Thursday, July 31, 2008
Picture Book Reviews Topic A :Portrayal of African/African Americans
Each member of the group must bring a picture book to share that will add to the conversation on the issues related to the article(s) to be discussed. Please post your review of your book in class. Indicate complete bibliographic information (title, date, author, publisher, genre) Give a brief, but engaging summary, provide an anlysis of the book as it relates to the discussion topic and as a piece of quality children's literature. Discuss the audience for whom it is attended and how it lends itself to the classroom.
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Levine E. (2007). Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN-13: 9780439777339. ISBN-10: 043977733-X. (Historical Fiction)
You might wonder what a box could have to do with freedom. Ellen Levine’s book, Henry’s Freedom Box, is based on the true story of Henry Box Brown, a slave who used a wooden crate to gain his freedom. This book touches on the story of his childhood as a slave where he worked with his family in his master’s house. His future is foreshadowed in his mother’s words, “Do you see those leaves blowing in the wind? They are torn from the trees like slave children are torn from their families.” Not once, but twice, Henry realizes his mother’s warning as he is separated from his family. Initially, Henry feels as though he has no control over his situation due to the conditions in the United States in the South during the mid eighteen hundreds. As an adult, his family is sold which gives Henry the power and the courage to finally take control of his fate.
This story is written using mostly simple text with a few similes and metaphors perfectly placed to symbolize Henry’s situation and emotions. As an adult with some background knowledge of the history of slavery in the United States, I was angered and horrified while reading this story of Henry Box Brown. The beautiful illustrations and simply stated story evoke emotions that help the reader somehow begin to understand the inhumanity that occurred in our country’s past with regard to slavery. This depiction of Henry’s story can also help students connect with the sometimes abstract concept of The Underground Railroad.
The author, Ellen Levine, lives in New York State and has written many books that promote the courage of people who struggle against injustice. She co-edited a book for beaten women, wrote about the struggles of some young adults who took part in the civil right’s movement and wrote a book about The Underground Railroad in addition to other books that promote social justice. She has received the Jane Addams Peace award and earned a law degree and degrees in politics and political science. She got her idea for Henry’s Freedom Box while researching information for her book about The Underground Railroad. According to Scholastic’s website, she read about Henry’s story in William Still's 1872 book, The Underground Railroad, during her research for a book on that topic. The illustrator, Kadir Nelson has received awards including a Caldecott Honor for this book, the Coretta Scott King Award and an NAACP Image Award. He based his illustrations of Henry on an actual lithograph of Henry created by Samuel Rowse in 1850. Both Levine and Nelson have a reputation of credibility especially when considering they used original sources from the time period when Henry actually made his escape to freedom.
When I first saw this book atop the library shelf, I was drawn to the beautiful cover illustration of Henry as a young boy. There was something compelling about his face and the title. As I began to read the story, I was getting my mind ready to think about ways I could use this book with my second graders. After reading just a few short pages, I realized the content was too mature for the developmental ages of my students. The fact that children were sold like used cars seems incredulous to me as an adult, yet I know that we have historical proof of just that. I did make a text-to-self connection as I recalled the stories told to me by my grandmother when I first met her while I was a teenager. On a daily basis during my first visit, she told stories of the way the Irish were treated by the English on Irish soil in a way that I felt it was my duty to report these stories back to my siblings and my cousins in the States who had not had the opportunity to meet and speak with her. She did not want the history of her struggles and our ancestors’ struggles forgotten; perhaps because without such historical knowledge these injustices might be repeated again. I felt this way as I read Henry’s Freedom Box. Even though it is painful to relive the injustices of history, it is important to inform other generations so such history is not allowed to be repeated and so people know that some, during the time of such cruelty and ignorance, had the courage to overcome their situations and persevere. I also remembered learning about The Underground Railroad in primary school and remember having a difficult time understanding the concept. This story demonstrates the concept in a concrete way through the story and illustrations.
