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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is one of my favorite books because the characters and the situations are so natural and real, you can just hear them speaking. I love Langston Hughes and I would definitely recommend this one. I first read it as assigned reading in sixth grade and when I re-read it last year, I still felt such a connection.
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This coming-of-age novel follows Sandy Rogers, an African-American boy growing up in the fictional town of Stanton, Kansas, from approximately 1905 to 1915.
The story explores contradictions and inspiration as Sandy navigates his upbringing, surrounded by the strong women in his family, each imparting different perspectives on race. It offers a poignant look at the struggles of a poor Black family in the early 20th century.
Published in 1930, the book's themes resonate with ongoing racial struggles today. Though only 230 pages long, it immerses readers in Sandy's world, featuring well-developed characters and vivid settings. The short chapters keep the story moving quickly. Langston Hughes beautifully tells Sandy's story and vividly portrays African-American life during this time.
The story explores contradictions and inspiration as Sandy navigates his upbringing, surrounded by the strong women in his family, each imparting different perspectives on race. It offers a poignant look at the struggles of a poor Black family in the early 20th century.
Published in 1930, the book's themes resonate with ongoing racial struggles today. Though only 230 pages long, it immerses readers in Sandy's world, featuring well-developed characters and vivid settings. The short chapters keep the story moving quickly. Langston Hughes beautifully tells Sandy's story and vividly portrays African-American life during this time.
Doesn't much hold together as an actual novel - some passages feel patched together, while major events are brushed over in a few sentences. Sandy is somewhat of a weak protagonist; much of his growth is explained in paragraphs of prose, rather than through his own actions or agency, and he's rarely more than a passive observer for much of the first two-thirds of the story, when he begins to ask more questions. Nevertheless, there's something aching and lovely about the book, and the characters who are brought to life more vividly (Hager, Jimboy, and especially Harriet) are quite moving. Hughes asks difficult questions through the very different women in Sandy's life, and, as a reader, I had no more of a ready answer than Sandy does. Some scenes are wonderful, and the subtle portrayal of everyday life for the family in a small Kansas town is poignantly drawn.
Great, heartfelt book about trying to live as best you can as an African American during the 1930's. When I got to the last page, I was quite sad to reach its end. It leaves the reader with feelings of hope: hope for Sandy, hope for all of us, that we can achieve something greater than ourselves, despite the pressing world around us.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced