Book Review: Liberty Street

Ransom, Candice. Liberty Street. 1st ed. Walker Company, 2003.

Ransom bases her book on slave accounts and records of the original Liberty Street in Fredericksburg, where slaves used to walk and visit friends on Sunday afternoons.

"Liberty Street" by Candice Ransom is a picture book set in Fredericksburg during the Civil War. Liberty Street tells the story of two slaves, a mother and daughter, and the love and struggles they share in tragic times. Kezia and her mother must work all week except Sunday afternoons, when Missus Grace’s slaves are free to travel through town and visit friends. Glorious Sundays, when slaves through Fredericksburg walk along the dirt path they call Liberty Street, making small journeys that give them the only taste of freedom they can ever have. Soon after the mother enrolls her daughter, Kezia, in a secret school to learn to read and tries to earn extra money to buy her daughter’s freedom before she is bonded out to another family far away. Even though it is forbidden to slaves to go to school to learn to read and write Kezia's mother works frantically to earn extra money to buy Kezia’s freedom from Missus Grace before she is bonded out to another family far away.

I believe that Liberty Bell is a moving story of courage and love, and a testament to those in the antebellum South who risked all in the name of knowledge and freedom. This picture book shows struggle but gives a positive voice especially in relevence to fighting for your rights!


* Candice Ransom’s talent for researching and writing historical fiction triumphs in her latest work (Liberty Bell), based upon slave accounts and records of the original Liberty Street in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Confusions I Sometimes Have

One large part of TE 448 is our ability to question the text. Although this can be helpful most of the time, I sometimes wonder whether or not certain issues in texts are really problems or whether or not we are just digging extra deep to find problems. What is a stereotype? If a book has an Asian-American in it who happens to get into a car accident is the author stereotyping all Asian-Americans to be bad drivers. I brought this question up in class and although people laughed I was not trying to be comical. I really am unsure of the difference. I have my own ideas but sometimes I am afraid that I am either being insensitive or ignorant. I think that it is however important to be careful when reviewing possible text that will one day have a place in my own classroom. Right now I am going to be critical but not too critical. I want a piece of literature that is going to be factual and a part of a history. Stereotypes in all different cultures were derived from somewhere, I think the difference is using 'all' or 'whole' to describe something rather than it being part of an individual.

Boy Meets Boy

Boy meets Boy by David Levithan was definitely the most controversial book we have read in class (in my opinion). Homosexuality is an issue that is many times looked upon with distaste especially among heterosexual individuals. I assumed before reading this novel that 'gayness' as an issue of the book was going to be met with many negative consequences. To my surprise Levithan created a story where the gay characters in the novel struggled but not with 'being gay' as the ultimate dilemma. Instead the characters went about their lives as any other high school student who faces crushes, fights between friends, and other issues. Although this novel celebrated homosexuality many could wonder whether or not Levithan overly romanticized the topic. Perhaps the setting and the characters were too much part of a fantasy world to make the actual plot seem serious.

I personally believe that not every story has to have issues involving race, or gender, or sexual preference. I believe that readers expect drama and consequence involving such topics however perhaps Levithan did not want to create characters with dilemma's about being gay but instead wanted to show similarities between 'straight' and 'gay' individuals. Why define people by what they are not? Instead, it may be more benificial to define people by what and who they are!

Project Mulberry

Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park was a piece of children's literature that was meant to focus on Asian Pacific Americans, however I found that racism throughout the book did not catch my attention as much as it did with the character Mr. Dixon. The integration of race through black characters seemed to take away from Park's story. Had Park given more information regarding WHY Julia's mother made a statement about disliking black people this theme would have been an important issue to discuss, however there was not much of a discussion at all. Instead Park decided to let the reader judge for themselves what they thought about racism in this novel. Racism is such a devastating issue in the world even though much change has occurred since the past. It does however continue to be a sensitive topic. Perhaps too sensitive for Park to relate to? I felt that she avoided the topic and used the character of Julia to do so. I was least impressed with this novel compared to any other we have read throughout class!

Becoming Naomi Leon

“Becoming Naomi Leon,” by Pam Munoz Ryan is a novel that I thought did a great job at recognizing the fact that not all families are "perfect." Living in a non-traditional family, and having to understand that one's biological parents haven't made the best choices are a strong reality for many children. The realistic effects that take place on children whose parents are divorced and/or absent in their lives and for the fact that this is a growing issue for young children of today. I also thought that this novel was a great read especially for children who are having a hard time finding their own identity. It also suggests the importance of family but not necessarily of mother father figures.

Al Capone Does my Shirts

"Al Capone does my Shirts," by Gennifer Choldenko was an interesting novel to discuss. I was however most interested in the character Natalie who is defined throughout the novel as being "different." Although the reader is never given information on Natalie's disability, I assumed that she was autistic. I was not angry with the author for not giving a detailed definition of Natalie's disability however I felt that the characteristics given to her by her peers and others and the island were somewhat troubling. I must admit that the time era of this novel may have most to do with these troubling descriptions however perhaps the author, writing in more current times, could have celebrated Natalie's differences more than acknowledged her to be at times an embarrassment!

Part of the reason why I was so intrigued by this novel was the simple fact that it is part of my major-special education. I felt strongly about the topics surrounding Natalie and her family and perhaps it is encouraging to know that since the 1930s there has been substantial change associated with persons with disabilities. I have even more hope for the future and for people who struggle with disabilities!

Personal Philosophy

Why I am here...
I am here because I want to become a more aware individual about multicultural literature and by achieving this goal I believe that I will become a more successful teacher. I want to share experiences with my students and have them teach me about their own culture and background. I believe that personal connections are important especially with Special Education!
Connecting to Professional Goals....
I want to use my knowledge learned as a student and in turn teach my own students one day to appreciate diverse literature. I also want my students to appreciate GOOD diverse literature; by good I mean accurate representations of what my student will be reading/learning about!
Roles issues of diversity play in literacy teaching and learning.....
Issues of diversity play a role by informing it's reader. Diverse Literature is widespread. Most books can be seen as some type of diverse literature. Problematic issues of diversity in literacy can teach students and teachers to be more respectful of different cultures and to have an open mind when learning to accept and understand students of different backgrounds.
My personal philosophy about multicultural education....
I believe that multicultural literature can be very challenging however I believe that it should not be omitted in any classroom. Children's literature is a wonderful way to first incorporate an understanding and enjoyment of diverse literature. I want to teach diverse literature in order to make my classroom a peaceful and equality driven leaning experience. With my new knowledge gained and my future knowledge to be gained I believe that my philosophy about multicultural literature will continue to grow and I will continue to learn and gain knowledge.
Concerns, challenges, and interests....
First I believe that the most challenging or concerning issue of diverse literature would be the continuing and battling insider/outsider debate. I have to say that I am on the fence. I want to take a stance but have come to realize that this issue will always be an ongoing debate. I am not sure if there is a right or wrong answer however I would never want to disrespect or upset any one of my students due to inaccuracy or stereotypes sometimes found in children's literature. I am most interested in bringing diverse literature into the classroom because I want my students to engage in literature... ask questions, form opinions. I believe that diverse literature will be rewarding when I can bring a classroom of students together for discussion and teach but learn as well!