Phillip Hoose gives many examples of how people had different reactions to what Claudette did. When word got out that Claudette got arrested for refusing to move seats, some people had negative reactions and some had positive reactions.
The point of him telling us this is to let people know that not everyone had the same opinions about Claudette, some whispered in the school halls, and others went up to her and asked about it and were supportive. As the author states,