Sylvia & Aki
  • Published: 1 November 2013
  • ISBN: 9781582463452
  • Imprint: RHUS Children's Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 160
  • RRP: $16.99

Sylvia & Aki

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Two girls grew up in tumultuous times. This is their story of courage, justice, and friendship.

Young Sylvia Mendez never expected to be at the center of a landmark legal battle. Young Aki Munemitsu never expected to be sent away from her home and her life as she knew it. The two girls definitely never expected to know each other, until their lives intersected on a Southern California farm in a way that changed the country forever. Who are Sylvia and Aki? And why did their family stories matter then and still matter today? This book reveals the remarkable, never-before-told story—based on true events—of Mendez vs. Westminster School District, the California court case that desegregated schools for Latino children and set the stage for Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education at the national level.
  • Published: 1 November 2013
  • ISBN: 9781582463452
  • Imprint: RHUS Children's Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 160
  • RRP: $16.99
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About the author

Winifred Conkling

WINIFRED CONKLING studied journalism at Northwestern University and spent the next 25 years writing nonfiction for adult readers, including articles for Consumer Reports magazine and more than 30 nonfiction books. As part of her transition to writing for young people, she is working toward her Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Sylvia & Aki is her first work for children.

Praise for Sylvia & Aki

"Told in alternating chapters from the girls' points of view, this story about institutional racism will enlighten readers to events in recent history. From the court case of Mendez v. Westminster to the conditions at Poston, readers will be moved by this novel based on true events."--School Library Journal

"A well-documented, quietly powerful story."--Kirkus Reviews

"The juxtaposition of two different cultures suffering from two different manifestations of racism stands out here . . . and there is plenty of opportunity for discussion about the girls' experiences in this time of great social upheaval."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

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