APA Author and title information: Tonatiuh, D. (2014). Separate is never equal: Sylvia mendez & her family's fight for desegregation. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers. Review: Duncan Tonatiuh tells the story of the Mendez’s family fight in the 1940’s for desegregation of schools in America. Told from the viewpoint of a child, Sylvia Mendez, Tonatiuh recounts events that took place in California when the Mendez’s family attempted to enroll their children in public school and were told they had to go to the Mexican school. When the Mendez family asked “why”, they were repeatedly told “That is how it is done”. In response Sylvia’s father, with the help of lawyer David Marcus, decides to file a lawsuit along with other families who had experienced segregation. Using dialogue from courtroom transcripts and conversations from Sylvia Mendez, the book narrates the account of the victory of the Mendez family’s fight for integration in schools. Illustrations will help readers understand the inequality of conditions of the institutions and social situations during this period. Included in the author’s note is a historical account and photographs documenting historical events. Also included is a glossary, bibliography and index. This books appeals to younger children as they …show more content…
Sibert Medal Honor Book (2015), Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award (2015), IRA Notable Books for a Global Society (2015), NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book (2015), Pura Belpré Award Honor Book (2015), SLJ Best Books for Nonfiction (2015), Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014 for Picture Books; Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature Best Multicultural Books of 2014, New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing for Nonfiction (2014), Cybils Awards Finalist Nonfiction for Elementary & Middle Grades