Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry by Mildred D Taylor

“I didn’t say that Lillian Jean is better than you. I said Mr. Simms only thinks she is. In fact, he thinks she’s better than Stacey or Little Man or Christopher-John—” 

“Just ’cause she’s his daughter?” I asked, beginning to think Mr. Simms was a bit touched in the head. “No, baby, because she’s white.” Mama’s hold tightened on mine, but I exclaimed, “Ah, shoot! White ain’t nothin’!” Mama’s grip did not lessen. 

“It is something, Cassie. White is something just like black is something. Everybody born on this earth is something and nobody, no matter what color, is better than anybody else.” “Then how come Mr. Simms don’t know that?” “Because he’s one of those people who has to believe that white people are better than black people to make himself feel big.”

“Baby, we have no choice of what color we’re born or who our parents are or whether we’re rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we’re here.” Mama cupped my face in her hands. 

“And I pray to God you’ll make the best of yours.”

Cassie lives with her three brothers, mother, father and grandfather in the Southern US in the 1930s. Her father has work albeit far away working building railway lines and her mother has a job as a teacher. The family also have a farm where they grow cotton and Cassie's grandmother is able to take produce to a local market so unlike other local families the Logan's are not living in dire poverty. They do, however, have to be careful with their money because there is a farm mortgage/tax payment due every month and a local, white, landowner who wants to reclaim their land. Cassie is only vaguely aware of the differences in her community and the ways white adults and children treat her and her family differently. One of the earliest incidents that introduce this to the reader comes when we read that Cassie and her brothers have to walk to school along dusty and sometimes very muddy roads. The white children travel by bus to a different school and every day the horrid bus driver deliberately sprays the Logan kids and their friends with dirt or mud by driving his bus close to the side of the road.

Finally, when the bus was less than fifty feet behind us, it veered dangerously close to the right edge of the road where we were running, forcing us to attempt the jump to the bank; but all of us fell short and landed in the slime of the gully.

Cassie is a feisty girl and she is not prepared to suffer this injustice. She hatches a plan to trap the bus in a huge hole in the road which is disguised by all the mud. Her plan works but then Cassie realises this could put her family in danger. Big Ma her grandmother takes Cassie into the town of Strawberry and on this day Cassie sees even more ways her family suffer discrimination. 

There is a local boy named TJ who is 'sort of' a friend to the Logan kids especially Stacey. TJ keeps failing at school but he is filled with bravado. I knew from the start he was a dangerous boy to have as a friend. He 'swindles' Stacey out of his wonderful new coat and then he fails school again and takes his anger out on Mrs Logan. Finally, he joins up with some local white boys but he is so naive he has no idea they are using him and as the book ends it is TJ who is headed for execution. 

Two of the strongest scenes in this book (for me) were when Cassie's mother pastes brown paper over the ownership grid at the front of the text books that have been 'donated' to the school. 

Then there is a way more harrowing scene where Cassie and her siblings are taken to visit the man who was the victim of the recent lynching:

She took a sheet from a nearby table. “Gots to cover him,” she explained. “He can’t hardly stand to have nothin’ touch him.” When she was visible again, she picked up a candle stump and felt around a table for matches. “He can’t speak no more. The fire burned him too bad. But he understands all right.” Finding the matches, she lit the candle and turned once more to the corner. A still form lay there staring at us with glittering eyes. The face had no nose, and the head no hair; the skin was scarred, burned, and the lips were wizened black, like charcoal. As the wheezing sound echoed from the opening that was a mouth, Mama said, “Say good morning to Mrs. Berry’s husband, children.”

Read the opening scene which gives you a good sense of Cassie's voice:

“Little Man, would you come on? You keep it up and you’re gonna make us late.” My youngest brother paid no attention to me. Grasping more firmly his newspaper-wrapped notebook and his tin-can lunch of cornbread and oil sausages, he continued to concentrate on the dusty road. 

He lagged several feet behind my other brothers, Stacey and Christopher-John, and me, attempting to keep the rusty Mississippi dust from swelling with each step and drifting back upon his shiny black shoes and the cuffs of his corduroy pants by lifting each foot high before setting it gently down again. Always meticulously neat, six-year-old Little Man never allowed dirt or tears or stains to mar anything he owned. Today was no exception. 

