Review by Charlene Wooten -- My Special Day in Jasper,Te...

[Charlene Wooten]

[Following is a volunteer review of "My Special Day in Jasper,Texas USA" by Jermaine Kenyatta.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

If you are looking for a perspective piece on segregation in schools, read My Special Day in Jasper TX, USA by Jermaine Kenatta. This short story of about 30 pages is related to how the beginning of the end of segregation affected one little girl. It was written in memory of the woman but from her perspective as an 11 year old fifth grader.

This is a story of hope and of making the best of a situation. One of my favorite things is the little girl’s sense of humor about how she was treated by others. Yes she was bullied, but she chose to fight or laugh mostly. I really enjoyed her response to bullying. Her mother’s perspective on sending her child to a previously all white school was moving.

This is a little painful for me to read. It was written from the point of view of 1968, about 50 years ago. Segregation ending was very difficult for pioneers of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream. This story highlights how hard it was to desegregate.

I would give this a four out of four. The story flows well and paints a vivid picture of the past. There are enough details to flesh out the character and you really care about this little girl from page one. It presents positive and negative experiences she had. I think stories like this are important as they allow us to remember the past. It was beneficial to have different negatives and positives described.

Since this book is written from the perspective of an 11 year old, I’d recommend the audience be at least 9. This would allow them to understand the difficulties she faced. It was interesting to read, and I think most age groups would enjoy this story. This would be especially well suited for assigned reading during Black History Month.

******
My Special Day in Jasper,Texas USA
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon