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yapha's review
4.0
This is a powerful novel which ends in a little acknowledged piece of history, the Wilmington Massacre of 1898. Things are going pretty well for the African-American community of Wilmington, NC 35 years after the Emancipation. There is a strong community, with African-Americans holding elected position, a strong African-American newspaper, bank, hospital, and fire department. Unfortunately this does not last. By the end of the book we see the destruction of the pillars of the community and the beginnings of the racist Jim Crow laws. The unfairness in this story is heart-breaking. Recommended for grades 4 & up.
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
I prepared this review weeks ago, planning to post it in July before the start of the school year, as an option for teachers to consider for their middle school classrooms and literature discussions (if we go back to classes).
But I feel it's appropriate and maybe even helpful to offer it now, given the nationwide protests after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. I know many teachers will be looking for resources to teach the history of the issues facing our country in the Fall, and I'd highly recommend any of the books I've reviewed and scrutinized teaching materials in the past.
Crow is incredibly powerful historical fiction, based on historical events -- the Wilmington, North Carolina race riot of 1898 -- and has the added benefit of having been around (published in 2012) long enough to have a LOT of truly great FREE teaching resources.
Moses Thomas is growing up in Wilmington in a way most kids will relate. He wants a bicycle, but his family can't afford one, even though his father holds a steady, reliable job with the local Black newspaper. He navigates the middle school years of changing best friend alliances, when his best friend Lewis turns to another, wealthier boy, Johnny, who also has a bike, to pal around with.
But he also faces challenges only Blacks faced in that time period -- being cited by a police officer for skinny dipping (but hiding the white boy who was with him, because that would be a much bigger offense), and having to work picking in the fields to pay the fine -- and getting fired for knowing how to read and standing up to a crew boss by pointing out a pay discrepancy, or getting a ticket to ride the train for his 12th birthday, only to discover it's for seats way in the back, where the upholstery is torn and it stinks and the floors are dirty.
But then one day, when he's teaching his grandmother to read by using the old, discarded newspapers his father brings home, he reads an editorial, written by the newspaper's owner, Alex Manly, in response to a white woman's earlier, offensive, racist speech.
And that's the beginning of the end of everything Moses has grown up knowing and come to rely upon. His world falls apart with his father at the center of the Wilmington Race Riots, in ways only his grandmother can see coming, because, as a former slave, she's seen it all happen before, perhaps not specifically the Wilmington Race Riot, but its heart-breaking, soul-rending results are no stranger to her life's experiences.
TEACHERS NOTE: The author, Barbara Wright, has many great teaching suggestions on her website for this book. Included are links to two excellent PBS videos, "Wilmington: A Peaceful City Turned violent," at 4 minutes with background reading and discussion questions, and Prelude to a Riot, at 8 minutes, also with supporting materials, including background reading, discussion questions and the transcript. There is also a link to an NPR story about the race riot, "How the Only Coup D'Etat in US History Unfolded."
There are also links to the Carolina K-12 lesson plan, "Exploring Life in 1898 Wilmington & the Wilmington Race Riot with CROW, a novel for young adults." I've written about Carolina K-12 database of lessons many times before. The lessons are nothing short of amazing, and this one is no exception. It's correlated to 8th grade Social Studies standards, now dated, so you will need to update those with your own district's standards. It includes step-by-step instructions for introducing the book and the race riots, utilizing several videos (click on the links). It includes an 10-page chapter-by-chapter set of comprehension questions for the book. There are several extension projects and all related materials for teaching those projects, such as discussion questions after reading the "White Declaration of Independence," as well as formulating / writing a detailed response to each "point" of the "Declaration." Other projects include creating an obituary or eulogy for Moses' father, and envisioning Crow as a movie.
The Carolina K-12 database also includes a pdf of a Power Point presentation for Crow, with instructions to write for the editable version of the ppt. It includes information on Jim Crow, Jim Crow Etiquette, quotes from Alfred Waddell, pictures of the Carolina Twins, newspaper owner Alex Manly and Mrs. Fenton, the woman who's speech sparks Manly's editorial, pictures of the aftermath of the race riot, and of the local light infantry marching black leaders to the train station.
There is also an excellent link to the PBS lesson plan, Read All About It!: The African American Press in the Jim Crow Years, which has the added feature that you can import it as a Word doc and then edit it, as you need for your classroom and school administration purposes. The lesson includes introductory activities to use before watching The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. Namely, students read and examine various newspapers, before designing one of their own.
The publisher offers an Educator's Guide, with a pre-reading activity, an brief introduction to the history, themes, five links to internet resources (the PBS series mentioned above), as well as 15 vocabulary words and the pages where they appear.
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
But I feel it's appropriate and maybe even helpful to offer it now, given the nationwide protests after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. I know many teachers will be looking for resources to teach the history of the issues facing our country in the Fall, and I'd highly recommend any of the books I've reviewed and scrutinized teaching materials in the past.
