Review: We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson



We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro Baseball League by Kadir Nelson

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nelson, Kadir. 2008. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro Baseball League. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group. ISBN 9780786808328

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

We Are the Ship takes the reader through the history of Negro League Baseball from the perspective of an un-named narrator. Beginning with a forward from baseball legend Hark Aaron, Nelson provides a historical perspective on African Americans in baseball throughout the years until modern day. Nelson provides an Author’s Note explaining his interest and background in baseball as well as the decision to write his book using an anonymous narrator. Also included are a bibliography, filmography, endnotes, and an index for easy searching.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

“We are the ship; all else the sea” were the words spoken by Rube Foster, the founder of Negro League Baseball and the inspiration behind this survey of African American contributions to the sport. Each chapter is cleverly named after a baseball inning and begins with a quote from someone of importance to Negro League Baseball. Nelson addresses the historical beginnings of the baseball league as well as the racial difficulties faced by the ball players. He focuses much of his attention on the cultural differences between baseball played in the Negro League and the American League, such as different rules, stat keeping, payment and accommodations.

The baseball players highlighted in We Are the Ship were all real people, and Nelson is quick to notate any facts he presents in the text. There are amazing details about what life was like as an African American ball player, including new information about private time between games, because of Nelson’s numerous interviews with former members of the league. As he writes about these real experiences, he uses old-fashioned conversational language, as though he is addressing the reader like a close friend.

He doesn’t spend much time describing skin color, as it is assumed that all players in the league were African American, but a lot of time is spent describing other physical attributes that would be of importance to baseball players: height, strength, speed and skill. Rather than focusing only on African American baseball players in the United States, Nelson dedicates a chapter to the experiences of being African American and playing in Latin America.

The illustrations, also by Nelson, are incredible works of art. Painted with a stunning realism, they make the reader feel as if the figures could come to life at any moment. Each baseball player, ball field, uniform, and game is re-created as accurately and authentically as possible. Skin color, facial features and body type are as varied as the baseball players they represent. The occasional full-page illustration appears throughout the book, such as an image of a stylish Rube Foster and the Chicago American Giants stepping off a train in perfect 1920’s dress.

Overall, this is an excellent survey of baseball from a new perspective. Even non-sports fans will appreciate struggle for equality faced by these amazing ball players, highlighted by the glossy, gorgeous oil paintings. Rich in cultural details and with an enthusiasm for the topic at hand, this is an excellent read.

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2009-2010

Starred review in School Library Journal: “A lost piece of American history comes to life in Kadir Nelson's elegant and eloquent history (Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2008) of the Negro Leagues and its gifted baseball players.”

Starred review in Booklist: “The stories and artwork are a tribute to the spirit of the Negro Leaguers, who were much more than also-rans and deserve a more prominent place on baseball’s history shelves.”

Starred review in Horn Book: “Nelson’s extensive research (including interviews with former players) yields loads of attention-grabbing details: how much money players made; where, when, and how often games took place; who the standout owners, managers, and players were; and so on.”

5. CONNECTIONS

* This book can be used in a discussion on a general discussion of  baseball or a specific discussion of racism in baseball.

*Other books illustrated by Kadir Nelson:

Allen, Debbie. Dancing in the Wings. ISBN 9780142501412

Rappaport, Doreen. Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln. ISBN

1423104080

Shange, Ntozake. Coretta Scott. ISBN 0061253642

Shange, Ntozake. Ellington Was Not a Street. ISBN 9780689828843

Review: Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson



Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2007. Feathers. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group. ISBN 9780399239892

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

“Hope is the thing with feather

that perches in the soul,

And sings the tune-without the words,

And never stops at all.”

-Emily Dickinson

That poem sticks with Frannie, a young girl growing up in 1971 New York and a sixth grader in Ms. Johnson’s classroom. After her mother’s multiple miscarriages and her brother Sean’s deafness and subsequent difficulties, hope is hard for Frannie to find. The appearance of a new student, dubbed “Jesus Boy” by his classmates for his pale skin and long hair, shakes up Ms. Johnson’s class. Frannie and most of her classmates are African American and “Jesus Boy” is white. Frannie befriends the new boy, and must deal with criticism and teasing from Trevor, the school bully. She must also tend to her newly pregnant mother while being scared of another miscarriage, and be sensitive to her brother Sean and his desires to fit in with the hearing population. Eventually Frannie and her classmates learn that appearances aren’t everything, and Jesus Boy is a welcome addition to “their side of the highway.”

