Scan barcode
A review by ashleygiammona
Lena and the Burning of Greenwood: A Tulsa Race Massacre Survival Story by Nikki Shannon Smith
5.0
I am embarrassed and ashamed to admit that before this book I knew *nothing* of the Tulsa Massacres. This book was a great way to educate and tell a story about a part of history that America really needs to start sharing with it’s youth (so they don’t end up like me, nearly 30, a “history lover” and literally unaware).
However, I think this is a fairly intense book for a middle grade reader and personally would recommend an adult read it first, or at least be open to discussion or lead with a discussion about the situation. We live in a time where hate crime is, sadly, increasing. This book deals with some seriously scary situations that, like also racially motivated crimes, don’t have a simple cause or way to prevent it (like telling kids “look both ways” to not get hit by cars) that we can share with kids.
The above being said, please don’t shy away from this fantastic book with your child or students. The audio book is about two hours which I feel like makes it accessible to all readers! I’m happy to see more books like this hitting shelves.
However, I think this is a fairly intense book for a middle grade reader and personally would recommend an adult read it first, or at least be open to discussion or lead with a discussion about the situation. We live in a time where hate crime is, sadly, increasing. This book deals with some seriously scary situations that, like also racially motivated crimes, don’t have a simple cause or way to prevent it (like telling kids “look both ways” to not get hit by cars) that we can share with kids.
The above being said, please don’t shy away from this fantastic book with your child or students. The audio book is about two hours which I feel like makes it accessible to all readers! I’m happy to see more books like this hitting shelves.