“You keep it up and make us late for school, Mama’s gonna wear you out,” I threatened, pulling with exasperation at the high collar of the Sunday dress Mama had made me wear for the first day of school—as if that event were something special. It seemed to me that showing up at school at all on a bright August-like October morning made for running the cool forest trails and wading barefoot in the forest pond was concession enough; Sunday clothing was asking too much. Christopher-John and Stacey were not too pleased about the clothing or school either. 

Only Little Man, just beginning his school career, found the prospects of both intriguing.

There are some delicious descriptions of food in this book and I loved the small phrases used by Mildred D Taylor:

There was little I could do in a dress, and as for shoes, they imprisoned freedom-loving feet accustomed to the feel of the warm earth.

I would wear threadbare clothing washed to dishwater color ...

“Shoot,” I mumbled, taking one of the buckets from Stacey, “by the time a body walk way back here, they’ll have bunions on their soles and corns on their toes.”

Here is a list of the characters in this story.

Description of Mr Morrison (I hope we learn more about him in the subsequent books): The man was a human tree in height, towering high above Papa’s six feet two inches. The long trunk of his massive body bulged with muscles, and his skin, of the deepest ebony, was partially scarred upon his face and neck, as if by fire. Deep lifelines were cut into his face and his hair was splotched with gray, but his eyes were clear and penetrating. I glanced at the boys and it was obvious to me that they were wondering the same thing as I: Where had such a being come from?

This US classic was published in 1977 but I am not sure if many readers of my generation would have encountered this book in Australia. 

Awards for Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry:

• Newbery Medal 1977
• National Book Award finalist 
• Coretta Scott King Award Honour

Publisher blurb: Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this is the story of one family's struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. And it is also Cassie's story—Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers over the course of an important year why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family, even as she learns to draw strength from her own sense of dignity and self-respect.

Until now, Cassie had been well protected by her family from racism, and she had no idea just how important it was that her family had their own piece of land. She learns about racism quickly the year the Night Riders come to town, as many dangerous, scary, and ill-natured things happen. Ultimately, Cassie learns that she and her family have something nobody can take away from them. Thanks to her ability to speak her mind, readers experience the heavy truth of the often brutal and intense way African Americans have been treated. Children's Book Review

I started reading this book (ebook version) on a train journey to my volunteer library job and I read more than one third of the text but then I decided to leave this book for a week because I needed to be quiet and calm and have the time and emotional strength to cope with the scenes I predicted were coming in this story for example when the family cross the bridge and don't let the white driver go first and Mama says “But one day we’ll have to pay for it. Believe me,” she said, “one day we’ll pay”. 

I picked this book up again a week later and then in the early hours of the morning, around 2am, I finished my reading and discovered I now need to read the sequels. I have read The Gold Cadillac and Mississippi Bridge without realising they were part of this series or connected to Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry and I have discovered Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry is actually book four in this series. 

• Song of the Trees
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
• Let the Circle Be Unbroken
• The Friendship
• The Gold Cadillac
• Mississippi Bridge
• The Road to Memphis
• The Well
• The Land
• All the Days Past, All the Days to Come

I Have the Right by Reza Dalvand

"This book is particularly important to me because it carries the voice of children 

and makes their rights known. It is a tribute to all the children of the world, 

without distinction of language, ethnicity or religion"

I have the Right was originally published in French with the title; J'ai le droit. The author/illustrator blurb says: I have the right to have a name, a nationality, an identity. I have the right to be treated and protected from illness. I have the right to go to school. I have the right to have a roof over my head. I have the right to be protected from racism, the right not to be excluded because of my skin color or nationality. I have the right not to be rejected because of my religion, my family. I have the right to be surrounded, to have a family. And I have the right to be loved.

When you open this book the end papers are filled with the rights in multiple languages handwritten by children. My favourite pages are "I have the right to nutritious foods" where we see a huge table with males on every shape and size of plate you might imagine. On the page "I have a right to a home where I can thrive" we see a parent reading a book to a child - a power image that you could use for a poster or in a parent newsletter. And as you would expect the page "I have the right not to be forced to fight wars" has an image that is sure to linger with you long after you close the pages of this book.

In a previous post I explored work by internationally acclaimed Iranan illustrator Reza Dalvand. 

Mrs Bibi's Elephant

What could that be?

If I was still working in my school library, I would be tempted to create a permanent display of non-fiction books which focus on the UN Rights of the Child. These books are important and as a bonus they usually have scrumptious illustrations.

I discovered this book (I Have the Right) because I spent a little time last week looking through three of our Australian Standing Order services - Scholastic (Australian Standing Orders ASO); Pegi Williams (South Australia); and Lamont Books.

