Night on Fire [Paperback]

Thirteen-year-old Billie Simms doesnt think her hometown of Anniston, Alabama, should be segregated, but few of the towns residents share her opinion. So when Billie learns that the Freedom Riders, a group of peace activists riding interstate buses to protest segregation, will be traveling through Anniston on their way to Montgomery, she thinks that maybe change is finally coming and her quiet little town will shed itself of its antiquated views. But when the bus stops, Anniston residents show just how deep their racism runs. The Freedom Riders will resume their ride to Montgomery and Billie is now faced with a choice: stand idly by in silence or take a stand for what she believes in.Ronald Kidd is the author of twelve novels for young readers, including the highly acclaimed Night on Fire and Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial. Kidds novels have received the Childrens Choice Award, an Edgar Award nomination, and honors from the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, the Library of Congress, and the New York Public Library. He is a two-time ONeill playwright who lives in Tennessee.