The first chapter book I choose for historical fiction/realism is part of the Dear America book series. It was titled I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl. I actually was not looking forward to reading this book, but choose it because alot of my 4th and 5th grade students read these books and love them. I had tried to read one several months ago but just could not get into it. So obviously I was not excited about this one, but wanted to try this series again. This book series is more for upper elementary students, as well as middle school students. It relates to my topic of love in a different way that books I've been blogging out have.
In this book, the main character, Patsy is looking for love. She is a young slave girl that lives on a plantation in South Carolina in 1865. She starts off being in charge of the young children of the house, Annie and Charles. They make fun of her and think she is stupid, but Annie teachers her how to write and read; something that was very unusual for blacks to know in that time. Patsy pretends to be stupid, as not to get in trouble, which helps her. Annie gives her a journal to write her thoughts in, but they joke that she is such a dunce it will be a waste. Well little do they know Patsy can read and write, and loves her journal. She aptly names her journal "friend" and writes almost everyday in her.
The story is the actual journal of Patsy and her years working as a slave for Master and Mistress on the plantation. She endures loneliness because she has no family, sadness because she has a bad leg, and frustrations because she cannot yet share with anyone she can read and write. Patsy gets moved from doing many things around the house, from cooking to cleaning to emptying chamber pots.
Her journal is her saving grace. She has a hard life, and even after the slaves have been freed, she is not truly freed.
She struggles with not having relationships with others, and finally grows to depend on Ruth and her children. Ruth also works in the House at the plantation and Patsy finally shares her secret about knowing how to read and write. She eventually becomes a teacher for Ruth's children and all the other children living on the plantation. This story shows how you can grow to love yourself, become a part of a family (which Patsy does), and have faith in yourself.
The story wraps up with Patsy becoming a part of the minister's family and leaves to go to another part of South Carolina to finish her schooling and eventually open up her own school in their own town, Libertyville, S.C. She marries another fellow slave, Douglass, and never has kids, but is happy teaching all the little children in town.
Patsy is a symbol of strength, hope, and never-ending love.
The second historical fiction/realism book I choose was a picture book by Eve Bunting, called A Day's Work. This book is for elementary age readers, and is a great example of my text set theme love. It is not based on any specific event in the past, but shows the struggle of a Mexican man trying to get work in America.
There was a time (and there might still be) in America when many Mexicans were crossing the border and struggling to find jobs. They would gather each day in certain places of town, hoping for men to drive by and pick them up for a day's work. It shows the struggling economy and job market we have in America.
This particular book shows the love between a grandson and his grandfather, Abuelo.
Abuelo has just moved to America to live with his daughter and grandson because the father died. He is looking for work, but does not speak English. So the grandson must accompany him to find work and translate for him.
One day a man is asking for a gardener, so the grandson volunteers them and says they know all about gardening. Plus the man can get two workers for the price of one; so the man hires them. The whole time the grandson must translate to his Abuelo.
They are tasked with pulling up all the weeds in a field and leaving the flowers. They work hard in the heat all day long until the man comes back. He is so mad because they pulled up the flowers and left the weeds! The grandson is embarrassed and upset, but Abuelo does not understand what is going on. Once the grandson explains, Abuelo is mad because the grandson lied about them having knowledge about gardening. He tries to tell the man they will work for free the next day and replant all of the flowers. The man agrees, and Abuelo scolds his grandson for lying. The book ends with them knowing that they have work again the next day and possibly work again in the future from this man.
A Day's Work shows the love and devotion between a grandparent and grandson. The grandson would clearly do anything for the grandfather, including lying, and the grandfather loves him enough to forgive him when he makes a big mistake.
It also shows how hard it is to get work in America if you don't speak English and what a struggle some families go through trying to find work daily.
I love this book, and I think it gives a great lesson to students.
Bunting, E. (1994). A Day's Work. New York: Clarion Books.
Hansen, J. (1997). Dear America: I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl. New York: Scholastic Inc.
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