Actions speak louder than words! Mason uses his excellent typing skills to change people's attitudes and to make a difference during the civil rights era. To see a read aloud by Dule Hill, go to Storyline:
https://storylineonline.net/books/fast-words-fly/ ( )

"Inspiring testament to the power of hard work, determination, and belief in yourself to overcome life's challenges". "a fourteen-year-old African American boy in 1960s Greenville, North Carolina uses his typing skills to make a statement as part of the Civil Rights movement. Based on True events. Includes author's notes."

About a child who helps his father write letters which then help the civil rights movement. Is gifted a typewriter, joins a non-segregation school, learns typing, all the discrimination he faces along the way.

Illustration are very realistic and made in human scale. Like paintings.

A young Black boy growing up in North Carolina in the 1960s must push past challenges in order to represent his school in a typing competition. He must break racial barriers as he in one of the first Black students to attend a "whites-only" school. Using the confidence he has in himself, he is able face the challenges brought to him in a racially segregated community.
This is a wonderful story on being confident in your abilities and that hard work and a strong mindset will help you face great challenges. While this story is fiction, it does represent what many young African American students had to fave as "whites-only" schools began to enroll Black students. The story is great to be read to students of all ages, particularly second to fifth grade.

I love this book because it has a clear and strong message about the civil rights movement and discrimination. Mason was given a typewriter as a gift, the typewriter was a great gift to get your message across to the community. When Mason teach himself how to type, he entered the typing contest with high schoolers. For being black, Mason was being treated differently, but he wins the contest and breaks all the records. Mason used a manual typewriter while other contestants used electric typewriters. The most powerful line I loved at the end of the story is when the principal asked him, why did he use the manual, and Mason said, it reminds him of where he comes from. Mason went through so many obstacles but he still accomplished his goal. I believe when you make a difference you need to use that gift through your actions. I know the children would love this story because it touches on major issues, and it is relatable. I believe the theme is diversity because in the story Mason was treated differently than everyone else because he was black. ( )

This is a book about a young boy named Mason who learns to type by writing letters during the Civil Rights Movement. He practices and works extremely hard to be the best typer even after he is mistreated due to the color of his skin. The illustrations do a great job at depicting he emotions of the characters. I love the eye contact that the reader made. I love the symbolism behind why he chose the manual typewriter. I think this book should be taught because it shows a different kind of mistreatment besides violence that African Americans went through. This book can also teach students that even if others doubt or mistreat you you can still succeed. ( )