read for young activists, or for anyone interested in standing up for what’s right. Roberto Alvarez’s world changed the day he could no longer attend Lemon Grove Grammar School in the small, rural community where he lived near San Diego, California. He and the other Mexican American students were told they had to go to a new, separate school–one where they would not hold back the other students. But Roberto and the other students and their families believed the new school’s real purpose was to segregate, to separate. They didn’t think that was right, or just, or legal. Based on true events, this picture book by Sibert award-winning author Larry Dane Brimner and Pura Belpré honor award-winning illustrator Maya Gonzalez follows Roberto and the other immigrant families on their journey.

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