Steamboat School

When a Missouri law shuts down a school for Black students, one boy must find a path to bravery in this award-winning picture book, based on a true story of resilience. James wasnt excited to go to schooleverything outside was loud and exciting, but the classroom was dark and dreary. Luckily, his teacher Reverend John Meacham wasnt so bad. He shared stories about being enslaved, buying his freedom, and building a life. We make our own light here, he said. Until the day the school was shut down by a law forbidding African American education in Missouri. What could James do? Reverend John Berry Meachum didnt give up though. With steamboats swaying on the Mississippi River, and a spirit of determination, the Reverend found a loopholewhat if the school wasnt in Missouri? Based on true events, Ron Husband's uplifting illustrations bring to life Deborah Hopkinson's tale of a resourceful, determined teacher; his bright, inquisitive students; and their refusal to accept discrimination based on the color of their skin.