This Is the Rope: A Story From the Great Migration
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The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Newbery Honor–winning author Jacqueline Woodson's This Is the Rope: A Story From the Great Migration, illustrated by Coretta Scott King Award–winning illustrator James Ransome, is a lyrical treatment of the the Great Migration, when millions of African Americans in the 20th century moved out of the South and headed North to find work and fairer treatment. A fictionalized version of the author's family history, it's told from the perspective of a little girl. The rope she finds becomes a valued object and an integral part of three generations of her family.
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What's the story?
THIS IS A ROPE traces the significant role a rope plays in three generations of an African American family. It's used not only as a jump rope but also to secure possessions to the roof of a car that heads north, to dry flowers and diapers in a city apartment, and to help make new friends. The story is told from the point of view of a young girl, who relates the rope's history in her family and how it helped them realize their goal of having a better life.
Is it any good?
Together, author Jacqueline Woodson and illustrator James Ransome have tackled a huge topic and made it accessible for young readers. Woodson uses spare, poetic text to show through a single family how hopes and dreams of a better life drove an estimated 6 million African Americans in the 20th century to leave the rural South for new beginnings in northern cities. And Ransome's oil paintings are realistic yet filled with emotion.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about family objects handed down through generations. Are there any items you use that were your grandmother's?
How much do you know about African American history? Check out our recommendation list of Award-Wining African American Books.
In a circle with friends or family take an object, like a piece of rope or a stick, and demonstrate all the different ways you could use it.
Book details
- Author: Jacqueline Woodson
- Illustrator: James Ransome
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Great Girl Role Models, History, Misfits and Underdogs
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
- Publication date: August 29, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 5 - 8
- Number of pages: 29
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: January 27, 2021
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