Historical Fiction - BHH

Ruth and the Green Book 

by Calvin Alexander Ramsey with Gwen Strauss

Illustrations by Floyd Cooper

In the Book 

Ruth is telling the story about a time her and her parents took a trip to visit her grandmother in Alabama. As they travel from Chicago to the south, they are met with people who don't let them use the bathroom at the gas station or stay at a hotel because of the color of their skin. Ruth quite didn't understand why they were turned away. When stopping at a family's friend’s house in Tennessee he told them it'd get worse as they traveled south and even dangerous. The friend told them what gas stations would be safe and that is where they were given the Negro Motorist Green Book. It was a book to help black people who were traveling. It listed places where they would be welcomed such as restaurants and shops. They continue on their trip to Ruth's grandmothers house stopping at an inn and a mechanic shop to fix the car before arriving to their destination. The illustrator uses full color realistic illustrations that fill each page leaving no white space throughout the book. He uses subtle colors and illustrations are not crisp but have a grainy look to them. 

The author wants me to know about the struggles of people of color and how the Green Book was able to help African American travelers. 

In your Head

I was surprised that I had never heard about The Green Book. The author thinks that I have some background knowledge about the injustices and discrimination that used to exist in our country in the 40's to 60's. I notice that despite their struggles, there is still innocence in Ruth. 

In your Heart

          

I learned that I enjoy reading about history through children's literature. It helps me be better because I am able to better understand the characters feelings and what they went through. 

The War that Saved My Life 

by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

In the Book 

Ada is a ten year old girl who has never left her one room apartment. Her mother has not allowed  Ada to go to school or go outside because she is ashamed of her club foot. Ada's little brother Jaime is going to be sent away from London to escape the war and Ada decides to runaway and go with him to escape her mother's abusive behaviors. A woman named Susan is forced to take in both Ada and Jaime and this is where Ada's new life begins. Ada teachers herself to ride a pony, learns to read and begins to watch for German Spies. She begins to trust Susan and Susan begins to love Ada and Jaime but things change when months later Ada and Jaime's mother comes to take them back home. 

The author wants me to know that something good can happen even if bad things are happening around you. 

In your Head

It surprised me how much I enjoyed reading this book and how real it all felt as I read it. I felt so bad for Ada and I could not believe the way her mother treated her own daughter. The author thinks I already know about WWII, but it did challenge me because I've never been good at remembering facts about history and this book allowed me to refresh my memory all while engaging in a great story. I noticed how well this book was written and how detailed the writing was.

In your Heart

Something that I learned about myself is that I have a great imagination when I read books I truly enjoy. It's very easy for me to create images in my head as I read and when the author provides so much detail when describing, it's even better. I'm not sure if this helps me be better but it makes my reading experiences all that more enjoyable.