This book deals with some of the elements of African American literature that Bishop refers to in her interview with Kathleen Horning. It is tied to the history of African Americans during the time of slavery and describes an escape from slavery. It takes away the stigma that Bishop said some Black children have attached to having ancestors who were slaves in that the main character, Henry, was able to escape his life of slavery through determination and personal and physical sacrifice. Bishop states, “For young people, what the writers do is to humanize the enslaved people, by writing not only about the despair, but about their whole lives which included love and included joy.” By beginning the story with Henry as a young boy, Levine, with the help of Nelson’s engaging illustrations, allows the reader to connect with Henry as a living human, not just a figure out of some history book. As an adult, this portrayal of Henry as a young child made his situation even more severe. We also learn that Henry was educated and that he was permitted to marry and live with his wife and children. He considered himself “lucky” during that period of his life.
I would think that this book would be an appropriate read aloud for students in fourth grade and up when read to support the curriculum. It gives humanity to the reality of slavery and allows new generations to get a sense of the injustices that occurred in our country’s history. It is also a good example of The Underground Railroad. Children could research stories of other slaves who escaped and map their trip out including the geographical obstacles they might have encountered along the way. The story also gives a hopeful example for children as it relays the message that even in times of deep despair, people can and have overcome obstacles. In this story and other stories about people’s escape from injustice and persecution the protagonist usually finds at least one person who is willing to help.
Some books and websites that have activity ideas related to The Underground Railroad are as follows:
Carson, M. K. (2005) The Underground Railroad for Kids: From Slavery to Freedom with 21 Activities. Chicago: Chicago Review Press.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/kids.html
http://www.surfnetkids.com/undergroundrr.htm
http://www2.lhric.org/POCANTICO/tubman/tubman.html
References
Horning, K.T. (2008). An interview with Rudine Sims Bishop. The Horn Book Magazine, May 2008, 247-259.
http://content.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3318
Hoffman, Mary. (2007) Princess Grace. New York: Penguin Group
ISBN978-0-80373260-5 (Fiction)
Grace, the determined young girl who enjoyed dancing and performing in Mary Hoffman’s Amazing Grace, is a little older now and eager to represent her class as a princess on the school float in the community parade. Her initial enthusiasm is based on her preconceived images of fairytale princesses from some of her all time favorite stories. As the story progresses and her preliminary excitement turns to the costume design, Grace learns that alternate couture options, aside from her initial image of a floaty, pink gown, exist based on true stories from near and faraway lands. Will Grace be selected to represent her class and if so, what type of princess will she be? Find out how Grace, with the help of her teacher, disrupts her classmates’ and her own familiar view of royalty and discovers “The more the merrier” on parade day!
This book captured the interest of my second grade students and became a springboard for thoughtful discussions. I would recommend this picture book as a read aloud for students in kindergarten through third grade.
The author of Princess Grace, Mary Hoffman, is British and spent most of her childhood in London. Her first story about Grace was based on her own childhood, but because great strides had been made in women’s equality by the time she wrote the book she decided to make the main character, Grace, of African decent. The illustrators are a husband and wife team, Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. Van Wright was born in New York City and Hu was born in Taiwan. Van Wright used a female child of African decent as a model for his earlier Grace illustrations and later went to Africa when she and her family moved there to capture her beauty in watercolor paintings again. In an e-mail interview conducted by Cynthia Leitich Smith found on her author’s site, Hu and Van Wright said, “It is important for children to see different cultures but in a humane way that they can identify with the book, not allowing the culture to become a cartoon and stereotype.”
The author and illustrators were careful to create a story and illustrations that allowed children to identify with the characters in a positive way without using blatant stereotypes. In Princess Grace, the main character, Grace, is of African descent, but the main theme of the story would work with a female character of almost any ethnic group. Her friends and classmates represent diverse ethnic backgrounds and are beautifully represented in watercolors.
