Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jeri Watts - ADVISABLE


Watts, Jeri Kizzy Ann Stamps 192 pgs. Candlewick, 2012. $11.58.  (Rating: PG)
When Kizzy Ann is asked to write letters to her new teacher, she agrees. Its 1963 and Kizzy Ann will be attending an integrated school. There is a lot on her mind and she doesn’t hold back. She writes a lot about Shag, and how the man that owns the farm next door treats her, her life on the her family farm, and her worries about attending school with white kids.
On an upper elementary level, I think this book would be a fantastic read for a class that has been studying the changes in racial discrimination in the 1960’s. It’s a wonderful first hand perspective that really puts the reader in the place of a student, much like them in so many ways, who has to face some really scary things. Middle school readers may not be drawn to the age of the character, but would have better understanding of the subject matter to enable them to read this on their own.
ELEMENTARY– ADVISABLE Reviewer: Stephanie School Librarian & Author.

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