'Who Are Those People Back There?' Children's Book Fights Against Prejudice

Impelled by the belief that "it is possible to live in a world free of prejudice" and children need to live in such a world, author-educator Sandra Birchfield publishes her new children's book that raises awareness about prejudice and promotes diversity entitled "Who Are Those People Back There?" Birchfield's book allows readers' to look at life through the eyes of a girl who lived in a time when prejudice pervaded every aspect of daily life.

The book is based on the experiences of the author growing up in rural Southwest Virginia in a small community called Gate City. It is a true story that places emphasis on a part of black history that took place in the 1950s and '60s, a time worth remembering because charismatic leaders were making a difference on the national stage. Birchfield is putting in her own humble contribution through a story that helps erase the lines that divide black and white.

Birchfield was a young girl who was sheltered from many things that took place during this era. She had friends that were black but did not realize that they were limited in their activities because of a prearranged world. The color of their skin limited their activities. They had to use different facilities, wait out back for their food, or sit in the balcony at the movie theatre. Her family did not have a car and often rode the bus when traveling. This experience inspired this book of a young girl's curiosity about white people in a bus asking, "Who Are Those People Back There?"

A poignant story written with loads of understanding and compassion, "Who Are Those People Back There?" is a worthy addition to African American literature, specifically literature to be featured in Black History Month. Birchfield hopes that parents will read it or buy it for their children, to educate them about things in the past and give them hope for the future.

For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author

Sandra Birchfield has been teaching college classes discussing topics on diversity. In "Context and Perspectives: Stuff that Works", the textbook published by the Graduate Department of Lincoln Memorial University, she did a chapter on diversity entitled "Adversity vs. Diversity: Context and Perspective of a Prearranged World". Her article, "Cracking the Books on the First Day of School", was also published in the March/April 2013 issue of "Principal's Magazine" through the National Association of Elementary School Principals. She is married with two children who are also married; she has one grandson.

Who Are Those People Back There? * by Sandra Birchfield
Publication Date: December 19, 2013
Picture Book; $15.99; 24 pages; 978-1-4931-5335-0
Picture Book Hardcover; $25.99; 24 pages; 978-1-4931-5336-7
e-book; $3.99; 978-1-4931-5337-4

Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (812) 355-4079 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879.

For more information on self-publishing or marketing with Xlibris, visit http://www.Xlibris.com. To receive a free publishing guide, please call (888) 795-4274.

To post a comment, you must register and login.