This story includes some of the “teachy but not preachy” elements referred to in Rudine Sims Bishop’s interview with Kathleen Horning. Nana is portrayed as a strong female character who probes Grace in a way that is not preachy, but allows Grace to come to some questions, decisions and conclusions that help her grow as an individual. Nana questions Grace about what a princess wears and what a princess does and tells her there is more than one way to be pretty, without giving Grace the answers. Grace, with the help of her teacher, learns that her stereotypical image of a princess based on fairytales does not represent the only kind of princesses found throughout world history. Grace discovers some answers to Nana’s queries and demonstrates confidence and initiative as her questions prompt the teacher’s history lesson about interesting princesses from around the world and results in all of her classmates participating in the parade representing princesses and princes from many periods and places. Hoffman portrays Grace as a positive problem solver who uses common sense to make her classmates think and, as a result, affects change. This exemplifies Bishop’s referral to a comment made by DuBois of The Brownie’s Book as literature that, “…supports Black children’s positive self-image and with helping them learn how to resolve problems…”
According to Bishop, Duois also, “…advocated for informing readers about Black history, Black heroes and Black heritage.” In Princess Grace, we learn little snippets about princesses and Cinderellas from Nigeria, Egypt and Zimbabwe. Grace decides to use West African Kente cloth that she brought back from a trip to The Gambia for her portrayal of an adventurous princess. This cloth becomes a beautiful gown with vibrant patterns that Grace wears proudly as she smiles and waves to the crowds while on the parade float. Hoffman reinforces the ideas, “Black is beautiful and Africa is a source of pride”, referred to by Bishop as those expressed in African American literature. The author’s note provides readers with more information about West African Kente cloth, as well as information regarding the princesses referred to in the body of the story.
This book is an appropriate read aloud for the primary grades. It portrays a confident, determined young African American girl with a strong, loving grandmother and mother. The school where I teach does not have a large diverse population. Read alouds and classroom libraries intended for self-selected independent reading should include books that portray strong characters that represent many ethnic groups. Bishop mentions African American authors who relayed the importance of seeing oneself portrayed positively in books and counteracting negative themes and images. Grace portrays such a positive image.
I will use this book in my character study unit. Grace is a strong, female African American character. In the past, I have used the character of Grace to compare and contrast to the character of Mirette from Mirette on a High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully. I can use Princess Grace to follow a character over time and note changes and growth in the character. I can also use this book to compare and contrast to some of the other stories we read based on the Cinderella stories. As part of our Naïve American unit of study we read Little Firefly, retold by Terri Cohelene and Rough-Faced Girl retold by Rafe Martin. In addition, this story can be used to disrupt my students’ preconceived notions and images of what a princess looks like, dresses like and does in a thoughtful grand conversation format.
References:
Hoffman, Mary. (2007) Princess Grace. New York: Penguin Group
ISBN978-0-80373260-5.
Horning, K.T. (2008). An interview with Rudine Sims Bishop. The Horn Book Magazine, May 2008, 247-259.
www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/authors/interviews/hu_vanwright.html
Book Review
Vision of Beauty
The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker
By Kathryn Lasky
Illustrated by Nneka Bennett
2000, Candlewick Press
Picture Book
Kathryn Lasky’s story about Sarah Breedlove Walker begins in Delta, Louisiana in the 1870s. She relates the story of a family of ex-slaves whose daughter, Sarah is their first free-born child. It is the parents’ dream to educate their children. However her parents die and leave Sarah, her sister, and brother orphaned. Though the children try, they are unsuccessful at running the farm and taking care of themselves, so they cross the Mississippi River to live in Vicksburg It is at this crossing that Sarah noted the beauty and grace of the white women along with their confidence and the way they carried themselves. The girls took in laundry until Sarah’s older sister married. However, the
girls’ lives were not much better. Sarah married at fourteen and had a daughter. After her husband died she and her daughter moved to St. Louis where Sarah continued to work hard and save for her daughter’s education. The St. Louis World’s Fair took place and Sarah was present at the NACW meeting which was addressed by Margaret Washington, wife of Booker T Washington. Mrs. Washington spoke of the development of colored women and Sarah was struck by her confidence, posture, and poise. She was reminded of the ladies she saw years ago when crossing the Missippi. This was something Sarah had always wanted. But how was she to achieve it? Because of years of poor nutrition and health Sarah suffered from baldness. She returned home from the meeting, prayed to God to help her hair from continuing to fall out and had a dream of Africa and the plants and vegetation that could help her to make her hair healthy. This began Sarah’s path to the creation of three products: Vegetable Shampoo, Wonderful Hair Grower, and Glossine. Sarah decided to go into business for herself. She started by using herself as a model, showing two views of herself. The before picture showed her with her damaged hair and the second picture showed her with healthy beautiful hair as she looks directly into the camera. This began Sarah’s journey as a business woman. In 1905 she married Charles Walker, an old friend from St. Louis. She chose the name Madam C.J. Walker and named her company after herself. Sarah’s business became very successful. She was very innovative and after her daughter graduated from college she went into the business with her mother. Sarah was a strong woman who achieved what she wanted for herself but also helped many women of her race to better themselves too.
