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thistlechaser's review
5.0
To say I'm not a history buff would be an understatement. I really, really do not care about what happened in the past, I'm a lot more interested about what will happen in the future. And, of all the possible subjects that fall under the header of history, the American pre-Civil War south is very, very low on the list. So I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.
As the title implies, My Story: Slave Girl was the story of a slave girl on a plantation. Though her owners did not want their slaves to learn to read or write, she picked it up because she had to attend every lesson the son had, so she could fan him and the teacher. Knowing how to read opened all sorts of doors for the already smart girl.
While for most of the book there seemed to be no plot (the book was actually her day-to-day diary of life on the plantation), near the end one came into being. But either way, plot or no plot, the book was really enjoyable -- her voice was so strong, and there were so many details on how things were back then. (Though, published by Scholastic, this book was aimed at young readers, so I know a lot of the bad stuff was glossed over. In the years the book covered, there were only two beatings, and one scene that might have lead to rape if the main character hadn't been clever about it.)
I was surprised to learn that this story wasn't fiction at all -- the main character was a real woman, all the stuff that happened in the book was real. The author had sat with the real woman to get her whole story down, saw photographs, etc. I kind of liked the story better when I thought it had been fiction... I guess it was easier. Even if the bad stuff was glossed over, it still made me uncomfortable to be reminded that all this stuff happened to real people...
As the title implies, My Story: Slave Girl was the story of a slave girl on a plantation. Though her owners did not want their slaves to learn to read or write, she picked it up because she had to attend every lesson the son had, so she could fan him and the teacher. Knowing how to read opened all sorts of doors for the already smart girl.
While for most of the book there seemed to be no plot (the book was actually her day-to-day diary of life on the plantation), near the end one came into being. But either way, plot or no plot, the book was really enjoyable -- her voice was so strong, and there were so many details on how things were back then. (Though, published by Scholastic, this book was aimed at young readers, so I know a lot of the bad stuff was glossed over. In the years the book covered, there were only two beatings, and one scene that might have lead to rape if the main character hadn't been clever about it.)
I was surprised to learn that this story wasn't fiction at all -- the main character was a real woman, all the stuff that happened in the book was real. The author had sat with the real woman to get her whole story down, saw photographs, etc. I kind of liked the story better when I thought it had been fiction... I guess it was easier. Even if the bad stuff was glossed over, it still made me uncomfortable to be reminded that all this stuff happened to real people...
jessiphia's review
5.0
An amazing, satisfying book that pictures the horrors of slavery, and the cleverness of one girl who changed the lives of her fellow slaves.
dequeismo's review against another edition
4.0
I remember reading these books as a kid and absolutely loving them. The tales of those no longer remembered pulled at my heart strings, even at the ripe old age of 8 years.
samstar1905's review
challenging
inspiring
tense
fast-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
3.75
amanda_12's review
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
bananakushh's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
meghan's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
roary47's review
5.0
This book is the start of my love for this series. Learning about history through a dairy of a fictional character that lives through the event or events. I received it along with others from my parents around 4th-5th grade.
peytonktracy's review
5.0
This book was absolutely deserving of every accolade and award it received. The word that keeps coming to mind is dimensionality - that it captured the atrocity of slavery in all its brutality and devastation while not sacrificing the humanity or agency of the characters. They were fully flushed-out with ambitions and passions and relationships but all the while bearing a burden and carrying a fear that never for one second disappeared from the reader’s awareness. And it’s presentation to young audiences is flawless and honest. It felt like it told a story about people who were enslaved rather than a story about slaves, that subtle but excruciatingly important semantic difference. This should be required reading in schools.