Author: Kelly Starling Lyons
Illustrated: Daniel Minter
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: Coretta Scott King Award
Grades: Pk-5
Ellen was in church with her parents one day, when the pastor announced that all African-American's marriages were finally legal. Everyone was crying from happiness to hear the news. When Ellen got home, her parents told her the story of the broom. Since they could not get legally married, they would hop over the broom, which indicated to God and themselves that they were indeed married. On their way to the court house to legalize their marriage, Ellen saw some flowers in the garden and decided to decorate the sacred broom with flowers so her mother could hold as she got legally married to her father. On their way home, Ellen asked her parents to jump over the broom again and decided she would jump over the broom when she gets married one day as well.
I would use this book in my classroom to teach students about slavery and tradition. It is sad to read that their marriages were not considered legal so they had to use alternatives to feel like it was legal. I would read this book to children in grades second and above so that they have a better understanding of what it means to have a tradition. It is an appropriate book for PK-5 graders as well, but it might be better to read to those a little older. I would use this book to teach units on tradition, slavery and even freedom.
No comments:
Post a Comment