Howard Thurman’s Great Hope

By Kai Issa, Arthur L. Dawson
Paperback: $10.95

Born in segregated Daytona, Florida, in 1899, Howard Thurman grew up dreaming of a better life–a life where his mother and grandmother would not have to cook and clean for other people; a life where he could become a college man, honoring his late father’s wishes and his own dreams.

Description

Born in segregated Daytona, Florida, in 1899, Howard Thurman grew up dreaming of a better life-a life where his mother and grandmother would not have to cook and clean for other people; a life where he could become a college man, honoring his late father’s wishes and his own dreams.

Through hard work, perseverance, and the support of friends and family, young Howard transcended the limits on Negro education in Daytona and earned a scholarship to an out-of-town high school. His dream did not come easily and was nearly lost, until a kind act by a stranger at a railroad station aided Howard in a time of need.

A moving testament to the bonds of community and the power of faith, Howard Thurman’s Great Hope illuminates the early life of the man who became a seminal civil rights leader and an inspiration to the nation.

This is the first book of both Kai Jackson Issa and Arthur Dawson.

About the Creators

Kai Issa

Kai Issa is a freelance writer and managing editor with The Howard Thurman Papers Project at Morehouse College in Atlanta. Jackson Issa lives in Clarkston, Georgia, with her husband and their two children.

Arthur L. Dawson
Arthur L. Dawson

Arthur Dawson is a self-taught artist who grew up in Wakulla County, Florida. With an established career as a fine artist, Dawson also spends time teaching art to young people as part of his two nonprofit endeavors: the Youth Art Program and Younique Art Parables. He lives in California but often returns to his native Florida.

Reviews

  • "This important profile introduces young readers to a Civil Rights Movement figure who should be better known."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "This handsome book introduces one of the first leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. . . . The author drew from Thurman's memoir and papers to create this accessible, engaging biography."

    - School Library Journal
  • "This picture-book biography describes the bone-weary working conditions and unfair educational situation for African Americans in the segregated South as well as the uphill struggle of escaping poverty through education. . . . Too few children know about Thurman, but his inspirational struggle to obtain an education make this a worthy title for social-studies units and Black History Month."

    - Booklist
  • "The color illustrations work in harmony with the text of a truly inspirational life, in this highly recommended addition to children's library collections."

    - Midwest Book Review

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781600608902
  • Price $10.95
  • Publication Date Apr 01, 2010
  • Trim Size 10.25 × 8.25 in
  • Weight 0.3125 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Word Count 2040
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781600602498
  • Price $17.95
  • Publication Date Apr 01, 2013
  • Trim Size N/A
  • Weight 0.875 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Word Count 2040
  • Interests

  • Imprint Lee & Low Books
  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JNF / Biography & Autobiography / Social Activists
  • BISAC Category 2 JNF / Social Topics / Prejudice & Racism
  • BISAC Category 3 JNF / History / United States / 20th Century
  • Themes African / African American / Black, Biography / Memoir, Civil Rights Movement, Conflict resolution, Cultural Diversity, Discrimination, Dreams & Aspirations, Education, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Informational / Expository Nonfiction, Leadership, Nonfiction, Overcoming Obstacles, Persistence / Grit, Religion / Spiritual, Responsibility, Self Control / Self Regulation, Sharing & Giving, United States History
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 11
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 6
  • Guided Reading Q
  • ATOS Book Level 5.2
  • DRA 40
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 6
  • Lexile Level 840
  • Reading Level Grades 3 - 4
  • SRC 5.5
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

    ADA Site Compliance-Accessibility Policy