**Ella Mae is used to wearing her cousin's hand-me-down shoes--but when
her latest pair is already too tight, she's thrilled at the chance to
get new shoes.
**
But at the shoe store, Ella Mae and her mother have to wait until there
are no white customers to serve first. She doesn't get to try anything
on, either--her mother traces her feet onto a sheet of paper, and the
salesman brings them a pair he thinks will fit.
Disappointed by her treatment, Ella Mae and her cousin Charlotte hatch a
plan to help others in their community find better-fitting shoes without
humiliation.
Eric Velasquez' realistic oil paintings bring life to this story of a
young girl's determination in the face of injustice. The book includes
an author's note from Susan Lynn Meyer, discussing the historical
context of the story and how the Civil Rights Movement worked to abolish
unfair laws like the ones Ella Mae encounters.
A 2016 NAACP Image Award Nominee, and a Jane Addams Children's Book
Award winner.