Fire from the Rock

by Sharon M. Draper
Hennepin County Library, paperback, 229 pages

This story about the integration of schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, takes a while to get going, but becomes engrossing as it goes on. I'm not sure it's enough to pull in middle school readers, but I found myself caught up in the story and sadness for the many real-life people who have had to suffer because of bigotry and cruel racism. It is still hard for me to fathom the depth of hatred directed at people because of their race. It's appalling. Draper infuses the story with a little romance to go along with the human rights tale. My favorite parts were where Sylvia wrote in her journal and her enduring friendship with Rachel, a Jewish white girl.