Crow is incredibly powerful historical fiction, based on historical events -- the Wilmington, North Carolina race riot of 1898 -- and has the added benefit of having been around (published in 2012) long enough to have a LOT of truly great FREE teaching resources.
Moses Thomas is growing up in Wilmington in a way most kids will relate. He wants a bicycle, but his family can't afford one, even though his father holds a steady, reliable job with the local Black newspaper. He navigates the middle school years of changing best friend alliances, when his best friend Lewis turns to another, wealthier boy, Johnny, who also has a bike, to pal around with.
But he also faces challenges only Blacks faced in that time period -- being cited by a police officer for skinny dipping (but hiding the white boy who was with him, because that would be a much bigger offense), and having to work picking in the fields to pay the fine -- and getting fired for knowing how to read and standing up to a crew boss by pointing out a pay discrepancy, or getting a ticket to ride the train for his 12th birthday, only to discover it's for seats way in the back, where the upholstery is torn and it stinks and the floors are dirty.
But then one day, when he's teaching his grandmother to read by using the old, discarded newspapers his father brings home, he reads an editorial, written by the newspaper's owner, Alex Manly, in response to a white woman's earlier, offensive, racist speech.
And that's the beginning of the end of everything Moses has grown up knowing and come to rely upon. His world falls apart with his father at the center of the Wilmington Race Riots, in ways only his grandmother can see coming, because, as a former slave, she's seen it all happen before, perhaps not specifically the Wilmington Race Riot, but its heart-breaking, soul-rending results are no stranger to her life's experiences.
TEACHERS NOTE: The author, Barbara Wright, has many great teaching suggestions on her website for this book. Included are links to two excellent PBS videos, "Wilmington: A Peaceful City Turned violent," at 4 minutes with background reading and discussion questions, and Prelude to a Riot, at 8 minutes, also with supporting materials, including background reading, discussion questions and the transcript. There is also a link to an NPR story about the race riot, "How the Only Coup D'Etat in US History Unfolded."
There are also links to the Carolina K-12 lesson plan, "Exploring Life in 1898 Wilmington & the Wilmington Race Riot with CROW, a novel for young adults." I've written about Carolina K-12 database of lessons many times before. The lessons are nothing short of amazing, and this one is no exception. It's correlated to 8th grade Social Studies standards, now dated, so you will need to update those with your own district's standards. It includes step-by-step instructions for introducing the book and the race riots, utilizing several videos (click on the links). It includes an 10-page chapter-by-chapter set of comprehension questions for the book. There are several extension projects and all related materials for teaching those projects, such as discussion questions after reading the "White Declaration of Independence," as well as formulating / writing a detailed response to each "point" of the "Declaration." Other projects include creating an obituary or eulogy for Moses' father, and envisioning Crow as a movie.
The Carolina K-12 database also includes a pdf of a Power Point presentation for Crow, with instructions to write for the editable version of the ppt. It includes information on Jim Crow, Jim Crow Etiquette, quotes from Alfred Waddell, pictures of the Carolina Twins, newspaper owner Alex Manly and Mrs. Fenton, the woman who's speech sparks Manly's editorial, pictures of the aftermath of the race riot, and of the local light infantry marching black leaders to the train station.
There is also an excellent link to the PBS lesson plan, Read All About It!: The African American Press in the Jim Crow Years, which has the added feature that you can import it as a Word doc and then edit it, as you need for your classroom and school administration purposes. The lesson includes introductory activities to use before watching The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. Namely, students read and examine various newspapers, before designing one of their own.
The publisher offers an Educator's Guide, with a pre-reading activity, an brief introduction to the history, themes, five links to internet resources (the PBS series mentioned above), as well as 15 vocabulary words and the pages where they appear.
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
quietjenn's review against another edition
4.0
There's a lot to unpack here, guys. I don't know if I'm equipped to do it here tonight. I think I need to ruminate more.
couillac's review against another edition
3.0
Crow is an illuminating look at a little-seen period of American life: the 40 years post Civil War that saw the rise of the African American middle class which was cut short by the creation of Jim Crow laws. The last third of the book describes the true events that took place in Wilmington NC when white citizens terrorized the African American population, running most of the educated middle class out of town and destroying the offices of a successful Black newspaper. This last section of the book forms a horrifying and thrilling narrative. The various episodes that make up the first 2/3 of the book and set up many of the details for the final events are not nearly as engaging. I also thought the father's death was over-dramatic and rather unnecessary. Moses's growth could definitely still have occurred with simply the banishment of his father, having already bee formed by the increase in violence and the changing landscape of the community. Still, there are distinguished elements to be found, particularly Moses's relationship with his father and the complexity of the adult characters in Moses's family. Overall, it's an above-average piece of historical fiction, highly recommended for middle grade readers.
