Book Review of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
The Children’s Book Review
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Written by Mildred D. Taylor
Ages 10+ | 304 Pages
Publisher: Dial Books | ISBN-13: 9780140384512
What to Expect: Historical Fiction, Racism and Prejudice, and Family Struggles
Author Mildred D. Taylor won the Coretta Scott King Award and a Newbery Medal for Roll of Thunder, Hear Me Cry—plus too many more awards to list here. It’s that good!
It’s the 1930s in southern Mississippi. It was a time of depression (money is hard to come by for most) and segregation (when black people were treated poorly because of the color of their skin). The African American Logan family struggles in all areas of life, including socially and culturally. Readers learn through the eyes of nine-year-old Cassie Logan what it was like to grow up during this often brutally dangerous time.
Until now, Cassie had been well protected by her family from racism, and she had no idea just how important it was that her family had their own piece of land. She learns about racism quickly the year the Night Riders come to town, as many dangerous, scary, and ill-natured things happen. Ultimately, Cassie learns that she and her family have something nobody can take away from them. Thanks to her ability to speak her mind, readers experience the heavy truth of the often brutal and intense way African Americans have been treated.
“There are things you can’t back down on, things you gotta take a stand on. But it’s up to you to decide what them things are. You have to demand respect in this world, ain’t nobody just gonna hand it to you. How you carry yourself, what you stand for–that’s how you gain respect. But, little one, ain’t nobody’s respect worth more than your own.”
What will you decide? Will you read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry? Please do! If you’re looking for something to read that will touch your heart and stimulate your mind, this award-winning novel is a must-read.
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About the Author
Mildred D. Taylor is the author of nine novels including The Road to Memphis, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, The Land, and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Her books have won numerous awards, among them a Newbery Medal (for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry), four Coretta Scott King Awards, and a Boston Globe—Horn Book Award. Her book The Land was awarded the L.A. Times Book Prize and the PEN Award for Children’s Literature. In 2003, Ms. Taylor was named the First Laureate of the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature.
Mildred Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and grew up in Toledo, Ohio. After graduating from the University of Toledo, she served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia for two years and then spent the next year traveling throughout the United States, working and recruiting for the Peace Corps. At the University of Colorado’s School of Journalism, she helped created a Black Studies program and taught in the program for two years.
Ms. Taylor has worked as a proofreader-editor and as program coordinator for an international house and a community free school. She now devotes her time to her family, writing, and what she terms “the family ranch” in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
What to Read Next If You Love Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Song of the Trees, by Mildred D. Taylor
Let the Circle Be Unbroken, by Mildred D. Taylor
The Road to Memphis, by Mildred D. Taylor
The Land, by Mildred D. Taylor
Bianca Schulze reviewed Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Discover more books like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by reading our reviews and articles tagged with Historical Fiction.