This picture book and its beautiful illustrations tell the story of a brave woman who worked hard to better herself and the women of her race. It allows children to see that gender and race do not determine success or failure in this world. Anyone who reads this book is able to relate to Sarah’s humanity drawing us closer as people. Used in the classroom this book would wonderfully enhance the study of African American history, the history of women’s contributions to our country, or a study of contributions made by Americans of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds
Jacqueline Woodson's Hush is a powerful story of a young girl, dealing with conflict as her self esteem is diminishing during adolescent trial while crossing racial lines in the sake of friendship.In this highly descriptive book, Woodson speaks of colors of each character's skin, "dark brown fingers", and telling of actions "kneading bread to make the fried chicken". There is a racial murder that the young Toswiah's father has to testify against as a witness, against fellow polie officers, who are white. The family enters a witness protection program and they are foced to llose all of thier possessions, and give up thier past (including friends and family)to restart a new life for thier safety and protection. The police officers who were in the trial for murdering a black man threaten Toswiah's family, and threaten to kill them. Toswiah sees that all can be stripped away and she stuggles wih her older sister and parents become people she no longer recognizes. Toswiah struggles with her own sense of identity, holding on to who she was into new cultures of school and life and leaving everything she knew of behind, including her name, which becomes Evie. I highly recommend this book for young adults, grades 6-8 and up, for its depiction of life's obstacles characters that overcome stuggles.
Older adolescent boys (middle school and up) will appreciate Wlter Dean Meyers' Monster. The format of this novel is appealing as is it written from the main character's point of view in the form of a movie screenplay. It depicts his story as a boy who is arrested for robbery, his trial, his incarceration, and beyond. It is moving and emotional, as the reader will feel for the boy in this story. It is entitled "Monster" because that is what he is called by the individuals hearing his case. This is a story of lost innocence wrapped in a riveting drama.
Blues Journey by Walter Dean Myers and illustrated by his son Christopher Myers, is a picture book that is told in the form of "the blues". The lyrics tell a poetic story that represents adverse conditions in which many black people had to live, for example, "I'm half scared of dying, half scared of being strong; I'm half scared of dying, half scared of being strong; Guess that's why I end up staying in that raging storm too long". Powerful lyrics that tell of nightmares such as lynching, "Strange fruit hanging, high in a big oak tree; Strange fruit hanging, high in a big oal tree; Can you see what it sis to Willie, can you see what it does to me?"
The craft choice of using blues lyrics as poetry shows the readers the emotions behind the words. "Blues, blues, blues, blues what you mean to me? Blues, blues, blues, blues, what you mean to me? Are you my pain and misery, or my sweet, sweet company?" The illustrations that accompany the text portray an artistic realism that brings the lyrics to life.
Henry’s Freedom Box, a picture book written by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson and published in 2007, is the true story of a young African American slave who literally mailed himself to freedom in 1850. As child and young man, he suffered multiple separations from his family: when he was a young boy, he was sent away from his family to work for his master’s son, and as a young man, his wife and two small children were sold unexpectedly and sent away in a carriage while he was working in a tobacco factory. The emotional pain of these profound losses pushed Henry to arrive at a risky and courageous way out of this life by using the Underground Railroad in a unique and ingenious way. With the help of White abolitionists, he packed himself into a wooden box and mailed himself to Philadelphia. He remained curled up in that box, at time upside-down, for approximately twenty-seven hours.