hsquared's review against another edition
4.0
Wright takes readers to the American South, just before Jim Crow laws permeated the society--a time when African Americans were actually part of the political fabric. The story takes place in 1898, and focuses on a little known incident in Wilmington, North Carolina. Eleven-year old Moses, who is just one generation from slavery, finds himself between his father--a progressive, college-educated journalist--and his beloved grandmother, aka Boo Nanny, who lived a good portion of her life as a slave. Consequently, Boo Nanny is both illiterate and superstitions, yet every bit as proud as Moses' father, and perhaps, just a little more in tune to the precarious balance between whites and blacks. Kids will relate to Moses, as he tries to make sense of both the spoken, and unspoken rules of the world around him. Wright does an excellent job of keeping the thread of hope throughout this prelude to a very dark time in our nation's history, when democracy failed and mob rule emerged victorious. This would be an excellent addition to social studies units on both Reconstruction and Civil Rights. The fast-paced plot makes it a good read for anyone with a taste for adventure, or historical fiction.
thisfoxreads's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 On the 2019-2020 North Carolina Middle School Battle of the Books list. Engaging book about the only successful coup d'etat in US history, which took place in the 1890s in Wilmington--at the time the largest city in North Carolina. Powerful story. While the main character and his family are fictional, many of the people and events in the book were only too real. Read this book!
literary_princess's review
2.0
Very Watsons Go to Birmingham or Roll of Thunder -esque. Probably something more for a classroom than for leisure reading. Reads pretty slow though there's plenty of interesting things happening in it. Felt less like a novel and more like an accounting of things that happened.
Main character is 11.
Some discussion about lynching and tape, but nothing too in-depth. Also the word nigger is used by the bad guys, but in true historical context the words Negros and coloreds are used often by all the characters.
Main character is 11.
Some discussion about lynching and tape, but nothing too in-depth. Also the word nigger is used by the bad guys, but in true historical context the words Negros and coloreds are used often by all the characters.
elderkinhv's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
librarydosebykristy's review
3.0
I didn't love this book as much I'd hoped to. I felt like the author was writing a story about adults for adults but decided for some reason to stick a child protagonist in the middle of it. There were lots of details and implied storylines that went over the main character's head. I found this distracting and annoying.
squeakadillo's review against another edition
4.0
Crow is a singularly effective piece of historical fiction. It both captures and transcends the time and place it describes, and I think structure and pacing are key to its effectiveness.
It begins with a portent - "The buzzard knew." From there, though, it moves on to paint an episodic, leisurely portrait of a way of life that seems idyllic compared to what is to come. Moses's concerns, for the most part, are the concerns of any sixth grade boy: will he get a bicycle? Will he lose his best friend? Who's hiding the treasures near the swimming hole? As Wright takes her time setting the scene, the reader gets a vivid sense of place and of character.
Throughout the first half of the book, though, there is a trickle of race-related trouble - the slogan contest, the accidentally stolen bicycle - which gradually builds, becoming a deluge at the rally in Fayetteville. From there, the pace picks up and we are rushed from one horrific event to the next, culminating in the destruction of everything Moses and his family value. This second half would not be nearly as effective without the hopefulness of the beginning chapters, and the transition between the two is accomplished seamlessly.
I'm not sure where structure fits within the Newbery criteria, because I don't think it's plot, exactly. It's some gray area between plot and style, and possibly presentation of information. I do feel confident in saying, though, that Crow features distinguished characters and settings, and those are key to its emotional impact. The destruction of black Wilmington means something to us because Wright has shown us exactly what is being lost.
If I have a complaint about the book, it's that Moses's presence at every one of the historical events felt a bit forced - like a You Are There! tour of the Wilmington race riots. I think that's a common pitfall of historical fiction.
It begins with a portent - "The buzzard knew." From there, though, it moves on to paint an episodic, leisurely portrait of a way of life that seems idyllic compared to what is to come. Moses's concerns, for the most part, are the concerns of any sixth grade boy: will he get a bicycle? Will he lose his best friend? Who's hiding the treasures near the swimming hole? As Wright takes her time setting the scene, the reader gets a vivid sense of place and of character.
Throughout the first half of the book, though, there is a trickle of race-related trouble - the slogan contest, the accidentally stolen bicycle - which gradually builds, becoming a deluge at the rally in Fayetteville. From there, the pace picks up and we are rushed from one horrific event to the next, culminating in the destruction of everything Moses and his family value. This second half would not be nearly as effective without the hopefulness of the beginning chapters, and the transition between the two is accomplished seamlessly.
I'm not sure where structure fits within the Newbery criteria, because I don't think it's plot, exactly. It's some gray area between plot and style, and possibly presentation of information. I do feel confident in saying, though, that Crow features distinguished characters and settings, and those are key to its emotional impact. The destruction of black Wilmington means something to us because Wright has shown us exactly what is being lost.
If I have a complaint about the book, it's that Moses's presence at every one of the historical events felt a bit forced - like a You Are There! tour of the Wilmington race riots. I think that's a common pitfall of historical fiction.