Cover Image: Without Separation

Without Separation

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Member Reviews

This book explains segregation in a way that is relatable to children. The illustrations were well done. It’s an important topic so it’s good to see that it’s being discussed more so that history won’t repeat itself and we as humans can grow stronger together.

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I liked the art a lot. The text is informative and approachable for a younger audience. I appreciated that it was mentioned that there is still segregation in schools.

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Thank you to Astra Publishing House, Calkins Creek, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I love it when I learn something new from a book. This one taught me about the 1931 case of Roberto Alvarez vs. the Lemon Grove Grammar School in San Diego. Roberto and his family along with other area immigrant families knew their children were not being given an equal and fair education compared to that of their white neighbors. This case marked the first time that immigrants successfully won the fight against segregation. It is an inspiring and uplifting true story.

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Most schools teach about segregation exclusively in lessons about the Civil Rights Movement and the end of Jim Crow laws. Because we learn it only in that context we can get the idea that it was an issue strictly of Black and White. We are not generally taught that, depending on the area, there might be a separate school for Asians, Natives, or Latinex kids. That fact alone makes this book an important one. We want our kids to understand the full context of history and that includes the full breadth of inequality in our country. The other vital point is how much of the action here was driven by youth. Not the parents but by Roberto himself. A solid example of youth activism, well supported by charming illustrations.

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I might appreciate the story more than the writing? I like the artwork a lot. Not a big fan of the text layout. Good backmatter.

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Without Separation is an excellent picture book that recounts an early school desegregation case in 1931. Robert Alvarez, a Mexican American student, filed a lawsuit against his school district of Lemon Grove after the board of trustees decided to build a separate school for Mexican American children because they did not want them to be with their white peers. Alvarez won and this became one of the first successful school desegregation cases; in fact this case served as a precedent for Brown vs. Board of Education.

This picture book is compelling and I think it would be appropriate for even older students. I teach middle school ELL students and I think this would serve as a good mentor text since the content is so rich and deep. Living in the Northeast, I wasn’t very familiar with this story and I’m glad I was able to learn more about it.

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What an interesting read. Most students know or learn about segregated schools in the South. Ruby Bridges is a heroic name. But this reader had never heard about schools trying to segregate in California, in order to keep the Mexican school children away from the white ones. The reason the school board gave was a language barrier, which a lawsuit named for Roberto Alverez proved was intentional racism. This was a wonderful story and the illustrations are fitting and feel like California in the 1930s.

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This is an honest review is in exchange for an ARC from NetGalley.
Without Separation gives insight to a case I had never heard of dealing with school segregation. It highlights the story of Roberto Alvarez (and other Mexican American students) and his fight to be able to attend his local school and not a separate school. The case of Roberto Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District took place in 1931 and it helped establish a precedent that helped lead to Brown v. Board of Education. I would recommend for this book to be added to classroom and school libraries and as supplemental reading for history and social studies.

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Without Separation by Larry Dan Brimner is a compelling retelling of the court battle between Roberto Alvarez and his school district in the early 1930's. Roberto and other Mexican American students arrived at the Lemon Grove school one day only to be turned away and told to attend a separate school built solely for them under the guise of helping them learn English and assimilate into America. However, Roberto and many others of these students could speak English as well as their white classmates and were top of their classes. The separation was simply a ruse. Segregation dressed up as it always is--as if it is in the best interests of those segregated against. Brimner does a wonderful job of telling the history of the landmark court case in a way that is digestible for young readers. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

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This honest review is in exchange for an ARC from NetGalley.
Without Separation gives insight to a case I had never heard of dealing with school segregation. This would be a great mentor text in the classroom. The author's note also gives readers a chance to look even closer at the history of school segregation in California.
I would add this to my classroom library.

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Without Separation is an eye-opening book about a lesser known incident of racial segregation. The story of 12-year-old Roberto Alvarez's fight to attend Lemon Grove Grammar School instead of a separate school for Mexican-American children is well-narrated and timely. An important story has been made accessible to a younger audience and has also been supported by detailed author notes.

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This is a story about discrimination against Mexican Americans. White parents in the community felt that the Mexican American children was holding back their white counterparts. They built a separation school for the Mexican American children. They community did not remain silent, but fought back. This story shows that every race have their struggles. For those who know the story of Ruby Bridges this is a great text to share along side it.

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Without Separation is a wonderful children’s nonfiction picture book to help explain segregation to younger children. It details the journey of Roberto Alvarez (and other Mexican American students) and his fight to be able to attend his local school and not a separate school. The case of Roberto Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District took place in 1931 and it helped establish a precedent that helped lead to the landmark decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas in 1954, which is much more well known and taught in school.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was presented in a way to help younger students understand the concept of segregation as it attempted to explain the notion of separate, but equal. It also delves into the concept of prejudice and racism. As an educator with an advanced degree, I even learned a little bit about some of the court cases which were used as precedents for the more well known cases.

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This nonfiction picture book has great illustrations, and shares a true story about Mexican immigrants organizing to prevent their children from having to attend a segregated school. The author weaves historical details into the story in a clear, easy-to-absorb way, and shares additional information, photos, and a source list in the back. This is a great book about an obscure subject, and I would recommend it to both children and adults.

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Without Separation is an historical fiction picture book tells the story of Roberto Alvarez lawsuit the Lemon Grove School District. This is set in the 1930’s and is to show how people can be racist. The school district built a school the Mexican and Mexican American students could attend so they didn’t have to go to Lemon Grove with the white students and Roberto fights against it.

I was excited when Roberto won his case and returned to the school as before. I thank Brimner for doing an excellent job bring this story to life in this book.

This was a great read. Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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An excellent nonfiction picture book! I love the colorful and detailed illustrations. This is a story that needs to be told and I really appreciate the overall theme that kids can get involved to stand up for justice. The end includes photographs and references surrounded the story. As a parent, that is so crucial that I feel like I can trust that the account I am reading to my child is supported by facts. Overall a great book!

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The was about a topic I have read very little about and want my children, who are Mexican American on their father’s side, to know the history and struggles others faced in our not to distant past.

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Powerful non-fiction story about Roberto Alvarez and his fight (together with his and other Latino immigrant families) against discrimination and school segregation. Beautiful illustrations that help tell the story well. The events happened in 1931 but it feels like a very timely story, dealing with topics like racism, segregation, and immigration. The author provides detailed information about the past events including photographs, and a detailed list of sources used. This book should definitely be a must read for social studies at school and in my opinion it is ideal for grades 4 and up.

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Without Separation highlights a story to be told and shared in accessible words and pictures. Recommended for young readers and classroom libraries.

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I feel like I learned a lot from the book, however, some of the writing seemed like a Wikipedia article and some felt like it was aimed at children. While this was a great educational book for me as an adult, I’m not sure it would hold the attention of my daughter.

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