Blog Partner Discussion 5: Historical Fiction
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6. Your personal response to the book
7. Evaluate it in terms of its genre
8. Evaluate its literary quality
9. Evaluate its illustrations
10. Evaluate in terms of multicultural considerations including the credibility of the author and illustrator
11. Discuss for whom the book is intended and the ways in which it might be used in the classroom
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Title : Show Way written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Hudson Talbott.
ReplyDeleteThis book is an example of historical fiction.It was a very interesting story that tells of the writers past. As I read the book in my minds eye I was able to draw on past readings about slaves and slavery and the path to freedom. The writers vivid account of making show way reveals what slaves were accustomed to allowing the showay toguide their way to free themselves from slavery. The story was told from the days with her great grand mother and all the events leading up to when slavery was abolished. The story was not hampered with a lot of dates from the past. The illustrations were self explanatory and helped me to get a better understanding of what the book was all about. The story was very interesting and I like the way the author spoke about the quilts and the way they are used. Everything was symbolic and the story was revealed through a young protagonist. The historical period came to life in this story when the author recreates the physical environment and their patterns of daily living as she demonstrates the showays her great grand mother sews. Even the front cover of the book demonstrates the showay. Even the character and the way she descibes them growing up shows the family linkage. The book was a very good book as the language was simple and easy to read. It could be an excellent book for children.
What are your thoughts about this book? How do you see it? Kimone your thoughts.
Carlene I agree with you about the genre of the book Show Way.The title is very symbolic as the whole book is recounts the family history of the author in story form and how their history was as it wer sewn to together with the historical period from the days of slavery to the present. I thought the book was brilliantly written and illustrated. The author has a daughter and went online and found out that one of the reasons she wrote the book was to create her own show way for her daughter. Her great grandmother used to make show ways which wer quilts which had sowings of various patterns, (moon, stars) secret messages that pointed the way to freedom. The author tells this story based on what she was told about her family heritage (Jacqueline is an adult) but I noticed that she is very skillful in incorporating the history of each generation from her great-grandma from the birth of that person. I think it would appeal to children and it carries a very important component that history texts do not carry. so a young reader is able to see how each person grows from infancy to adulthood and how their lives intertwine with thw history of the times. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteMe too I love it. Let us take a closer look at the genre Historical fiction it is as it portrays the truth of the writers past. the fabric of time was preserved as the author remained faithful to the time in which the story was set. Reading the story alone at first I did not quite understand the story After reading a second time with the use of the illustrations I was able to get a better understanding of what the book is about and what the writer is trying to portray. This book would lack interest to a child who really does not know what are quils and what showay means. However looking at the illustrations and the beautifully timed era and the clippings one could easily undersatnd thee era the author was referring to. The story took us through the years of growing up from a child in all the accounts she gave and mentions of the fathers being killed as slaves depicts the era. Eventhough she was not born a slave she was able to tell the story. Its an infrastructure of accurate historical facts.
ReplyDeleteI second evrything you have said. I also noticed that while the language was simple almost verse-like in some parts where the author uses a kind of refrain as she speaks about each generation almost rhythmic-"Loved that baby up so.Yes , she loved that baby up", the history was not sugar-coated. She did not make the writing laboured by including at lot of dates and detaills through words, but the illustrations carefully depicted corresponding highlights of factual details of the specific time. The pages of the book are not numbered but there are two pages that show a quilt work of newspaper headlines and pictures that depict the harshness of slavery where slaves are being flogged, chased by hounds, sold and working.The other one shows some memorable events and public figures of the sixties during the peak of racial segregation. These illustrations do not overpower the story but they do present a backdrop/or historical setting for the pilgrimage of the author's family. They really help the reader in understanding the story.
