History, Biography and Nonfiction

Bibliography
Aronson, Marc. 2007. Race: A History Beyond Black and White.
New York: Antheum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-689-86554-1





Summary
Aronson connects historical people, their philosophies and writings and events as an evolution of racial prejudice in Western culture.

Critical Analysis
"We all make sure to say race doesn't matter. But at the very same time we pass down the message that it matters a great deal." page 257

Marc Aronson has a doctorate in American History. His editor, Ginee Seo, suggested the idea for a book about the history of prejudice and eventualy the book evolved into one about the history of race and racism in Western culture. It is a well researched book. Aronson includes an extensive bibliography of books and websites he used as resources. There is also a comprehensive section of author notes that explains each chapter including the page number showing the "research path" he took and the books he has referenced. Race is a book written for a young adult audience and Aronson admits that the sources he has used "...are almost universally aimed at college level readers." Race is indeed written at a level that most young adults will easily understand. He does not write down to young adults rather he clearly explains and makes connections to historical events and people and their philosophies and writings and how those events and ideas shaped racial prejudice in Western culture.

Simon Rodberg wrote in his book review in The New York Times,"Aronson's focus on prejudice leaves no room for the economic and social legacies of slavery and segregation. To understand the persistence of inequality, a reader would have to go beyond this book. But ‘Race’ would be a good place to start for a young reader who has the energy and patience to take it on." Aronson has included many references and notes to help readers research more about the history of race and prejudice on their own. This book was much more than just black and white. It includes prejudism of several different ethnicities and cultures and Aronson did a thorough job of explaining how the idea of race first began and how it has evolved to what it is today.

The book is organized into seven parts. He begins with a note to the reader and an introduction posing the question "Where do prejudices come from?" and explaining that is comes from "the mind" "the tribe" and "city walls." The first chapter describes slavery in the ancient world and continues with the Christian era, the invention of race as viewed through the Enlightenment period, racial ideas in Europe and America, the Holocaust and race and racism today. A few of the sections begin with a modern day vignette to illustrate and compare the historical ideas of race and prejudism but he fails to continue using the vignettes at the begining of the last three sections of the book. There are also many historical photographs and illustrations interspersed throughout the text to help give readers a visual of artwork, scupltures and photos that display the racial ideas of the time period.

Race is a thought provoking book and an excellent source and resource of information about the history of the idea of race and how prejudice has shaped the way many people think of others who are different.

Review Reference
The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 45 (November 11 2007) p. 38
Rodberg, Simon



Historical Fiction

Bibliography
Draper, Sharon. 2006. Copper Sun. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers ISBN 0-689-82181-6






Plot Summary
Amari is a fifteen year old Ahanti girl living in an African village enaged to be married to Besa. One day, strange men with pale skin arrive and her village welcomes them. In the midst of their welcoming celebration, the white men kill the elders and children of the village and take the young adults as captives. Amari is beaten, branded and sold into slavery. She is sent to the Carolinas on a slave ship and mangages to survive the brutality and atrocities on the "Ship of Death."

Amari is sold to Mr. Derby who buys her as a gift for his sixteen year old son. Mr. Derby also buys the indenture of Polly, a fifteen year old girl paying off the debts of her parents.
Amari and Polly work in the kitchen of Derbyshire Farms, a rice plantation, helping Teenie the cook. Polly is assigned to teach Amari English, how to act civilized and be obedient. Mrs. Derby is the only white person to show any kindness to the slaves. When she gives birth to a black baby the slaves try to cover it up for her but Mr. Derby finds out and punishes his wife in the most horrific way and decides to sell Amari, Polly and Teenie's son, Tidbit.

Amari, Polly and Tidbit are given a chance to run by the doctor who is supposed to take them to be sold and he advises them to run North. Amari was advised by another slave to run South to the Spanish Fort Mose because they usually search for runaway slaves going to the North. The trio travel south and meet a few people along the way. Eventually they make it to their destination where they are now finally free.

Critical Analysis
"The depth of research is evident in this detailed account of a 15-year-old girl's journey from life in her African village, capture by slave traders, horrors of the Middle Passage, to life as a slave on a South Carolina plantation. . . . A look at the early history of many European immigrants, with limited freedom in the English colonies, is provided here and is an opportunity for further study and discussion. Young adults will be intrigued by Polly and Amari and will gain understanding of concepts of suffering, hopelessness, and perseverance." This excerpt from a review written by Linda C. Jolivet for Multicultural Review says it all. This historical fictional novel in an engaging book that vividly portrays the horrors of slavery and also shows the courage and strength of a young girl facing adversity. It is also a tale of friendship and survival.