The author, Ellen Levine, “has always been drawn to stories of people who struggled for justice…” Her writing awards include the Jane Addams Peace Award. Levine researched this story extensively before writing this picture book. She shares, "I first read about Henry ‘Box' Brown in William Still's 1872 book, The Underground Railroad. An 800-page volume, it contained the stories of all the runaway slaves who came through Still's Anti-slavery society office in Philadelphia…I was awed by Henry's ingenious plan and his courage in undertaking it.” In Henry’s Freedom Box, Ellen Levine writes the story of a slave who, while not looking for acceptance and approval from White society, but was looking for his own freedom and dignity. Freedom was his standard for success. Levine writes about the specific condition of Blacks as the oppressed slaves, a social injustice that was eventually deemed unlawful. Henry represents the slaves, but more importantly represents their collective strength as he eventually actively resists his lot as a slave. She writes from the perspective of Henry, his family and his friends, giving the reader the opportunity to gain insight into their experiences, their lives. Readers are, for instance, in the tobacco factory and the “box” with Henry. We run after the cart with Henry as it takes his family away from him. Levine describes Henry’s family scenes, which include the Henry, his wife and small children, with intimacy, love and tenderness, free of any Black stereotypical dynamics. She also includes the varied dynamics between Blacks and Whites during that time. Whites hold the power in a book set in the time of slavery, and make decisions that result in Black families to separate forever. On the other hand, Levine also writes of the Whites of the Underground Railroad who helped Henry mail himself to freedom. The focus, though, is ultimately on Henry, who takes matters into his hands. He is the hero. A young audience will likely understand that Henry is a brave, heroic, ingenious character who gave hope and strength to others. Yet, after his family was unexpectedly sold – a particularly painful scene – Henry never again sees his wife or children. We might be left wondering what happened to his wife, his children. Did only men get free? A parent or teacher might want to balance this book with another that shows women and young girls finding freedom on the Underground Railroad. Adults might want to carefully consider the age of their audience as well, as Henry’s experiences are traumatic. Otherwise, at the end of the book, one is in awe of Henry.
The illustrator, Kadir Nelson, came to this project with a full and impressive resume, including Ntozake Shange’s Coretta Scott King Award-winning book, Ellington Was Not a Street. Nelson says about his artwork: “My focus is to create images of people who demonstrate a sense of hope and nobility. I want to show the strength and integrity of the human being and the human spirit.” He succeeds in doing just that in Henry’s Freedom Box through oil, watercolor and crosshatched pencil lines, in an effort to emulate an 1850 lithograh of Henry Brown. The result is a timeless classic style that reflects an earlier period in American history. Each page is illustrated with a richness of cultural details of the slave culture and period. His illustrations do not contain over-simplified generalizations of African Americans with physical features that represent derogatory characteristics; rather, the illustrator Kadir Nelson depicts the physicality of all African Americans in the book with both accuracy and authenticity. Nelson fills the book with African American characters who are dignified Blacks – slaves – not token, tinted Blacks. Because this is a story about the will and strength of one slave breaking free and finding his freedom, slavery serves as the backdrop and context of the story. While Nelson’s illustrations show the Blacks as slaves in subservient roles, he depicts them as clearly unsatisfied with their role and status in this American society. Nelson is equally fair in his renditions of the White characters, avoiding caricatures.
Johnson, A. (2005). a sweet smell of roses. New York: Aladdin Press.
Angela Johnson, along with illustrator Eric Velasquez, have given us a magical portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King's message of freedom. The author chose to show us this message through the eyes of two siblings "... who are only waist high to most of them." Them being the adults who are marching for their very lives at this tumultuous time in history. As they young girls make their way through the place they call home, they can't help but notice the sweet smell of roses wafting through the air. Electrified with voices both positive and negative, the girls find themselves in the front of the march "Looking ahead, just like him." Hearing phrases such as "We are right. We march for equality and freedom." mixed with "You are not right. Equality can't be yours." the reader is taken to a time and place in America's history that was fraught with fear and uncertainty.
Eric Velasquez's illustrations, rendered in charcoal, add to the beauty of this story. The images alone conjure up feelings of peace as well as anger. His choice of weaving a red tie on a stuffed bear's neck as the children move through the book bring images of love and hate to mind. The color, what little of it there is, is so powerful it's almost as if it tells a story itself.
The images of the girls running past lives carrying on in their every day ways while so much is happening right down the street, I believe, sends an interesting message of the siblings realization that they must fight for something bigger than them. They are walking towards a future life that must have been so hard for them to imagine at such young ages. The final pages of the story show the girls running back home to their Mama "... worried face, waiting there for us." as the story closes with the red of the roses and the sweet smell floating all through their house.
Ms. Johnson's book is a powerful message both in a historical sense as well as a timely message for today. I recommend this story for all ages and all grades as it lends itself to reflection, critical analysis and response in both a historical arena as well as a modern day social message.
