Woodson, Jacqueline. 2002. Hush. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399231145

PLOT SUMMARY

Toswiah loves her life. She has a best friend, she lives near her grandmother, and she knows exactly who she is and where she is going. Her policeman father loved his job, and, as the only black man on the Denver police force, was respected and well-liked. When Toswiah’s father sees a young black boy shot and killed by two white policemen, his sense of justice forces him to testify against the policemen that Toswiah has known her entire life. Mr. Green’s decision to testify puts his entire family in danger and they receive death threats and are ostracized by their friends. The family enters the witness protection program, and Toswiah’s life is turned upside down. The family is moved to a new location where the kids are not friendly, her father sits and stares out the window all day, and her mother spends her time with her new-found religion. Toswiah Green is now Evie Thomas, and she struggles to discover who she is, and what her new future will hold in this captivating coming-of-age story.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

From the first page, Woodson draws readers into a mesmerizing tale of intrigue, loss, and rediscovery. Her attention to detail allows readers to picture each character as if through a window. Ma is “brown—all-over brown—hair, eyes, skin”, Toswiah and Cameron are their father’s “copper pennies”. It is these details, intricately woven into the story that give readers an insight into the lives of an African American family who is faced with one of the most difficult choices that a family can make. Throughout the story, Woodson uses words to illustrate mannerisms that bring the characters and the story to life. Woodson cleverly switches the setting of the story from the character’s past as Toswiah Green to her present as Evie Thomas, highlighting Evie’s struggle to discover her identity in a world that is not always friendly or safe. The underlying hope that is woven through the story emphasizes the strength of African American people in today’s world, where racism and prejudice still exist.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publisher’s Weekly. When Toswiah Green’s father, witness to a murder, does the right thing by testifying against two fellow police officers, he puts his entire family in danger. Now the Greens have fled for their lives, leaving behind all that is comfortable and familiar for the alien existences laid out by the witness protection program.

School Library Journal. The younger daughter in a successful African-American family, the 12-year-old’s life is ripped apart when her policeman father testifies against his comrades in a racially motivated shooting, placing his family in jeopardy. Now they are living in a strange city in the Witness Protection Program. They have new names, new identities, no friends, and no history. Evie’s mother has taken refuge in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, her father sits in front of the window day after day, and her older sister is looking for a way to escape this less-than-ideal reality. Evie must come to terms with her new life and create a present and future for herself even though she no longer has a past.

CONNECTIONS

Hush is an ideal book to read with students and discuss race issues, right and wrong, and consequences of decisions. It can also be used to discuss family histories and the impact of losing everything that is known.

Look for these other coming-of-age books about African American teens:

Johnson, Angela. The first part last .ISBN 9780689849237

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. ISBN 0439202183

Draper, Sharon M. Tears of a tiger. ISBN 9780689806988

Garcia, Rita Williams. Like sisters on the homefront. ISBN 9780140385618

Flake, Sharon. Bang!  ISBN 9780786849550

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Perdomo, Willie. 2002. Visiting Langston. Ill. by Bryan Collier. New York: Henry Holt & Company, LLC. ISBN 0805067442

PLOT SUMMARY

A little girl puts on her favorite pink blouse and prepares for a visit to an icon—or at least a tribute to an icon. When the main character of this book announces her plans for the day, the excitement bursts through. To her, this is a field trip like no other. The character’s father is taking her to visit the home of author and poet, Langston Hughes. She is excited about the visit because she wants to be a poet, just like Hughes. The book is written from the point of view of the girl, and is written in verse form. The verse not only describes Hughes’ life and triumphs, but also gives insight into his creativity and a view of his home that includes old-fashioned typewriters and photographs of Langston Hughes himself. From a self-confessed “Harlem girl” who is, according to her father “like Langston’s genius child” comes a celebration of a creative genius whose works describe the life of an African American during a difficult time in American history. The illustrations combine watercolors and collage and complement the text in a way that draws readers’ eyes to the bits and pieces that combine to make up Hughes’ life. From the bright, striped pink blouse worn by the character for her trip to the typewriters with small samples of Hughes’ work showing, Collier creates interesting and detailed illustrations make the book a great one, not only for budding writers like the main character, but also for children who love interesting pictures, or dream of someday becoming an artist themselves.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Written in verse form, the African American child who cannot wait to visit the home of her idol describes both her own life in Harlem and the life of Langston Hughes. The author’s note in the front of the book gives a brief biography of Hughes’ life and lets readers know that he only wrote when he was sad. Perdomo believes that what made Hughes sad “was how people, especially people of color, were treated”. The illustrations not only give tribute to the life of Langston Hughes, but also celebrate the African American culture. The two-page spread illustrating Hughes’ poetry that was “like jazz” depicts Hughes working at a typewriter with an inset of a jazz band that is done with muted colors in such a way that readers can almost hear the beat of the bass and hear the rhythm of the piano. The main character stands by the same window that Hughes sat by to write, and imagines the Africa that Hughes could describe. Like the author who makes her “dreams run wild”, the character celebrates the life and times of an American legend who inspires her not only to let her dreams run wild, but to make them come true.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

School Library Journal. A rhythmic poem in praise of Langston Hughes and the writer’s craft. The poem is presented by a young girl who is off to visit Hughes’s Harlem home with her father. Readers quickly learn that, like Hughes, the girl is a writer and resident of Harlem. Powerful in its simplicity, the text explores the child’s special connection to the famous man.

