Monday, July 30, 2007
Thoughts on Day of Tears
Since I have all this free time not reading HP7, I did read Julius Lester's Day of Tears. Quick, easy, but not fun read. I wonder if it might be a hard sell for middle schoolers. The subject matter may entice some of them. I get lots of kids wanting to read about slavery. The format is what I found off-putting. While I appreciate the shifting viewpoints, it is hard to get into the story or connect with any of the characters. I was at least halfway through the book before I had any emotional connection to it. But the choppy narrative style might also appeal to some kids. There is something almost blog-like about the various voices. What do you all think?
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I have to agree : quick, easy, but not fun. Although, I do think Day of Tears is a good, powerful book. I was put off by the format at first, but I found that it wasn't very hard to follow and in fact, made the reading go more quickly. This book often gets recommended for classroom readings and performances because of the format.
I like Day of Tears because I think it does a great job of conveying real emotions. It seems that young people are interested in reading books that tug at your emotions. I also like that the dialogue is not just between slaves. Lester also gives a voice to the slave owners, the auctioneer, the children of the slave owners, and people working the Underground Railroad. It's not always pleasant, but it shows that slavery is a complex issue that affects everyone, regardless of color.
I have this book in my library because the 5th graders do a unit on slavery and they also do reports on Coretta Scott Kings books, so the teachers request that I have them. However, I would only recommend it to the most mature 5th graders because of the strong language. It's even better if they're guided through the book with the help of their teacher.
~Amber
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