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

      Frannie is a typical young girl growing up in post Vietnam New York. She faces many of the family and friendship problems typical of any middle school child, with the addition of racial tensions. Frannie also has to deal with her brother Sean’s deafness and the reaction people have to him. The descriptions of the characters are rich in detail and contain many cultural markers familiar to African American literature. Frannie describes the difficulty of maintaining African American beauty standards by her mother’s attempt to straighten her hair, which is usually in braids or an Afro, and the smell of her grandmother’s coconut hair grease. She also describes the differences in her darker skin color in comparison to her brother and mother’s lighter complexions. Sean is described as handsome, but girls are not interested in him because he can’t hear. Woodson emphasizes the differences between Frannie and her wealthier classmate Maribel, who does not get free lunch like the other students.

      Food is used in Feathers both in a celebratory was and as a sign of status and wealth. Frannie and her brother know their mother is recovering from her exhaustion during pregnancy when she begins making fried chicken for the family. At the house of Frannie’s friend, chicken is not available for dinner when money is tight, a circumstance remarked on by Frannie to the family’s embarrassment.

      Language is used in an interesting way in Feathers, because not only is this a young adult novel with African American protagonists, but it is also a historical novel based ion the 1970’s. Frannie uses many slang terms such as “cat” for person, which she describes as “jive talk.” Frannie’s environment is described as generally happy and loving. She and her brother listen to Jackson 5 records in their home, as Sean attempts to teach her dancing skills. Woodson addresses religion, and the hopefulness people can feel once they leave church.

     

      Jacqueline Woodson takes an interesting approach in Feathers that focuses on a predominantly African American school, and how the students react towards a new student who is white. Trevor, the class bully, has an African American mother and a white father that lives “across the highway.” The introduction of a white student from across the highway angers Trevor, and causes him to bully the new student and Frannie, who comes to the student’s rescue. Happily, Woodson avoids raising the issue of inter-racial dating relating to Frannie’s blossoming friendship with Jesus Boy, instead approaching the scenario as normally as any middle school flirtation should be approached.

      Despite heavy themes such as racism, disabilities, religion, bullying, miscarriages, and self-esteem, Feathers emphasizes that there is always hope even in the darkest days.

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Newbery Honor Award

Starred review in Publisher’s Weekly: “She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch.”

Starred review in School Library Journal: “With her usual talent for creating characters who confront, reflect, and grow into their own persons, Woodson creates in Frannie a strong protagonist who thinks for herself and recognizes the value and meaning of family.”

5. CONNECTIONS

* This young adult novel can be used in a variety of ways: in a discussion regarding race, deafness, hope, religion, etc.

* Teacher’s Guides to Jacqueline Woodson’s books: http://us.penguingroup.com/static/images/yr/pdf/tl-guide-jacquelinewood.pdf

*Other books by Jacqueline Woodson:
Locomotion. ISBN 9780142415528
Peace, Locomotion. ISBN 9780142415122
After Tupac and D Foster. ISBN 9780142413999
Beneath a Meth Moon. ISBN 9780399252501
Hush. ISBN 9780142415511

Review: Goin' Someplace Special by Patricia C. McKissack



Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia C. McKissack

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

McKissack, Patricia C. 2001. Goin’ Someplace Special. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. ISBN 9780689818851

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

‘Tricia Ann is anxious to go to Someplace Special, and asks her grandmother Mama Frances for permission to go alone. As a young African American girl in Jim Crow era Nashville, Tennessee, ‘Tricia Ann faces many obstacles as she makes her way to Someplace Special. Her first step it to take the bus through town, however she is forced to sit behind the “Colored Section” sign. Once ‘Tricia Ann reaches Peace Fountain, she attempts to sit on a nearby bench but is not allowed because written on the bench is the notice “For Whites Only.” Angry that she can’t sit and enjoy a fountain her grandfather helped to build, she goes to talk to her friend Jimmy Lee, a pretzel seller. ‘Tricia Ann passes by hotel doorman Mr. John Willis, but as she is speaking to him she is swept by a crowd into the hotel. She is then thrown out of the hotel by the manager who shouts “No colored people are allowed!” ‘Tricia Ann is embarrassed and upset by the treatment she has received and as she is about to give up and go home she is comforted by Blooming Mary, who tends the gardens at the Mission Church ruins. Passing by the movie theater, where African Americans had to enter through a side door rather than the front, ‘Tricia Ann finally reaches Someplace Special where everyone is welcome and all are treated equally: The public library!

