White Water

By: Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein

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Synopsis: On a scorching hot day, Michael is excited to make the trip into town with his grandmother. It is just a little past breakfast but already a thousand degrees, and after a long bus ride standing in the heat, Michael is so thirsty when he reaches town that he just has to have a drink at the water fountain. But when he finally gets his first sip, the water tastes gritty and dirty. In those days, there were separate water fountains for whites, and when Michael sees a boy his age taking a long drink next to him at the whites-only fountain, he's sure that it must be the best-tasting water in the whole world. Michael can't stop thinking about that white water, and when he finally sneaks back into town to get a taste for himself, he makes a startling revelation that changes his life forever. Set in 1962 in the segregation-era South at the dawn of the civil rights movement, this story, based on a real-life childhood experience of author Michael Bandy, shows how one epiphany opens up a whole world of possibilities. Beautifully illustrated by Shadra Strickland, this moving and inspirational story vividly captures one boy's thrilling discovery that through embracing the gifts of imagination and courage, anything is possible.