Book Summary: This story is about the Logan family, a black family that owns land, during 1930s Mississippi. The story is told from the perspective of Cassie Logan, who at one point is publicly humiliated by a white family, simply because she is black. Cassie's mother, is a school teacher and courageous in her own ways against the prejudices the black families feel during this time. She discovers that the school books given to the students are in such disrepair that the only reason they received them from the state was because they were considered unfit for white children. She carefully pastes white paper over the inside covers to conceal their state identifications. Cassie's father goes away to work on a railroad to make sure the family has money to keep their land. The land is considered a source of pride for the Logan family, as it was purchased fairly, after slaves were freed from the Granger family, the white next-door neighbors. The Grangers, however, are spiteful and want to get any former land of theirs back. The Avery's are a family close to the Logan family in proximity by land and the children of the two families are friends. T.J. Avery, however, becomes friendly with some of the elder Granger children, causing trouble for himself in the end.
This book won the 1977 Newbery Award.
APA Reference of Book:
Taylor, M.D. (1976). Roll of thunder, hear my cry. New York, NY: Dial Press.
Impressions: Mildred D. Taylor had written this story about her family and it is easy to believe that she came from a line of storytellers. The chapters, in some ways, feel like a series of vignettes that all collect to the main story of saving T.J. from lynching. Through these smaller stories, you begin to understand the individual characters. The writing is all-encompassing and you get the sense that you are sitting in arm's reach within any of the Logan family characters as they experience prejudices and question the world around them. Taylor provides an atmosphere of uncertainty that no doubt was the atmosphere felt by her real-life family members with night riders and the possibility of lynching. The imagery is so profound that I began to wonder why such awful things could happen to people. However, I think this is key to the story's purpose, especially in education since it is often read in school. It showcases a time period that is not fondly remembered for its prejudicial viewpoints and is a reminder why society needed then (and still needs) to grow beyond racial prejudice.
Professional Review:
Anita Silvey, in her book 100 Best Books for Children (2004), placed this book in her picks. "One of Taylor's greatest strengths as a novelist lies in her ability to show racial prejudice from the viewpoint of a child" (Silvey, 2004, p. 148). Silvey also mentions the lasting legacy of this story because for children today and tomorrow, it explores a time period unknown to them (Silvey, 2004).
Silvey, A. (2004). 100 best books for children. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Library Uses: As someone who works in a public library, I know that this title is often tied with required school reading. However, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a story that explores a family's perspective of racial prejudice in the south during the 1930s, regardless of its educational connection.
This book won the 1977 Newbery Award.
APA Reference of Book:
Taylor, M.D. (1976). Roll of thunder, hear my cry. New York, NY: Dial Press.
Impressions: Mildred D. Taylor had written this story about her family and it is easy to believe that she came from a line of storytellers. The chapters, in some ways, feel like a series of vignettes that all collect to the main story of saving T.J. from lynching. Through these smaller stories, you begin to understand the individual characters. The writing is all-encompassing and you get the sense that you are sitting in arm's reach within any of the Logan family characters as they experience prejudices and question the world around them. Taylor provides an atmosphere of uncertainty that no doubt was the atmosphere felt by her real-life family members with night riders and the possibility of lynching. The imagery is so profound that I began to wonder why such awful things could happen to people. However, I think this is key to the story's purpose, especially in education since it is often read in school. It showcases a time period that is not fondly remembered for its prejudicial viewpoints and is a reminder why society needed then (and still needs) to grow beyond racial prejudice.
Professional Review:
Anita Silvey, in her book 100 Best Books for Children (2004), placed this book in her picks. "One of Taylor's greatest strengths as a novelist lies in her ability to show racial prejudice from the viewpoint of a child" (Silvey, 2004, p. 148). Silvey also mentions the lasting legacy of this story because for children today and tomorrow, it explores a time period unknown to them (Silvey, 2004).
Silvey, A. (2004). 100 best books for children. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Library Uses: As someone who works in a public library, I know that this title is often tied with required school reading. However, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a story that explores a family's perspective of racial prejudice in the south during the 1930s, regardless of its educational connection.
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