Parents' Guide to

Crow

By Sally Engelfried, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Irresistible boy narrator faces turn-of-20th-century racism.

Book Barbara Wright Historical Fiction 2012
Crow Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 2 parent reviews

gfdgfd
gfdgfd Adult
December 12, 2019
age 2+

Ugh

Nope

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
MarianL
MarianL Adult
May 3, 2017
age 12+

Issue not addressed

I just read a posted question on a school librarian's FB page that alerted me to these issues that are not addressed here on CommonSense. I was surprised by that. Granted you should never do a read-aloud in class with a book you haven't read, but a heads up is appreciated to prepare teachers. It may be an amazing and important book, but : Always read multiple reviews. Here's one: https://blogs.lib.unc.edu/ncnovels/index.php/2012/03/22/barbara-wright-…
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In 1898 in Wilmington, N.C., 11-year-old Moses is looking forward to summer. Though his grandmother was born a slave and his mother works as a housekeeper for a rich white family, Moses takes for granted that his journalist father is right: A good education will allow a man to be anything he wants to be, no matter what the color of his skin. But as the summer heats up, so does the political climate. A long-anticipated train trip with his father turns into a run for their lives as they barely escape a rally by white supremacists. A local election tirggers a violent race riot, and Moses must reconcile the world his father has told him exists with the world he sees around him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (2):

In CROW, Wright skillfully portrays a difficult and mostly unknown period of history and puts it in the hands of a very appealing narrator. Moses' innocence and intelligence let him analyze the changes around him in a straightforward, unflinching manner that will be easy for young readers to relate to. Although Moses never accepts unfairness, under the influence of both the folk wisdom of his grandma and the formal education of his father, he comes to an understanding of the world around without abandoning hope.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the novel's title, Crow, which comes from the Jim Crow laws that segregated blacks from whites in the South, though these laws are not referred to in the book. What kinds of racial injustice occur in the story even before the White Declaration of Independence formally takes away the black population's rights?

  • Why is Moses' father so upset with him for helping the editor of the newspaper escape town? Why did Moses think his father would be proud of him?

  • Why do you think this novel was published in time for Black History month?

Book Details

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