ReplyDeletei see
ReplyDeleteWow! what a beauty I am so overwhemed to see whwt yo have said I too share the same experience the book is a lovely book . The autors description of her past when she mentions Georgina grew up "tall straight" Mathias tall straight" recounting the family traits and characteristics. There is hardly any mention of the fathers seeing their children grow up as they were either killed or sold, so its only the mothers who continue to work to support the children. The story could be linked to an autobiography in that the author gives account of the lives from one generation to the next leading to her own daughter who sge is now creating a showay for in order for her to link to her history and the family tradition lives on. We could see that she wanted her daughter to get a basic understanding of her culture and family traditions.
ReplyDeleteDo you share this view? Elaborate.
Your observation of the absence of fathers or prominent role of male figures is very profound. It ties in with the history of the time doesn't it? It really was the mothers and grandmothers who took a central role in raising children and passing on values and family traditions. Most of the males were killed trying to escape from the harshness of slavery.
ReplyDeleteCarlene, remember that rhythmic style that the author used that i mentioned earlier, I really think she was using that specific style and even the words and what seemed like fragmented sentences to allow the historical period to come to life.The rythmic feel reminds me of those old slave negrospirituals that used to be sung about hope and freedom. Again very symbloic of the "Show Way".
The Author doesn't use modern terms for example the use of "grand- mama", "ma", "pa". Also alot of marriages take place between slaves in her family but again their is no memtion of wedding or marriage, rather she speaks of them as having "jumped broom". This is an African practice .Jumping the broom is a popular African wedding tradition that symbolizes the sweeping away of the old and the welcoming of the new.
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ReplyDeleteI totally agree you you on what you have said. Lets take a closer look at the book and its uses in the classroom it could be an excellent read aloud at home or at school as an exciting experience from history. This could be use for aresearch base to allow students to research life in Africa and find out more about Africa and some customs and traditions Africans portray. Students could also be asked to draw pictures depicting what they understand after the read aloud. There was alo mention of 1863 students could engage in research about what took place in that year and the relevance of that time to Jamaica. Thinkabout it this book can be used from primary to high school through university depending on what the teacher wants to do. What you think.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% Carlene. The book is loaded with numerous lesson possibilities for grades 7-12. For one, I have observed how ignorant children in our context are of the facts of slavery and the struggles of blacks in the sixties when segregation was at its peak. History has now become an option for children in most high schools and even if it is on the syllabus for grades 7-9 the curriculum is very shallow.Historical fiction can quicken dry historical facts and it provides children with their own heritage. Some of the literature texts read by children currently for the CXC syllabus in Jamaica for example Beka Lamb and Old Story Time, have themes that allude to these struggles and so this book could be used to introduce that.It is an effective tool in building prior knowledge, giving students a base on whcih to make informed judgements and opinions. Looking at the work of men like Martin Luther King is an excellent lesson in itself not only in terms of history, Winston Churchill once said." The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see." Historical Fiction has a place in our classrooms.
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ReplyDeleteI totally share your view of this book in our schools in Jamaica it could be a wake up call to revive students love for history as they see history as aboring subject due to lack of life in the textbook that is recommended for use. It can be an excellent book we can use in our Jamaican context to depict Black History Month the month of February.
ReplyDeleteThe author is credible as she is an award winning writer she won the Newberry Honor medal after writing this book. She writes about her own family historical background. The story begins in Virginia and ends in Brooklyn New York. It was said that she made many distinguished contribution to American Literature for children.
The illustrator is also credible as we learn from research on line that he is also a writer.
I am so happy that these credible people were able to write and illustrate beautiful childrens literature that can be used for so many things in our classrooms. Do you share this view?
Yes I do Carlene, I think so many adults and children are enbittered by the movies they see during Black History month. The truth is much of the historical content is true, but I don't think much of it is suitable for younger children. Show Way is a great first step for young children as the book could be read in stages,using it as a guide for which young children can begin to trace their family heritage one family member at a time.It also provides a great opportunity to encourage family involvment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the reasons you give for credibility of both author and illustrator. Show Way did show us the way!
I totally agree this book was great!
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