“Freedom Summer” is a very powerful picture book. It expresses many opinions about racial tolerance and not judging other people. There are two kids that are friends and one is black and one is white. Its starts out with them hanging out and having fun. As the story progresses it gets sad then it makes you feel hopeful.

            In the middle of the book a law was just passed that blacks can go to the same places as white people. The two main characters were so excited that they woke up early and ran to the public pool. When they get there they are very disappointed. They see the pool being filled up with tar. The African-American character is sad because he feels different from everyone else.

The main theme of this story is equal rights for everyone. Just because someone’s skin color is different doesn’t mean that the person is any different. The color of your skin does not effect who you are as a person. In the end of the book it shows them walking into the store to buy ice pops. In the beginning of the story the African-American has to wait outside while the white character gets the ice pops. The last drawing in the book shows them walking into the store with their arms around each other’s shoulders. This shows hope that things will be getting better.