Text Set

I chose to look at African American literature.  One of the main reasons I chose this topic was because I am currently in an African American Language class and am fascinated and intrigued in content of the course.  I have learned a lot about AAL and I wanted to see if I could expand upon my knowledge through children’s literature.  I had a couple books in mind when I started this project and the other books I just happened to come upon on my search.  All of the books I chose were written by insider authors, all of whom were female except for one.  The lone male author in my text set is both an author and an illustrator, and it was interesting to see his illustrations with his own text as well as with the text of another author. 

I enjoyed reading all of my books in my set and I plan to have them all in my future classroom.  They all contained quality writing and detailed unique illustrations.  In some of the books historical events were represented and all of them were portrayed with accuracy.  Four out of the five books in my set were from the perspective of an African American youth.  Some of the themes that ran throughout my books were strength, friendship, social justice/action, courage and pride.  The youthful characters bring life and perspective to heavy issues.  The characters fought to resist prejudice and build bridges between segregation.  The children of the stories brought an innocence and an open mind in creating a relationship that was once looked down upon.  In one of the stories AAL was used and it was used correctly and authentically.  Not only is character representation important but language use is key as well. 

The themes throughout these books are ones that any one can relate to and they are present in society today.  When I read each story, I found a way in which I could connect to the character or some other aspect of the story.  I am excited to further my exploration and add to my text set.  It is nice to find quality pieces of literature that represent multiculturalism and see how they can be incorporated in to the classroom.

Professional Resource

Copyright National Council of Teachers of English Conference on College Composition and Communication May 2006

 

Rosa Written by Nikki Giovanni Illustrated by Bryan Collier Holt, 2005, ISBN 0-805-07106-7.

This powerful and moving tribute to Rosa Parks captures the quiet strength of the woman who refused to give up her seat on the bus and so helped to establish a course of action that led to the Civil Rights movement. Giovanni's words and Collier's watercolor and collage illustrations ground readers in the realities of the era. Giovanni artfully weaves in references to the historic events of the day including the 1954 Brown vs. the Board of Education decision and the heinous murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till. The portrayal of Rosa Parks as a gifted seamstress, a devoted daughter, and loving wife only magnify her humanness, helping readers recognize the need to come to know others in a deeper way. Readers cannot fail to see the peaceful dignity and quiet resolve of this great lady in the words and images presented in this beautiful work.

Lester L Laminack,  Barbara H Bell. (2006). Rosa. Review of Rosa. Language Arts, 83(5), 459.  Retrieved April 23, 2008, from Research Library Core database. (Document ID: 1039341711).

When looking for reviews, most of them were along the same lines as the one above.  I trusted this review because it comes from a credible source and it is written in a professional manner.  The content of the review covers the important parts of the story in a detailed and concise way.  Reading the review just makes me want to read the book again.  The review discusses the multicultural characteristics of this piece of literature and it shows how the author's and illustrator's work combine to create a reality for the reader.  

When looking for reviews I accessed the library as a resource and found it difficult to find longer more in depth reviews.  After locating a credible review it was nice to see the difference between a professional review of the text and a reader's review of the text.  

Book Review: Mirandy and Brother Wind

Title: Mirandy and Brother Wind

Author: Patricia C. McKissack

Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc

Date of Publication: 1988

This is the story of a young girl, Mirandy, and her quest to win the local cakewalk.  She knows the best chance she has for winning is if she can catch Brother Wind.  With Brother Wind as her partner no one stands a chance against her.  Mirandy is full of life and energy.  She attempts to catch the wind in various ways, each time she turns up unsuccessful she keeps up her determination and spirit to try again.  The illustrations are full of color, detail and the spirit of the text.  All of the illustrations are full page and follow the content of the text.

This book is a great piece of multicultural literature.  The history of how the cakewalk came to be is included in the author’s note at the forefront of the book.  The dialect in the text is very authentic and gives the reader a feel for the time and location in which this story takes place.  African American culture is represented through the tradition of dance and the use of language.  Children will be able to relate to this story by connecting modern day cakewalks to the history of the dance.  With the use of AAL the author provides a connection for those students who speak AAL or have a family member that does.  

Book Review: The Other Side

Title: The Other Side

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrator: E.B. Lewis

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Date of Publication: 2001

This is the story of a young girl named Clover, who is left to wonder what is on the other side of the fence and why is it that she cannot cross it.  The fence is a representation of the separation between blacks and whites.  Day after day Clover sees a young Caucasian girl sitting on top of the fence, rain or shine.  Clover is told by her mother that she must never cross the fence, Annie the girl who sits on the fence is told the same by her mother.  Once the two girls start to talk, Annie tells Clover that sitting on the fence doesn’t mean you are crossing the fence.  The two girls form a friendship and build a bridge between the segregation that occurs between whites and blacks.  The beautiful pictures aide the beautiful story in creating a poignant message for all readers. 

Woodson does a great job in creating characters that are likeable and relatable.  The two girls are dealing with social injustice and breaking social norms.  The girls are not sure why it is that they cannot be friends and once they both see that they are both going through the same thing they forge a bond.  They sit atop the fence and look out at the world and hope that everyone else will be able to see all that they can see from their fence.  Readers are able to connect to the book through the topic of friendship.  In creating new friendships and relationships we broaden our horizons, learn new things, and see things from a different perspective.  Prejudice still exists today and the friendship these girls make starts to break down the barrier of prejudice that adults may have.  The girls are proof that children are young and impressionable and see things for what they are.  Clover saw Annie as another friend, not as a superior or a symbol of inequality.

