Review of My Special Day in Jasper,Texas USA
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Abi McCoy
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Review of My Special Day in Jasper,Texas USA
[Following is a volunteer review of "My Special Day in Jasper,Texas USA" by Jermaine Kenyatta.]
My Special Day in Jasper, Texas USA by Jermaine Kenyatta is a children’s book set in the late 1960s. Martha, a young girl in fifth grade, finds out from her mother that she must attend an all-White school. Her mother is proud that she’ll be the first Black student in Jasper to attend a White school; Martha isn’t proud, she’s sad to be leaving her friends. The new school is tough, but her teacher makes it clear that she cares about Martha and is there to help her. How will attending this new school affect Martha’s relationship with old and new friends? Can she stay strong in the face of racial prejudice?
This was a well-written book. The language was simple enough for children to enjoy, but interesting enough for adult readers as well. The author did an excellent job at making the setting immersive and the characters relatable; Martha’s personality leapt from the page and made me love her immediately. The conversations between Martha and her mother were good at explaining some of the general thoughts and approaches of the time.
There were a few illustrations included throughout the book that added to it in a positive way. The author began the book with an excerpt from Martha’s writings and ended with an epilogue of their own thoughts concerning race, teaching, and Jasper. Both sections really added to the work.
My only dislike was that the author switched between the present and past tense in the book. There were only a few errors, but they didn’t detract much from the book. The length of the book (32 pages) makes this a perfect story for young readers.
I’m rating My Special Day in Jasper, Texas USA by Jermaine Kenyatta a 4 out of 4 stars. The story touched on an important but difficult period in American history, and the author did an excellent job at keeping it suitable for younger readers. I recommend this to anyone who has children in their lives and to fans of historical fiction. It would also be great for teaching children about racism and bullying as well as the positive effects of empathy and compassion.
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My Special Day in Jasper,Texas USA
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
My Special Day in Jasper, Texas USA by Jermaine Kenyatta is a children’s book set in the late 1960s. Martha, a young girl in fifth grade, finds out from her mother that she must attend an all-White school. Her mother is proud that she’ll be the first Black student in Jasper to attend a White school; Martha isn’t proud, she’s sad to be leaving her friends. The new school is tough, but her teacher makes it clear that she cares about Martha and is there to help her. How will attending this new school affect Martha’s relationship with old and new friends? Can she stay strong in the face of racial prejudice?
This was a well-written book. The language was simple enough for children to enjoy, but interesting enough for adult readers as well. The author did an excellent job at making the setting immersive and the characters relatable; Martha’s personality leapt from the page and made me love her immediately. The conversations between Martha and her mother were good at explaining some of the general thoughts and approaches of the time.
There were a few illustrations included throughout the book that added to it in a positive way. The author began the book with an excerpt from Martha’s writings and ended with an epilogue of their own thoughts concerning race, teaching, and Jasper. Both sections really added to the work.
My only dislike was that the author switched between the present and past tense in the book. There were only a few errors, but they didn’t detract much from the book. The length of the book (32 pages) makes this a perfect story for young readers.
I’m rating My Special Day in Jasper, Texas USA by Jermaine Kenyatta a 4 out of 4 stars. The story touched on an important but difficult period in American history, and the author did an excellent job at keeping it suitable for younger readers. I recommend this to anyone who has children in their lives and to fans of historical fiction. It would also be great for teaching children about racism and bullying as well as the positive effects of empathy and compassion.
******
My Special Day in Jasper,Texas USA
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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markodim721
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It is great that language is simple enough for children as well as that children learn tolerance and understanding. Thanks for the good review.
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Rm21
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this is an important topic to have for young readers and it's nice that they'd be able to read it on their own or with the parents to learn important lessons.
