Crow by Barbara Wright - ESSENTIAL

Wright, Barbara Crow, pg. 298 Random House Children’s Books, 2012 Language: (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content-PG; Violence: PG-13;

This book is about a charming African American boy who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina.  A coming of age story, it’s set right after the Emancipation Proclamation.  His father works for a black newspaper; his mother works for a white family as a maid.  Boo Nanny, his grandmother, lives with them.  She is a former slave and loves to tell stories of her slave days.  The upcoming election creates tension between the white and black communities because blacks feel they have the right to vote.  

The story illustrates beautifully the horror of the events leading to the Wilmington Massacre of 1898.  This book was easy to read and I truly enjoyed it.  It helped to bring that time period of history to life.  Not many of us think about life after the slaves were set free, at least not until we reach the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. 

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL Emilee