Book Review: Rosa

Title: Rosa

Author: Nikki Giovanni

Illustrator: Bryan Collier

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, LLC

Date of Publication: 2005

 

Rosa is the winner of the Caldecott Honor Medal and the 2006 Coretta Scott King Medal. 

Nikki Giovanni writes about the momentous day in history where Rosa Parks took a stand and would not give up her seat on the bus.  The author brings Rosa Parks to life by describing her home life, she has a husband, she works as a seamstress, and she takes care of her mother, this allows the reader to see Ms. Parks as a human rather than just an icon or symbol.  The book addresses the Civil Rights movement upon the arrest of Ms. Parks.  The author gives us a glimpse of the Women’s Political Council, Dr. Martin Luther King, and the protest Montgomery, Alabama held by walking instead of riding the bus.  The illustrations by Bryan Collier bring Giovanni’s words to life.  The facial expression he gives to the characters and the subdued colors add to the power in the message of the text.  This story represents the silent strength and determination of Rosa Parks, after a long day of work she is tired and she finds the power deep within to take a stand for herself and others because she is even more tired of succumbing to white supremacy. 

 

This book is a great piece of multicultural literature.  The author gives a different perspective on the day Rosa Parks changed the history of our country.  The reader is able to connect when they see that Rosa Parks lived a “regular” life, going to work, taking care of a family, feeling tired, etc.  The book offers historical and authentic information about the Civil Rights movement, showing the reader how Rosa Parks’ actions relate to other events in the Civil Rights movement.  The front cover alone shows the attitude of society when the story takes place, a white male looking down on an African American female.  Giovanni explores the bravery of Rosa Parks and gives the reader a feel for the prejudice, segregation, and racism that was occurring during this time.  In some parts of the country these issues still exist in varying degrees, this book offers an opportunity to delve into a class discussion about how these issues may have or do affect the lives of the students.  

Book Review: Smoky Night

Title: Smoky Night

Author: Eve Bunting

Illustrator: David Diaz

Publisher: Harcourt Inc.

Date of Publication: 1994

 

Smoky Night is a winner of The Caldecott Medal.  Eve Bunting writes about the Los Angeles riots in the perspective of a young boy named Daniel.  Daniel is witnessing events that no child should ever have to see.  He is exposed to an unsettling time of prejudice, violence, and stereotypes yet still maintains the innocence of a child.  Bunting gives a realistic situation when Daniel is asking his mother questions and wanting to know what is going on.  The fire is a devastating event that happens to Daniel and his mother, yet from that the neighbors are brought together.  Before the fire there was separation but through coping bridges are crossed and it is through the cats that we see you don’t have to look alike to be friends.  The illustrations in this story bring the text to life with detailed and dark pictures.  The dark color scheme gives the reader a feel for the mood and struggles taking place during these riots.  Within the illustrations there is paint as well as real life objects to represent what is taking place in the text. 

The author introduces the reader to the Los Angeles riots without really going into detail about the horrific behavior of the rioters.  Daniel is a character that youth can relate to when he shares his experience of being frightened and has inquisitive behavior about an event that will probably forever affect his life.  Social relevance exists in this story as the prejudices that existed then still exist today and stereotypes are still in use.  Giving students the opportunity to see how people can overcome these issues opens the door for conversations about steps the students can take to put an end or take a stand against prejudice and stereotypes.  

Book Review: Uptown

Title: Uptown

Author: Bryan Collier

Illustrator: Bryan Collier

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, LLC

Date of Publication: 2000

Uptown is the winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award.  Uptown is the story of a young African American boy who gives the reader a tour of Harlem through his eyes.  Bryan Collier creates a vivid picture of the city through his unique and beautiful illustrations.  The city of Harlem is described by what it means to this young boy, he is telling the reader what his home is like.  Each page of the story begins with “Uptown is...” followed by a different characteristic.  Through the descriptions of Harlem, it is apparent that this young man takes pride in his city and each description has special meaning to him.  This story takes a positive look at a city that is usually made out to be less than extraordinary.  To this young boy Harlem is a stage, a song, a weekend shopping, jazz and so much more.  Collier backs his words with vibrant and detailed pictures.  The text portrays a calm and collected view of the city, but through the illustrations one can see many different directions and fast pace of a busy city.  Children can relate to this story and the main character because he is sharing what Harlem is to him, just like children describe their hometown as it is to them.  Children like to share where they come from and where they grew up and in doing so are showing their sense of pride and knowledge in the community that they know.  Readers can also see how their hometown is similar and different from that of the character in this book.  Collier creates a dynamic short story full of character and bright colors.  He finds the positive in a city that is usually referred to as a place of violence, gangs, and drugs through the eyes of the city’s youth. 

 

This book is a great piece of multicultural literature.  The culture of a city is shown through the description of the streets, the people, the food, and the illustrations.  Collier has created a main character that is likeable and easy to relate to.  He has also created pictures that give a realistic and authentic feel for the city of Harlem.