SuitabookNight on Fire
Ronald Kidd
- Reading
- Reading together may help with the historical context: pause to distinguish the book’s depiction of segregation and violence from the choices individual characters make, and let the reader set the pace.
- Themes
- Billie’s changing understanding: Billie begins hoping that the Freedom Riders’ visit will change her town, then confronts her own assumptions and considers whether to act. The story follows a young character’s self-discovery in a setting shaped by segregation and civil-rights activism.
- Worth knowing
- Racism and segregation are central, and the plot includes violence against the Freedom Riders, including a bus burning. Consider whether this historical material may be difficult for your reader.