Abby Takes a Stand — Patricia C. McKissack / Pat McKissack

"A historical chapter book series from three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and Newbery Honor author, Patricia C. McKissack.

Why has their grandmother bothered keeping a menu from a restaurant that closed years ago, a restaurant that never served very good food in the first place? Three cousins listen to Gee''s own story, set in the early days of lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville, a time when a black child could sit up front in a city bus but still could not get a milk shake at a downtown restaurant. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Abby, young readers see what it was like to live through those days, and they''ll come to understand that, like a menu, freedom is about having choices. Each book in this series tells the story behind a different ""scrap of time""; together they form a patchwork quilt of one black family''s past that stretches back for generations.

""A perfect introduction to an extraordinary time when regular people, even ten-year-old girls, make a difference."" --The Horn Book

""The book gives readers a kid''s-eye view of important happenings and reminds them that history is something that is in the making."" --Booklist"