Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: Caldecott Honor
Grade Level: 1st - 5th
Shelan tells the story of the long days her and her family pick cotton. They wake when its cold and leave when its dark, Her dad picks so much cotton, her siblings try to have fun while picking, and Shelan helps her mom with picking cotton and the baby. A new field and a new day, Shelan sees children she longs to be friends with. After a long day, they eat lunch together and sparingly drink their water. Through this story, Shelan portrays her father as hope, and wanting to be better than her siblings. When the sun goes down, back on the buses they go.
I would not use this book in my classroom since it is grammatically incorrect, and might confuse the students. However, it is a great opportunity for older students to analyze why this might be the case. Since this book gives insight about a child's life as a slaves and the labor they must do, an educator could use this book for perspective. It would be a great way for students to realize diversity and history. Some discussion questions would be why does Shelan talk the way she does or what is the text inferring and implying?
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