Goin' Someplace Special
In a story based on Patricia McKissack's own childhood growing up in Nashville in the 1950s, a young African American girl repeatedly faces racial discrimination as she crosses her city by bus and by foot to reach the destination she calls "Someplace Special." 'Tricia Ann has certainly seen the Whites Only and Colored Section Jim Crow signs many times before, but she's always had Mama Frances with her. Making her first solo journey through the city, with her grandmother's permission, 'Tricia Ann is at times frightened and unsure. Luckily for this spirited young girl, she not only has a grandmother who has nurtured her with love and self-respect but also a community that cares. Other adults she meets remind 'Tricia Ann to "Carry yo'self proud," and to remember what her grandmother has taught her. When 'Tricia Ann completes her journey, readers learn that "Someplace Special" is the public library. In an author's note, McKissack explains that the downtown Nashville library was one of the few places in her childhood city that was integrated and had no Jim Crow signs. It was a place she felt welcome, and where she came to understand why "reading is the doorway to freedom." Jerry Pinkney's pencil and watercolor illustrations provide a richly detailed visual backdrop for McKissack's story. ©2001 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-9
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
20th Century
African Americans
Historical Fiction
Libraries and Librarians
Racism
Segregation
U.S. History
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publishers:
Atheneum, Anne Schwartz Book
Publish Year: 2001
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0689818858
CCBC Location: Picture Book, McKissack