| Author(s) | Brian Doyle |
|---|---|
| Illustrator(s) | |
| Age Group | 9-12 |
| Publisher | Groundwood Books |
| ISBN | 978-0888996091 |
| Year | 2004 |
In 1945 in Ottawa's Lowertown, Tommy and two of his friends try to find out who attacked the father of their Jewish friend Sammy.
Ruth was so excited to take a trip in her family's new car! In the early 1950s, few Black people could afford to buy cars, so this would be an adventure. But she soon found out that Black travelers were treated very poorly in some towns. Many hotels and gas stations refused service to Black people. Daddy was upset about something called Jim Crow laws. Finally, a friendly attendant at a gas station showed Ruth's family The Green Book. It listed all of the places that would welcome Black travelers. With this guidebook―and the kindness of strangers―Ruth could finally make a safe journey from Chicago to her grandma's house in Alabama. Ruth's story is fiction, but The Green Book and its role in helping a generation of Black travelers avoid some of the indignities of Jim Crow are historical fact.
