The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA - by Brenda Woods

The Red Rose Box is a powerful and moving story of friendship between a young white boy and a black World War II veteran who has recently returned to the unwelcoming Jim Crow South.

The Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author tells the story of Gabriel, a 12-year-old boy whose life is changed forever when he accidentally rides his new bike into the path of a car and is saved by Meriwether, a black man who fixes his damaged bike.

As a thank you, Gabriel gets him a job at his dad's auto shop, where they become friends despite the racist opinions of Gabriel's dad and other mechanics.

Through their friendship, Gabriel learns about Meriwether's service in the all-black 761st Tank Battalion in WWII and the danger he faces because of his race.

When Meriwether receives a frightening threat, Gabriel's family is forced to confront the reality of racism in Birdsong, South Carolina, and the police may not always help.

This book encourages readers to consider situations from other people's perspectives and provides an important lesson about true friendship defying age, gender, race, and other obstacles.

With a stellar review from Kirkus Reviews and a starred review from School Library Connection, The Red Rose Box is a must-have for all classroom and school libraries and would be an excellent companion book to US history studies of this time period.