If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Woodson, Jacqueline.  1998.  IF YOU COME SOFTLY.  New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.  ISBN 0399231129

SUMMARY

Set in the cities of Harlem and Brooklyn, fifteen-year-olds Jeremiah and Ellie meet at the elite high school Percy Academy.  Jeremiah, the son of a famous film-making father and a successfully published mother, tries to fit into his new school, playing basketball and hanging out with his friends.  Life seems strange until he meets Ellie, the daughter of an often absent, but hard-working father, and a mother who has already abandoned the family twice.  Though they both come from different worlds- Jeremiah is African-American while Ellie is Caucasian and Jewish-  they both take on the struggles of overcoming the prejudice and stereotypes interracial couples face while simultaneously finding their own identities.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Woodson's complicated story offers many cultural markers that bring to light the major differences between the African-American and Caucasian cultures, and the continual struggle for equality and acceptance.  The first two sentences of the story set a hard tone for the upcoming obstacles Jeremiah will face, as it begins with "Jeremiah was black.  He could feel it."  Readers learn about the different kinds of black in Brooklyn, as Woodson describes the varying skin tones as "light-skinned" and "dark-skinned."  Jeremiah's grandmother often warned him to not be "too black" because it would cause a lot of problems.  Attention is also given to the different types of hairstyles, as Jeremiah describes his friends as "nappy-headed, curly-headed, bald-headed brothers."  Jeremiah is also described as having dread locks that are "thick and black and spiraling" over his shoulders.  Authenticity is also seen in his friends' names, which he refers to as "The Three Black Musketeers": Carlton, Rayshon, and Kennedy.

Jeremiah describes the environment of his new elite-prep school Percy Academy as being "much whiter" than Brooklyn Tech, the school he transferred from, and notices "all the white faces surrounding him."  He even questions what he's doing at a school "with all these white boys around him."  Language use also plays a role throughout Woodson's novel.  Jeremiah and his friends call each other "homeboys" and "brothers", and refer to their neighborhood as "the hood."  Woodson even comments on Jeremiah's feelings as his fellow white classmates try talking like him, writing "He hated when  white guys tried to sound black."

Ellie is a Jewish Caucasian female student who feels an immediate connection when she runs into Jeremiah in the Percy hallways.  Woodson brings Ellie's Jewish faith to light at various points of the story, citing the family's preparations for the Hanukkah and Yom Kippur holidays, going to temple, and wearing a Star of David necklace.  Readers also learn that Ellie's older sister, Anne, has a girlfriend named Stacey, and committed their lives to each other in a commitment ceremony months before.  For some readers, this may be the first time they encounter a homosexual character in a story.  

As Jeremiah and Ellie's romance begins to bloom, the effects of racism and others' prejudice are brought to readers attention.  As the two become more affectionate in public, holding hands and kissing, they are often met with stares and are eyed suspiciously.  Ellie describes "people stare, trying to figure it all out or something."  She also comments that students at school do not know how to react to the interracial couple, saying "It was strong, the way students seemed to turn away from us."   They often here derogatory remarks from passersby, saying things like "jungle fever" and "who turned out the lights?"  As the couple grow together, Ellie asks Jeremiah "You think it will always be like this?" and comments "how stupid the world could be sometimes."  This struggle for equality and acceptance is one many readers may or may not be familiar with, but Woodson does a wonderful job of bringing it to the forefront for discussion and thought.  

Not only do Jeremiah and Ellie face struggles from the outside world, but also from within their own families.  When Ellie tells her sister, Anne, that Jeremiah is African-American, Anne's stunned reaction is revealed to readers: "She didn't say anything.  I could feel the air between us getting weird."  When Anne tries to explain her concern that it must be hard to have a girlfriend or boyfriend of a different race, Ellie angrily ends the conversation, and a rift between the two is born.  Jeremiah, on the other hand, has a father who tells him "You're a black man, you're a warrior."  He says of Caucasians "They don't know they're white.  They know what everybody else is, but they don't know they're white."  Readers gather from these comments that these two different worlds are often at odds with one another, with racial inequalities and discrimination prevalent in both worlds.  As Jeremiah's father boldly states "Times are not different".  Readers realize that the effects of racism still echo even in today's world.   

