When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson: True Recital of Marian Anderson, The

This book brings alive the story of Marian Andersen, a gifted African American singer, and her quest to make her voice heard. Pam Munoz Ryan traces Marian's journey right from her childhood through her youth. She was refused admission to a music school, on account of the colour of her skin. The members of her church came together to pay for her musical education, which propelled her to great heights as a performer, and turned her into an icon for her people.More than the text, it is Brian Selznick's illustrations that elevate the book and bring to it a wondrous sensitivity. The note by the author and illustrator at the end of the book on how the idea for the book came to them and the research done there on is a must-read! Selznick used the pattern of the original wallpaper that might have been a part of the Andersen home in his depiction of Marian's childhood residence. As with most of the other books that he has worked on, this one too is a work of art.

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I love Pam Munoz Ryan books and this one is just as fabulous as her others. My second graders loved this book. We read it for two days while we "took apart" the story and understood the message. It was definitely one of their favorites. It also led into actually listening to Marian's music and her vocal range, which they thought was amazing. We also had fabulous discussions on segregation, which they had already learned about and were able to make connections to with this book, and being kind to others. A great book!

Excellent story of courage and determination in the face of the prejudice of others. Marion’s amazing voice and spirit ultimately showed the value of the person over the limitations her critics sought to impose on her simply because of her race. The world gained immensely because her voice was not silenced.

The pictures and story is phenomenal. If you sing the song interludes are fun. Love the playbook format. My class enjoyed it as a read a loud.

I read this book to my 7th grade music appreciation class when we studied Marian Anderson in a unit called "Musicians of Courage". Even though it is written for a slightly younger audience, my students enjoyed the storytelling of this book. It brings to life Marian's journey in a way that no lecture ever could. The sepia-toned illustrations enhance the melancholy. This book is lovely.