Here are some other favourite Rights of the Child books:

I've made a list of Australian and International Picture books released in 2023 that I would now like to read:

• Remarkable Remy by Melanie Hayworth illustrated by Nathaniel Eckstrom
• Cloudspotting by Samantha Tidy illustrated by Susannah Crispe
• Satin by Sophie Masson - previously mentioned here
• Little Treasure by Chanelle Gosper illustrated by Susannah Goldsmith
• The Useless Tune by Chris Uhlmann illustrated by Paul Uhlmann
• The World's greatest Tackle by Bruce Walker illustrated by Nettie Lodge
• Mizuto and the wind by Kaye Baillie illustrated by Luisa Gioffre-Suzuki
• Sunday Skating by Andrea Rowe illustrated by Hannah Sommerville
• Alice's Shoe by Julie Thorndyke illustrated by Jennifer Harrison
• The day the moon came to stay by Gary Eck illustrated by Nick O'Sullivan
• Every night at midnight by Peter Cheong
• Nightsong by Sally Soweol Han
• Raised by Moths by Charlie Archbold illustrated by Michelle Conn
• The New kid by Jennifer Bain illustrated by Deborah Brown
• The Kiss by Polly Dunbar
• Gigantic by Bob Biddulph
• That's Nice, Love by Owen Gent
• Henry and the Machine Isabelle Marinov illustrated by Olga Shtonda
• Salat in Secret by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow illustrated by Hatem Aly
• Anchored by Deborah Tidball illustrated by Arielle Li
• The Lucky Shack Apsara Baldovino illustrated by Jennifer Falkner
• When You're a boy by Blake Nuto
• The Little Things by Penny Harrison illustrated by Hannah Sommerville
• Downtown Sewertown by Tull Suwannakit
• Freckle by Catherine Jinks illustrated by Jennifer Goldsmith
• Blue by Sarah Christou

And here are a few middle grade novels:

• The Lost language by Claudia Mills
• Huda was here by H Hayek
• Indigo in the storm by Kate Gordon
• Temora and the Wordsnatcher by Kate Gordon and sequel Tamora and the Dreamers
• Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan 
• When clouds touch us (Verse novel might be YA).

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M Draper

"Red fire. Black cross. White hoods. They're here. Now,' ... It was 1932, in the little town ... Every negro family in Bumblebee knew the unwritten rules."

I love the name Bumblebee North Carolina - there is no such town but I felt compelled to check - when you read Stella by Starlight you will feel as though you have visited this small community in 1932 so vivid is the writing of Sharon M Draper.

Every aspect of Stella's life is affected by the racial discrimination of this time.  There is only one African American doctor for example.  Tony, the son of Dr Hawkins, observers : "It's hard to live like there's a boot in your back every second of your life." The white doctor even has a sign on his door WHITE PATIENTS ONLY.  When Stella's mother, Georgia, is bitten by a snake he refuses to help and Stella's mother almost dies.  These are scenes towards the end of the book and I actually had to stop reading because I was so afraid for Stella's precious mum.

Stella loves to read and wants to write but feels she lacks the skill.  Another unfair aspect of life in 1932, Stella is not allowed to visit the public library but she does have writing all over her house.  Her mother papers the walls with newspaper articles.  Her father reads three newspapers each day "Gotta know what's goin' on in the world,' he reminded Stella when she'd ask why one paper wasn't enough." But Stella is an observant child and she notices "colored people were rarely mentioned in those ... newspapers."  When she and a friend look through the Sears and Roebuck catalog she says "Did you notice - I don't see eve one single person who looks like us in this big old book."

Apart from the horror of the Klan and the extreme fear felt by the citizens of color in this community another aspect of this book relates to rights and in particular the right to vote.  If you are working on a unit about democracy you might like to use chapter 22.  Three men from the town, including Stella's father, travel to Amherst to register to vote.  Stella goes along with them.  The men are ridiculed by the town official and then told to take a fifteen minute written test. They even have to pay for this privilege.  Meanwhile some white men walk into the same office and all that is required a simple signature on a form.  Stella is enraged. Then the men from Bumblebee are told to come back in a week.