Readers also learn of both characters' path to self identity  as they step out into the existing world.  Jeremiah struggles with the mixed messages he gets from his friends, family, classmates, and even himself, as he tries to figure out who he is: "But sometimes looking in that mirror, he had no idea who he was or why he was in this world."  Meanwhile, Ellie struggles to make sense of society's expectations and her family's own perspectives.  In an honest admission to confides to Jeremiah "I used to think my family would accept anybody...No matter what color they were.  I'm not so sure of that now...It scares me.  If they have it in them, to not like somebody because of their color- then I might have it in me."  Ellie reflects what perhaps many readers may fear- that deep down that seed of prejudice exists in all of us.  This will let readers reflect on their own attitudes and perceptions of those that may be of different ethnicities and cultures.

REVIEWS AND AWARDS

COOPERATIVE CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTER CHOICES: "A quiet, beautifully etched portrait of a first love that is shattered by the racism, If You Come Softly traces the relationship of two teens whose lives intertwine for a short but life-changing time."

KIRKUS: "In a meditative interracial love story with a wrenching climactic twist, Woodson (The House You Pass on the Way, 1997, etc.) offers an appealing pair of teenagers and plenty of intellectual grist, before ending her story with a senseless act of violence."

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: " Once again, Woodson handles delicate, even explosive subject matter with exceptional clarity, surety and depth. In this contemporary story about an interracial romance, she seems to slip effortlessly into the skins of both her main characters, Ellie, an upper-middle-class white girl who has just transferred to Percy, an elite New York City prep school, and Jeremiah, one of her few African American classmates, whose parents (a movie producer and a famous writer) have just separated."

CONNECTIONS

* Have students read other novels written by Jacqueline Woodson.

Woodson, Jacqueline. COMING ON HOME SOON.  ISBN  0399237488

Woodson, Jacqueline. I HADN'T MEANT TO TELL YOU.  ISBN  0142405558

Woodson, Jacqueline.  FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF MELANIN SUN.  ISBN 0590458817

Oh, Brother! by Nikki Grimes

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki.  2008.  OH, BROTHER.  Ill. By Mike Benny.  New York: Greenwillow Books.  ISBN 9780688172947

SUMMARY

OH, BROTHER! tells the touching story of a young, Hispanic boy named Xavier, and the new "additions" to his family.   After his mother remarries, Xavier feels out of sorts, struggling to find his place in his new family as well as learning to live with his new step-father and new step-brother,  Chris.  However, as the plot unfolds, Xavier learns more about Chris and the sad experiences he has lived through, and begins to form a real connection with his new step-family.  Readers will enjoy this wonderful story of a new family working through its struggles to build a new life of their own.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Using rhyming prose and free verse, Nikki Grimes presents readers with twenty powerful poems that capture the struggles and challenges new family's often encounter when parents get remarried.  An added element to this struggle is the biracial factor.  The story's protagonist, Xavier, and his mother are of Hispanic descent while his new step-father and step-brother, Chris, are African-American.  

Grimes cleverly using rhyming poetry to capture the turmoil and complexities Xavier is feeling as he tries to adjust to the new changes in his life.  This is evident in the poem titled "Trouble" where Xavier describes the first meeting with his new step-brother, Chris: "Then, one night he brings/ his son, Chris, along!/ The earth lost its axis/ and spun around wrong."   He comments that "There won't be room/for me unless/ I turn into a mouse!"  As his mother steps into the new role of being young Chris' mother as well, Xavier's jealously burns with in him.   In the poem "Showdown," Xavier finally confronts Chris and asks why he tries so hard to be liked and to be so perfect.  It is in that powerful poem that readers learn that Chris is afraid his dad might go way, "normal wasn't good enough to make my mama stay."  Xavier begins to internalize Chris' emotions and fears as he, too, has experienced the loss of losing a parent.  In the poem "Photograph," readers see Chris comfort Xavier as he describes missing his father who is "73 cities" away.  Grimes quietly, yet powerful reveals to readers that Xavier's father's leaving was for the best, as Xavier describes "Sure, I can see/ it's better now,/ him gone,/ and no more screaming/ at Mami."