Kirkus Reviews. A little girl is going with her daddy to visit the home of Langston Hughes. She too is a poet who writes about the loves of her life-her mommy and daddy, hip-hop, hopscotch, and double-dutch, but decidedly not kissing games. The author’s own admiration for Hughes’s artistry and accomplishments is clearly felt in the voice of this glorious child. Langston’s spirit is a gentle presence throughout the description of his East 127th Street home and his method of composing his poetry sitting by the window.

CONNECTIONS

Literature Response for readers: Throughout the book, the little girl compares herself to Langston Hughes. Readers could complete a Venn diagram comparing themselves with Langston Hughes, or another author that they feel a bond with.

Look for these other books about Langston Hughes:

Jones, Veda Boyd. Jazz age poet: a story about Langston Hughes. ISBN 9781575057576

Gibson, Karen. Langston Hughes. ISBN 9781584154310

Medina, Tony. Love to Langston. ISBN 9781584302834

Roessel, David. Poetry for young people: Langston Hughes. ISBN 9781402718458

Cooper, Floyd. Coming home: from the life of Langston Hughes. ISBN 9780698116122

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lester, Julius. 1994. John Henry. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0803716060

PLOT SUMMARY

The legendary life of John Henry is retold, from the day of his birth where all the animals, including a unicorn come to get a glimpse of the new baby and the sun won’t go to bed. When the oooh’s and aaaah’s of the animals and birds were heard by John Henry, he jumped from his mother’s arms and started growing. The next day, he woke the sun up so that he would have light to work by and helped his father add a wing to the house. When he decided to leave home to make his way in the world, his father gave him two twenty-pound sledgehammers with four-foot handles made of whale bone that had belonged to his grandfather. After he left home, he helped a road crew remove a boulder that was blocking the path of the road, and as he used the sledgehammers, he swung them so fast that he made a rainbow that draped itself around John Henry’s shoulders. The rainbow, like his reputation stayed with him as he travelled the country. Henry was making his way to work on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and when he arrived, work had stopped because there was a mountain in the way. Henry pitted himself against a steam engine, and the rest of the story is history. The detailed watercolors by Pinkney bring an added humanity to this legendary tall-tale character and bring even more character to the story. The muted tones in the illustrations emphasize the earthiness of John Henry’s character, and the color added by Henry’s bandana and the rainbow that becomes his companion show a hopefulness and optimism that emphasize the text—“Dying ain’t important. Everybody does that. What matters is how well you do your living”.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Although the characters in Lester’s retelling are portrayed as African American, only a touch of dialect in the text itself portrays them as such. The illustrations add depth and humanity to a character of lore, and the mention of animals visiting his home on the day of his birth add extra life to the story, which will encourage readers to delve more deeply into this American legend. Although the story is well-written, occasionally the personification of characters appears out of place and interrupts the flow of the story. An example of this is when John Henry wakes the sun up, saying: “Get up from there!” so that he can get to work for the day. The element of a Jacuzzi seems a out of place with the illustrations and setting of the story. The muted colors of the illustrations, although fitting with the text of the story, make details difficult to distinguish. The onomatopoeia of the ringing sledgehammer is highlighted by the rhythmic text which calls to mind the music that has been a part of the African American culture since the 1800s. The similes throughout the story (“the wind was out of breath trying to keep up with him”) include more personification that is reminiscent of other traditional literature and tall tales. Although John Henry wins his legendary contest with the steam drill, ending his life, the hope portrayed in the last lines of the story portray the hope and respect that come from a life well-lived.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist. Based on the popular black folk ballad about the contest between John Henry and the steam drill, this picture-book version is a tall tale and a heroic myth, a celebration of the human spirit. Like Lester’s great collections of the Uncle Remus tales, also illustrated by Pinkney, the story is told with rhythm and wit, humor and exaggeration, and with a heart-catching immediacy that connects the human and the natural world.

School Library Journal. Based on several well-known versions of an African American folk ballad, Lester’s tale is true to the essence of the steel-driving man; yet, it allows room for touches of whimsy and even includes some contemporary references that tie the hero to our own times.

CONNECTIONS

John Henry can be used in conjunction with a tall tale unit or other traditional literature unit. As this is only one of several versions of the story, it can be compared with other versions and illustrations can be used to retell the story.

Look for these other books about John Henry and other tall tale characters:

Keats, Ezra Jack. John Henry: an American legend. ISBN 9780394890524

Nelson, Scott Reynolds. Ain’t nothing but a man: my quest to find the real John Henry. ISBN 9781426300004

Krensky, Stephen. John Henry. ISBN 9780822564775

Kellogg, Steven. Mike Fink. ISBN 9780688135775

Osborne, Mary Pope. American tall tales. ISBN 9780679800897