We Were the Fire: Birmingham 1963

Moses (The Legend of Buddy Bush) pays homage to Black children living during the civil rights era whose contributions to the movement were often left undocumented, in this riveting historical fiction volume set in 1963 Birmingham, Ala. Ten-year-old Rufus Jackson Jones Jr. lives with his mother and sister in Bull Hill, a Black neighborhood where the “houses are all raggedy and owned by a white man.” After steelworker Mr. Paul marries Rufus’s mother, the family moves to Ivy Town, which is “home to mostly poor white folks,” where the siblings revel in having an indoor bathroom instead of an outhouse. Though Rufus’s mother claims “ain’t no colored folks” living in Ivy Town, Mr. Paul remains optimistic about their reception. The family’s arrival incites rage among their neighbors, however, so when Rufus’s pastor, Reverend Shuttleworth, and Martin Luther King Jr. collaborate to organize segregation protests, Rufus—against his mother’s wishes—feels compelled to join them. Birmingham and its citizens, culture, and struggles are empathetically wrought in this eye-opening novel. With intention, Moses thoughtfully highlights the real-world horrors that Rufus courageously faces—including police, fire hoses, and dogs—and provides levity through his introspective and energetic first-person narration. Ages 10–up. (Sept.)