As the family dynamics begin unfold, Grimes brings the two ethnic worlds together by sporadically using Spanish terms throughout the text.  Xavier's mother calls her step son Chris "hijo," which means son.  As Xavier's and Chris' relationship begins to strengthen, Xavier tells Chris in the poem titled "The Name Game" that brother is spelled "H-E-R-M-A-N-O," which  in Spanish, describes what they are now.  This touching combination of both English and Spanish words for brother brings to the heart of the story the true meaning of family, and that it goes beyond any cultural borders.

Adding power to the Grimes' prose are Mike Benny's stunning gouache paintings.  Benny uses rich varying colors to depict the variation in skin tones between Xavier and his Hispanic mother, and Chris and his African-American father.  Also seen in the illustrations are the differences in their facial features as well as hair color and textures.  Perhaps the most powerful image comes from the poem "Lights Out," which describes the blooming relationship between Xavier and Chris.  As they "trade jokes/ and line the wall/ with laughter,"  readers see the two character's shadows on the wall, smiling and laughing while playfully having a pillow fight.  For a brief moment, both characters are the same "color" on the dark silhouettes on the wall.  Differences in race,  skin color, facial features, or hair textures are all but forgotten in this moment of pure joy and happiness.

As the boys later learn, a new addition to family comes in the form of their baby sister, Melodye.  Benny paints Melodye a light-shade of brown, and with beautiful round eyes.  Both Xavier and Chris decide that they will always be brothers and that as family, they will never abandon one another.  OH, BROTHER masterfully incorporates both the African-American and Hispanic cultures to help teach young readers to understand and celebrate their differences while helping them to see the world beyond their own lives.

REVIEWS AND AWARDS

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: " The winner of multiple Coretta Scott King Awards, Grimes spins her verse with a light, knowing touch (for example, Mami grinning is "licking us like scoops of ice cream with her eyes") to the happy ending. Mike Benny's colorful gouache illustrations naturalistically complement the story--and occasionally go beyond it, as in his double-page pillow fight interpretation of "Lights Out." This is a well done niche book for the growing market of re-formed families attempting to survive the inevitable jealousies and insecurities of the children caught in the middle."

KIRKUS: "Twenty poems laced with emotion chronicle Xavier's journey from anger to acceptance, while Benny's strong gouache illustrations capture his emotional struggle to embrace his new hermano and their new family. Ideal for kids coping with new step-siblings."

CONNECTIONS

* Have students pre-read before beginning the book.  Ask students questions such as what do you think the title means?  What is great about having a sibling?  What is not so great?  What do you think a family experiences when have new family members join, whether through adoption, marriage, or blended family?  (Ideas from http://www.nikkigrimes.com/teacher/brothtg.html)

The Moon Over Star by Dianna Hutts Aston

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aston, Dianna Hutts.  2008.  THE MOON OVER STAR.  Ill. By Jerry Pinkney.  New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.  ISBN 9780803731073

PLOT SUMMARY

Set during the summer of 1969, this picture book tells the story of young Mae and her family as they witness the historical moment of man’s first landing on the moon.  As the whole world waits and watches, everyday life continues for this middle-class African-American family.  While Mae’s grandfather believes the space program is a waste of money, young Mae is filled with awe and wonder.  This touching story reminds readers to reach for the stars in making their dreams come true.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Aston’s story draws young readers in as she describes man’s first landing on the moon through the eyes of a young African-American girl named Mae.  Historical references to John F. Kennedy, Walter Cronkite, and Commander Neil Armstrong help place the story during the nineteen-sixties.  Although no direct reference is made in the text to the family’s African-American culture, the story captures the excitement they feel as they eagerly await Apollo 11’s landing.  This is captured as Mae builds a home-made rocket ship with her cousins and says “We closed our eyes, imagining with all our might the rumble, the roar, and the force of the Saturn rocket, blasting the spaceship into the stars.”  Simple sentences that flow with a lyrical rhythm are used throughout the text to create positive messages that leave a lasting impression on young readers.  When young Mae exclaims “Just think, Gramps: If they could go to the moon, maybe one day I could too!” her grandfather encourages her to “keep on dreaming” as she imagines a world beyond the stars.  This plants the seed in young readers minds to never give up to make their dreams a reality. 

