Michael Waters strikes the right note as we join Liberty and her family on a trip to six key locations along the Civil Rights Trail. The characters and readers are introduced not only to the locations and events but also to the other members of the bus trip. The inclusion of a variety of ages, ethnicities, and families helps children realize that this is OUR history, not someone else's.

The story from a child's perspective recognizes the significance of people and events without being overwhelming, making it a good introduction for young readers. It also acknowledges that children are children and that they need the time and space to process things which sometimes occurs later as they play. This portrayal also makes the children realistic and facilitates their connection with the people they are learning about.

Illustrator Nicol Tadgell's illustrations help tell the tale through gentle, detailed paintings that convey emotions and relationships beautifully.

Thank you to flyaway books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is based on an actuarial trip taken by the author and their children. About how even in the midst of hard gut wrenching history, they could find the hope and the joy to come from horrific events. The book was fast paced, and I do wish they had better touched on the historical locations and people. The illustrations are watercolor, which makes the book feel a bit dated. I wished they had used real pictures for the info bits at the back but it was not a necessity. I did like how this book mentioned places that are not normally taught about in school.

Rating: 4⭐⭐⭐⭐!!!!!!!!!
Book: Liberty’s Civil Rights Road Trip
Release Date: RELEASES on October 12, 2021
Author: Michael W. Waters
Genre: Children's Fiction

Michael Waters is not only the author of this book but also the originator of the journey to witness the locations of the civil rights movement in real life. This story is told in the perspective of a young girl named Liberty. It shows the innocence of a child who knows most of the civil rights history and what they may think as they visit the real locations. This is a great book for children ages 6-12.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @FlyawayBooks for an advanced copy of @LibertysCivilRightsRoadTrip.

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Liberty takes a trip that explores famous locations a part of Black History in the US. The book links historical figures to historical places that readers themselves can visit. While the book is wordy, it can be paired with social studies lessons learning about these figures and places. The book can be paired with additional research.

Overall, a great brief introduction to important civil rights people, events and places, through the use of a bus trip. A multicultural, multigenerational group of people explore the different civil rights landmarks, viewed through the eyes of a little girl. This book, as mentioned is a great introduction, thus leaving room for further discussion and exploration.

This was a very cute, adorable and informational read. It was perfect to inform my child who i read this to about some of the people who stood up to give rights to vote. Liberty was adorable and the ending was perfect.

This is a must-have for home libraries! The child-friendly history, the diversity, the positive language! Here for it!

Such a great idea, but the execution just didn't work for us. My kids lost interest and I actually had to close it down and read something else. That rarely happens. It would definitely be better for older kids, but it would still benefit greatly from a little more life. It reads as a laundry list of civil rights locations and people without engaging the reader or really even telling anything about the historic people, events, and places.

I really enjoyed this story and it was a great way for the road trip that was taken to be told and brought to life.

I liked that the end of the book too had a little focus on each of the places visited to show why they were so important and the acts that took place which ultimately helped to change history too. It also shows how far we have come in a lot of respects too – even if there is still quite a way to go too in some places and with some of the civil rights available

It is 5 stars from me for this one, a great conversations starter for children and a book that can be used to bring to light different topics for more discussions too

It was a wonderful book – very well written, it had some lovely illustrations and was a pleasure to read – very highly recommended!

Liberty boards a bus with her friend Abdullah, their families, and other community members for a trip of historic places where important events in the civil rights movement occurred. The book takes us on a trip, highlighting those events but lacking a more developed story line. The trip is merely a method to tell about these historic events, in a very simplified manner. The narration didn’t always flow well, though the events were still communicated. The illustrations added to the book, with their combination of soft and bright colors and style. I appreciated that the people on the bus had much needed representation and that the bus was told from the point of view of a predominantly Black community. Overall, this is book I would grab off the library shelves to read with my.

This was such a good informative read! The illustrations were done good, and I liked how there were people of all races. I think this is a great book for kids to learn about important events for people of color.

I have heard of the Civil Rights Road Trip. It is a trip thru the civil rights history and the fight for freedom. The road trip reminds us of courage, where we have come from and where we are going. Martin Luther's dream was about unity. Finding the common ground without violence. I would recommend reading this on your own as a parent to think deeply about what you want to expose your children to.

A special thank you to Flyaway Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.