Growing Minds Through Reading

BIBLIOGRAPHY Reynolds, Jason. LONG WAY DOWN. New York: Little, Simon & Schuster, 2017. ISBN: 978-1-4814-3825-4. PLOT SUMMARY Will is a fifteen-year-old boy whose older brother has been shot.  Through his pain, Will believes he has to follow the three rules in his neighborhood: No. 1 no crying no matter what; No. 2 no snitching no matter what; No. 3 revenge must happen no matter what.  As he gets ready to go through in avenging his brother’s death, he meets with unexpected visitors on his way down in the elevator.  What Will goes through in a matter of one minute in that elevator ride can change his plans.  Will he decided to go through his plan? ANALYSIS Will is at a crossroad in his life.  He has lost his only brother, and, in his anger, he feels with certainty he knows who shot him and has decided to go on and avenge him.  In many communities, this is the life that young men know.  Will is doing what he has heard about all his life, and he feels ...

  Listen to the author, Jewell Parker Rhodes, on what inspired her to write Ghost Boys . BIBLIOGRAPHY Rhodes, Jewell Parker. GHOST BOYS. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-316-26228-6. PLOT SUMMARY Jerome was only twelve years old when he is shot by the police while playing with a toy gun.   After death, Jerome stays as a ghost.   He witnesses the aftermath of his death with his family’s suffering as well as the family of the cop that shot him.   Jerome also meets, Sarah, the cop’s daughter and another ghost, Emmett Till, who was another black young boy that was brutally murdered in the 1950s. Since Sarah is the only live person that can see Jerome, Emmett makes Jerome realize that he can do something, to help with change, through Sarah, so tragedies like his do not continue happening.   Sarah then starts her work as a young activist to tell Jerome, Emmett and other black boys’ stories to make sure they are never forgotten and to help a...

  Watch this trailer that introduces the great Josephine Baker. BIBLIOGRAPHY Powell, Patricia Hruby and Christian Robinson. JOSEPHINE: THE DAZZLING LIFE OF JOSEPHINE BAKER. California: Chronicle Books LLC, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-4521-0314-3. PLOT SUMMARY Josephine Baker was born in poverty in Saint Louis, Missouri.  Since she was young, she had a dream of dancing and performing with the likes of acrobat and magicians.  At the age of thirteen she left with a group of performers in search of her dream.  It was not easy for her to get the opportunity to perform but she was determined to keep on trying.  When she finally got the opportunity to dance and sing, like she wished for, she did not feel happy as she should.  She could not enjoy her success because after all she was still a Negro and was not immune to the segregation taking place.  Josephine was given the opportunity to travel to France where, oh things were so different!  She was welcomed and l...

  BIBLIOGRAPHY Cline-Ransome, Lesa and James E. Ransome. BEFORE SHE WAS HARRIET. New York: Holiday House, 2017. ISBN: 9780823420476. PLOT SUMMARY At the start we are presented to an old woman, Harriet Tubman, who throughout the story in seen in different roles which impacted so many people.   Before being an old lady, Harriet was a suffragist, becoming a voice for many women.   Harriet was General Truman who led many to freedom.   Harriet was a Union spy fighting to end slavery.   Harriet was a nurse, providing care for the wounded.   Harriet was Aunt Harriet, who aided her parents to freedom to   a start of a new life.   Harriet was Moses a conductor of the Underground Railroad.   Harriet was Minty belonging to different slave owners who were never able to break her sprit.   Harriet was Araminta, who as a girl was taught to read the woods and the night.   This girl who not only wanted to live a long life but a life of freedom. ...