The book begins with the third person point of view of Amari and then introduces Polly, a white indentured servant in Part Two. The book alternates between the point of view of Amari and Polly. This literary device allows readers to experience the point of view of not only an black slave but also a white person, and indentured servant, who is treated much like a slave. The friendship between Polly and Amari evolves as the girls get to know one another and their survival depends on the strengths of each other. Their fears and hopes and emotions are described very well. The characters of Afi, Teenie and Tidbit are well developed supporting characters. Mr. Derby and his son are typical slave owners, beating their slaves and using them for pleasure. There are also characters that don't believe in slavery such as the doctor and Mrs. Derby who was kind to the slaves, and a couple of other minor characters that help the trio on their run to freedom.

The year the story takes place is 1738. There are several settings in the book, the African village, the ship, the plantation, the forests and swamps and Fort Mose. Each setting is described with detail and accuracy that readers can imagine each place. The children are running to an actual true location, Fort Mose, a Spanish colony that was home to many different people. Captain Francisco Menendez, a real person, is a minor character in the book, welcoming the trio. In an afterword by Sharon Draper she explains the history of Fort Mose. She offers a list of many different web sites and books about slavery and freedom for readers who want to conduct their own research about slavery and America during the 1700's.

The horrors of slavery and the brutality and atrocities of the capture, travel on the slave ship and life on the plantation are described with great detail but it is not done in a vulgar way. Despite the oppression of slavery there is hope within Amari and Polly's story. The advise and wisdom Afi and Teenie give Amari, Polly and Amari's developing friendship, and Amari's own will to live makes this a tale of hope, friendship and survival.

When Amari is wishing for death and questioning why she should endure the cruelty, Afi tells her "Because I see a power in you. You know certain people are chosen to survive. I don't know why but you are one of those who must remember the past and tell those yet unborn. You must live." Althougth the character of Amari is only a fictional one, her story tells about the lives of many slave girls of the past. The end of the book contains a section entitled "From the desk of Sharon M. Draper" and she dedicates the book to "...all the millions of girls like Amari..." who survived and died during slavery. "Amari carries their spirit."

Awards
2007 Coretta Scott King Literature award
2007 Ohioana Award for Young Adult Literature
Top Ten Historical Fiction Books for Youth by Booklist
Nominated for the 2007 NAACP Image Award for Literature
IRA Notable Book for a Global Society
Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal
Listed on the New York Times Bestseller List

Review Reference
MultiCultural Review v. 15 no. 3 (Fall 2006) p. 100
Jolivet, Linda C



Biography

Bibilography
Bolden, Tonya.2006. MLK: Journey of a King. Abrams Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-8109-5476





Summary
A biography of Martin Luther King Jr during his time as a minister and activist for civil rights until his death.

Critical Analysis
This biography begins with the death of Martin Luther King Jr. "Oh" is the last word an unnamed witness believes King tried to say before he was shot. The introduction uses the word, "Oh" several times to briefly describe the the possible thoughts he may have had reflecting on his life right before his death. This biography details the life of King during his time as an activist for civil rights.

The story of Kings life is described from the time he is a fifteen year old college student at Morehouse College and ends with his death. The book is divided into three parts, includes an author's note, time line, notes, selected sources, photography credits and acknowledgments. There are numerous pictures, large and small with captions that tell about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Almost each layout contains a picture or two. Some of the pictures overwhelm the text with their size but they do help tell the story about King's life and his role in the civil rights movement. A time line that contains "Selected moments from the context of M.L.'s life" details moments from every year of his life from 1929 to 1968. The notes credit the source of the information and quotes and the sources are listed in bibliographic form.

Bolden uses M.L. to name King throughout the text, a nickname given to him by his father. She explains in her author's note that she "...means no disrepect by callng him M.L. It's about recognizing that I grew up regarding "the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr." as more statue than man: someone I revered but to whom I couldn't relate, and so I did not truly appreciate him." This was her way of making him human. The text describes King's doubts, fears and struggles as well as the strength and courage he had to make the choices he did that made him a leader during the civil rights movement.

"Do libraries need another biography of King? Yes, if it's as good as this one, which will reach a wide audience. Bolden . . . brings readers close to the great leader and to the civil rights movement through detailed historical analysis and extensive notes." Hazel Rochman wrote in her review for Booklist. Yes, there are many biographies of this great leader but this book is outstanding in the photos and description of King's life.


Review Reference
Booklist v. 103 no. 11 (February 1 2007) p. 50
Rochman, Hazel