"Mr Spencer sat down on the floor. After a moment, Stella's father and Pastor Patton joined him." They sit on the floor of the office until their test is graded.  The consequence of this action is truly awful - the Klan burn down the Spencer home and endanger their thirteen children.  You will cheer, though, when you read how the whole town including some of the white citizens unite to assist the family.  Stella is called a hero when finds six year old Hazel who has run away in fear and the Spencer's give her a typewriter which came with the donations given to the family after the fire. Using a typewriter gives Stella the motivation to keep working on her writing.

All through this book we see Stella's writing progress but she is full of self doubt. I love the words of encouragement from Stella's mother :

"I'm a dunce?' Stella said, fear clutching her chest.
'Quite the opposite. You are an amazing thinker - a gemstone hiding inside a rock."

Stella is a very talented writer.  Here are some samples from her work :

"I've got thick black hair, and bushy caterpillar-looking eyebrows. When I look in the mirror, I don't see pretty, I just see me."

"At the mill ... they take sawdust and turn that into paper. Those big old trees become books and notebooks and newspapers. Dust becomes words. I like that."

"My papa voted. He is a pebble. Lots of pebbles make a landslide, right? His vote counted."


Watch this video where Sharon explains her family inspiration for this important story which is a snapshot of history.  Click here to listen to an audio sample from Chapter 17.  Here is a thoughtful review which will give you more plot details.  The author web site will give you further insight into this important and award winning book.  Here are a set of teaching notes.  If I have not convinced you that Stella by Starlight is a special and important book - read this review from the Nerdy Book Club - now!!

After or even before reading Stella by Starlight I recommend you read the picture book Goin' someplace special by Patricia McKissack and the novels Kissy Ann Stamps, Mississippi bridge by Mildred D Taylor and Walking to the bus rider blues by Harriet Robinet.

Stella by Starlight is not at all like Sharon's earlier book Out of my mind but you will want to read this one too I am sure. It was one of my top books this year.

Draper expertly creates a character filled with hope, dreams and ambition in a time when such traits were 

dangerous for a girl of color.

One crazy summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

As you can see there are four huge award stickers on the front cover of One Crazy Summer.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I will say I am not sure how much understanding an Australian child would have of the experiences of Delphine in 1960s Southern America.

All that to one side I adore books that give me emotional highs and lows and One Crazy Summer certainly delivers this.  Delphine and her two young sisters called Vonetta and Fern fly from Brooklyn,  New York to Oakland, California.  They are going to spend one month with Cecile their mother.  She deserted the family when Fern was just two days old and so all three girls have huge questions to ask and strong emotions which need soothing.  What they find in Oakland is surprising and bruising.

This quote will give you a sense of this story.  The three girls go on an outing to San Francisco and thanks to Delphine they have a wonderful day until this incident unsettles them :

"We stopped in a gift shop on the wharf. The man behind the counter set his eyes on us really hard. At first I thought this was because we were there by ourselves, so I whispered to Vonetta and Fern to be extra well behaved. But then I heard Cecile's last words in my head. His hard stare was for the other reason store clerks' eyes never let up.  We were black kids, and he expected us to be in his gift shop to steal. "

Here is a very detailed review from the New York Times.  Here is a detailed set of teaching notes.

 

I have the right to be a child by Alain Serres, illustrated by Aurelia Fronty and translated by Sarah Ardizzone

I seem to have accidentally collected quite a few books on the topic of the rights of the child.  I have the right to be a child is one I spied at the IBBY Congress.  In our library we already have three other books on this topic all of which I love to share with Grade Six students when they are working on the HSIE topic of Global Connections.  These all use a wonderful range of award winning illustrators.  The titles are : We are all born free, A children’s chorus  and For every child.  It is interesting to compare how each illustrator interprets the same “right”.

In this book, I have the right to be a child, the style is more conversational.  “I am a child. I’ve got eyes, hands, a voice and a heart. But have I got rights?” “Do I have the right to a roof over my head? A home that isn’t freezing cold or baking hot.  A place I can feel safe – nothing fancy, but with everything I need.”.

When I talk about the rights of a child I like to give the students a set of photos showing children living in very different circumstances to our own.  We use these to compile a list of basic rights. It is interesting to see ones the students mention and the ones they just don’t think of for example special rights for the disabled, the right not to have to work and as this new book says : “Why should I suffer any kind of violence? Nobody has the right to abuse my childhood. Nobody!”.

This new book has only one illustrator but it will make a perfect addition to my collection. It will also compliment the books I have collected about the topic of peace such as The Peace book by Todd Parr and What does peace feel like? by Vladimir  Radunsky.