To add depth and life to the story’s positive message, Jerry Pinkney masterfully uses a combination of graphite, ink, and watercolor.  As readers turn the pages, they are met with vibrant two-page layouts depicting the rockets orbit around the moon and the shuttle’s lift off.  Since the text does not make reference to the family’s ethnicity, Pinkney’s visual storytelling allows readers to experience this monumental moment in history through the eyes of a middle-class African American family.  

The illustrations capture and emphasize the dominant theme of family love and loyalty.  Readers see this African-American family together in six beautifully crafted scenes- worshiping together at church, playing in the family barn, helping fix Grandpa’s tractor, gathering together to watch the Eagle’s landing on the moon, and having a family picnic on a warm summer night.  This also passes along the message that they are members of the Star city community.  Pinkney’s detailed illustrations and realistic portrayals create a positive image of African-American children as they are seen smiling and laughing; their facial expressions reveal the excitement and anticipation, their eyes filled with wonder, as they eagerly await for man to step foot on the moon.  

Pinkney’s illustrations also authentically capture physical characteristics of Mae’s family.  Cultural markers are seen in the variation of the family’s skin tone, with some painted a lighter-color than others.  Variations in hair styles and texture are seen as well.  While some family members have black-colored hair in tight, small curls, others have close-shaven, curly hair.  The floral dresses the female family members wear, as well as the plaid and striped collared shirts the men wear reveal that this loving, African-American family is of the upper-middle class.

Although readers do not learn Mae’s name until the story’s ending, it is representative of what the first African-American female in space, Mae Jemison, may have experienced as a young child.  As the story concludes with the final line “It told me to dream,” readers are reminded that everyone’s dreams, no matter their cultural heritage, can affect change. 

REVIEWS AND AWARDS

Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2009 Honor Book Illustrator United States

KIRKUS: “Pinkney's vibrant illustrations exquisitely complement the moving story. The double-page spreads of the rocket traveling through space from Earth to Moon express the enormity of the moment, and the characters' emotions are palpable.”

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “In some of his finest watercolors to date, Pinkney supplies both his characteristically affectionate, realistic portrayals of African-American families and lyrical views of the moon, giving visual form to what Aston evokes: awe.”

BOOKLIST: “Spaced vertically in phrases like free verse alongside the large illustrations, the text combines dignity and immediacy in a clean, spare telling of events. Pinkney's evocative artwork, created using graphite, ink, and watercolor, depicts a black family captivated, and perhaps subtly changed, by the moon landing in 1969. A quiet, satisfying tribute to this milestone in human history and its power to inspire others.”

CONNECTIONS

* Have students read other picture books detailing the Apollo 11 spaceflight and walk on the moon.

Aldrin, Buzz.  REACHING FOR THE MOON.  Ill. By Wendell Minor.  ISBN  0060554479

Floca, Brian.  MOONSHOT: THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 11.  ISBN 141695046X

McNulty, Faith.  IF YOU DECIDE TO GO TO THE MOON.  Ill. By Steven Kellogg.  ISBN 0590483595

* Have students learn more about the first African-American woman in space, Mae Jamison, by having them read the following titles:

Blue, Rose.  MAE JAMISON: OUT OF THIS WORLD.  ISBN  9780761325703

Braun, Eric.  MAE JAMISON.  ISBN  9780736842310

Canizares, Susan.  THE VOYAGE OF MAE JAMISON.  ISBN 9780439045797