A sweet smell of roses is a positive affirmation of cultural identity and promotes a sense of self esteem in young children. It says that they can take a stand for something important. It's a positive message in so many ways. It also illustrates an understanding of our common bonds of humanity. We are all fighting for something better both personally and socially. I feel that the ideas presented in the book cross all cultural borders and should be presented as such.
Johnson, A. (2003). I Dream of Trains. New York: Simon @ Schuster Children’s Publishing. ISBN 0-689-82609-5. Fiction.
In this fictional text, Angela Johnson creates a storyline about one boy’s dream to get on a train to take him away from the south. The boy, the son of a sharecropper, speaks of long hot days and an aching back in the cotton fields. While he works he dreams of getting on a train conducted by “big ol’ Casey Jones” that will take him to far away places. The same whistle that takes him away is the same sound which thrusts him back into the real world. One April night during a storm Casey Jones loses his life in a train wreck. For a moment the boy wonders if his dreams are over. His papa reassures him there will be more trains to come, trains that will take him to those places in his dreams; mountains, oceans, cities and far away places. Angela Johnson’s message to the reader, freedom, is clear in this fictional text placed in a time where Blacks were free in the North.
Angela Johnson accurately portrays the characters through the use of text and illustrations. She writes of cotton picking and working in the fields which is supported by the illustrations of the characters bent over in fields filled with ‘long white rows’. In addition the main character, the son of a sharecropper, dreams of getting far away from the South. His dreams come to a halting stop when the train conductor is killed in a train wreck. When his father takes his hand and tells him another train will come, his dream comes back to life. The reader can conclude that the father and son want a better life for the boy, one that frees him from social and economic inequities.
In I dream of trains, Johnson provides rich cultural details in the portrayal of the life of a sharecropper. The text and illustrations allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of this part in Black History in a sensitive and compassionate manner. In addition, Johnson’s use of language reflects authenticity.
While this is a picture book with illustrations that lends itself to in-depth conversations, it may not be appropriate to use with younger elementary students. This would be an appropriate text for older elementary students and in classrooms studying Black history in the early 1900s.
Book Review
Remember as You Pass Me By
By
L. King Perez
Milkweed Editions, 2007
Set in 1953 Hughes Springs, Texas, Lucy King Perez tells us the story of two girls, one black, one white who are friends from a very young age but are now twelve years old and the friendship is changing. The girls each live in different parts of town, each on their own side, attend different schools, one black, one white, and the white girl, Silvy is being pressured by her parents and family to stop associating with Mabelee. This is a time where black people have separate transportation, restaurants, and even separate water fountains from the white people. Silvey has another friend named Mim, a white girl, and a new white girl moves into town with her mother. They live above the funeral parlor and Allie Rae’s mother works for the undertaker. Allie Rae with looks like a movie star’s and SIlvey both like all the same things-“dying stories, riding trees, and talking dirty in disguise”. It is a time of civil injustice and violent undercurrents as SIlvey’s dad warns the children to stay in the house at times and SIlvey’s feelings of fear over the behavior of the regular, normal people in her town and their treatment of the colored people that Silvey has grown up around. As Silvey and Mabelee drift apart to become estranged Mabelee’s pastor has a young relative from the North come to visit. He is educated to be an architect and can’t find a job so he begins to help the black community and school. Fundraisers for new books and repairs begin to improve the black children’s school and there is talk of integrating schools with a supreme court decision. Although she is a friend, Silvey is disheartened by the ugly words that Allie Rae uses when talking about colored people. Fear of change makes some of the townspeople resort to violence and the black school is burned down. SIlvey’s friend, Mabelee’s life is in danger and she turns to Silvey for help. Silvey begins to understand that that even though many of her neighbors are “good” Christians their fear of integration and a complete change in the social mores of the time lead some to violence and others to inaction. It is SIlvey’s belief in “doing what is right” that leads her to help Mabelee, her brother, and the pastor’s nephew to safety. It is only after the incident that she finds her father has also helped them. The book immerses the reader in a time of more simplicity but there is a darkness residing within the story that slips out between the conversations of the characters and Silvey’s thoughts since she is the person telling the story. This book gives the reader a realistic view of the early civil rights movement and the atmosphere of change that hung in the air of post war America.
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