3.       CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Based on the author’s memories of growing up in 1950’s segregated Nashville, Tennessee, Goin’ Someplace Special encompasses much of what the daily life of an average African American child would have been like. Themes of racism, segregation and the unfairness of Jim Crow laws permeate every page. However, despite the negative themes, strength and the promise of equality are also shown in McKissack’s text. Something as simple as a trip to the library becomes an exhausting and humiliating experience.

Despite the somber tone throughout most of the book, McKissack includes lines of hope on almost every page. ‘Tricia Ann is reminded by her grandmother to “Hold yo’ head up and act like you b’long to somebody” and Jimmy Lee reminds her “Don’t let those signs steal yo’ happiness.” The language is old fashioned, with a Southern inflection representing the dialect one would hear in Nashville, Tennessee. The names of the characters are distinctly southern and old fashioned, matching both the time period and the setting perfectly.

There is a bit of stereotyping of non African American’s in this book. Every white person ‘Tricia Ann comes across is unkind or racist, except for Blooming Mary, the caretaker of the gardens. It would have been nice to see more variety of characters rather than having most characters of one race acting kind while most of another race are unkind. At times, the plot seems to be unbelievable, with ‘Tricia Ann running into problems at nearly every turn and encountering horribly racism from nearly every character who was not African American.

Rather than being a stereotype, ‘Tricia Ann shows great strength and bravery to be willing to navigate through many racial barriers on the way to the library. Along the way, she remains respectful, but questions the fairness of Jim Crow laws segregation African Americans from everyone else. Patricia C. McKissack includes an Author’s Note at the end of her book, explaining her background and experience growing up as ‘Tricia Ann did in 1950’s Nashville.

Jerry Pinkney has created bright, glowing watercolor paintings to accompany McKissack’s story of ‘Tricia Ann’s journey to the library. Every detail is authentic to a southern town in the 1950’s, from the clothes to the cars, the buildings and the street signs. The use of watercolors gives the pictures a soft, warm glow and Pinkney dresses ‘Tricia Ann in bright, happy colors that make her stand out from the softer background colors. Rather then illustrating every African American character in a similar fashion, Pinkney is careful to show the variations of skin tones, hairstyles, and facial features within the race. Each illustration has a double page spread to accompany McKissack’s text. The most impressive aspects of Pinkney’s illustrations are the expressions seen on ‘Tricia Ann’s face as she makes her way through town, especially the final illustration. ‘Tricia Ann’s face glows with happiness as she sees the “Public Library: All Are Welcome” sign.


4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
ALA Notable Children’s Books
Coretta Scott King Award Winner: Illustration
Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2003-2004

Positive review in Publisher’s Weekly: “By putting such a personal face on segregation she makes its injustices painfully real for her audience. Pinkney's luminescent watercolors evoke the '50s, from fashions to finned cars, and he captures every ounce of 'Tricia Ann's eagerness, humiliation and quiet triumph at the end.”

Starred review in Booklist: “This book carries a strong message of pride and self-confidence as well as a pointed history lesson. It is also a beautiful tribute to the libraries that were ahead of their time.”

5. CONNECTIONS

* Use this picture book when discussing the Civil Rights movement and Jim Crow laws. Put yourself in ‘Tricia Ann’s shoes. How would you feel in her situation, being discriminated against?

* Classroom Activities to be used when reading Goin’ Someplace Special: http://treasures.macmillanmh.com/california/students/grade5/book1/unit1/goin-someplace-special

*Children’s books with African American characters:

Giovanni, Nikki. Rosa. ISBN 0805071067

Steptoe, John. Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. ISBN 97806880404

Woodson, Jacqueline. The Other Side. ISBN 9780399231162

Wyeth, Sharon Dennis. Something Beautiful. ISBN 9780440412106