The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

The Lions of Little Rock is a book by Kristin Levine about two friends, whose bond was unbreakable even through all the events and all the things that happened to them. Marlee, a 12-year-old just started junior high school and was interested in math. She is a shy person but has a soul just like a lion inside of her. Soon she meets Liz; funny, smart, and everything that Marlee wished all as a friend. One day, Liz is gone for one reason, she is one of the negroes who have very light-toned skin. Protests, segregation, and votes for schools to close down. Will their friendship still be unbreakable? Will they still be able to continue their friendship in segregation? I recommend this book to the ones who are interested in the genre of historical fiction and friendship. I really liked this book because it reminds me of my journey through friendships and my first time in middle school. (Ahyun. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5

“The Lions of Little Rock” by Kristin Levine was a nice book on the topic of racial segregation and discrimination. This story is based in 1958 in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, at a time when there was still a lot of racial discrimination. Marlee, a 12-year-old girl makes friends with a new student. At first, everyone believes she is white but eventually, they discover that she is actually colored. This book explains the struggles that colored people had to suffer and how the society of that time wasn't fair to them. I would recommend it to people who like the genre of realistic fiction and friendship. I felt that it was targeted to ages 9 and above because it is a soft way of explaining the inequality that happened just because of your skin color. (Nina. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5

“The Lions of Little Rock” by Kristin Levine is a book based on acts of discrimination. Marlee a citizen part of the U.S, made friends with Liz, who she thought was “white” but turns out to be “colored”. As soon as she finds out that she’s colored, her whole world becomes a disaster with schools closing, protests, votes, and lots more. This whole story was set in the 1950s when there was a lot of discrimination in the U.S. I would recommend this book to people who like reading books in the genres of historical and realistic fiction, there was friendship and loyalty included in the book as well. I would recommend this book for the ages of 8-10, as I feel like the reading level was too easy for older ages. (Ellery. Grade 8)

Rating: 3/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 1/5