Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Saturday, November 9, 2019

For Black Girls Like Me by Cariama J. Lockington

How I Heard About It:  This title came to me via group of readers that I work with on a variety of different projects.  I had not heard about it, but based on their rave reviews, I knew I had to get a copy and experience the story for myself.  

What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Makeda has a lot of questions about her life, her identity, and her family.

2.  *She is eleven years old, adopted, and the only black person in her family.

3.  *One constant she has is her best friend Lena, who is also a black adopted girl.  This changes when Makeda's family has to move.  

4.  *Moving is hard enough, but when your oldest sister doesn't have time for you, your mother is slowly slipping away, and your father has to travel for work; life for Makeda becomes quite difficult.

5.  *Even though there are miles between them, Makeda tries to maintain her close friendship with Lena, while dealing with some pretty heavy issue at home.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *I enjoyed this story of a black girl finding her place among a white family.

2.  *The racial microagressions and direct racism were written with care and sensitivity.  

3.  *The problems the Makeda's parents were struggling with were written with an authentic voice and heart.  I believe parts of the story are actually based on the author's own experiences.  

4.  *The author included a variety of "formats" throughout the pages, and these were enjoyable changes from a typical middle-grade novel.  

5.  *I know young readers that read the book will have lots of wonderful opportunities for discussion, questions, and thoughts. 


Who Should Read It:
I would say this novel would be best in the hands of a fourth, fifth, and/or sixth grade reader.  Middle-school children would also be perfect to read Makeda's story.  There are some serious topics/themes so I wouldn't want the reader to be too young.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars


No comments:

Post a Comment