by Mildred Taylor
Have you ever felt like there was NO hope?
Have you ever felt like the entire world is against you?
Yes, well then, now you know how our young heroine, Cassie Logan feels most days!
It is 1933 during the Depression in the deep South and times are difficult, especially when you are African Americans who own more land than most of your racist white neighbors.
Mildred Taylor weaves a wonderful tale of how a family needs to possess courage, pride, strength, and respect for humanity while fighting off the Night Riders who are burning crops so families can't pay taxes.
Will Cassie and her 3 brothers realize white people hate them because of the color of their skin and will humiliate, threaten and destroy what the Logan family has sacrificed to achieve?
Can Cassie overcome ridicule and a horrifying year while learning when and how to fight racism or when to endure the punishment?
Question to ponder ...
Do I think book-talks should only be "performed" on books I love -- definitely! I have a kooky personality ... If I tried to encourage others to read a book that was boring and I didn't like ... I'm more than convinced I couldn't even make it sound wonderful! Thus, there are so many books I absolutely love - that I would never run out of ideas! Of course, I also think as a library lady I should continue to broaden my horizons & read other genres, so I can support all "areas" of the library!
**I would also talk about other books from the Depression while giving the Roll of Thunder book-talk. Two of my all-time favorites Year Down Yonder & A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck will leave the audience in stitches - which might be a good idea after a serious book (even though there are funny parts in Taylor's tale also).
Suzie, I really liked the language and format you used in your booktalk. It definitely "hooked" me right away. Well done!
ReplyDeleteReally like the format of your booktalk, and I agree about the statement about booktalking only on books we love. I think the overall goal is to "encourage" someone to read the book. ( Could one do a negative booktalk? Not sure, might be interesting but the experience might be bad)
ReplyDeleteSuzie, I also think it would be hard to do a book talk about a book or a book in a genre I don't enjoy. But what if a community group or a book club asks you to booktalk the hot new bestseller and you absolutely hated it? Do you politely decline or do you find a way to "sell" the book to the group?
ReplyDeleteI doubt I could pull off a book talk on a book I didn't like either. However, the sorts of books that folks would want book talks for I've generally avoided as a class. As for helping people find books, generally they tell me what they have enjoyed, and I try to go from there. One on one with a patron is more about the patron's opinions, but a book talk is more about the librarian's opinions.
ReplyDeleteI will also add that I liked the format of your booktalk. I remember seeing this book when I was in school but I never picked it up, and I never knew what it was about until now. This whole booktalk would definitely have appealed to me when I was young, and as an adult it makes me want to read it.
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