Evelyn Coleman

In my opinion, although I find this to be an interesting book for children to read about African-American culture and segregation, I find it to be slightly flawed. For instance, the book ends with a sort of happy ending - saying that the "whites only" sign was removed from the water fountain after the "chicken man" said spooked the white man causing a ruckus. I find this to be a flaw because it is not an accurate depiction of how pre-segregation situations would've ended. In reality, this show more time period, in this area of America, caucasians would not have been sympathetic to a young black girl and for this reason I don't care for the book because I find it to be misleading. Other than this small part, however, I find the book to be very engaging and interesting. The writing was very engaging and I found even myself to be intently reading along even though this is a story meant for children. For example, the inclusion of the superstitious character the "chicken man" grabbed my attention, as I'm sure it would with young readers. I feel that the big idea in this story was to relay the tough issues African-Americans faces in the times of segregation, but also to mention how it isn't always wise for a young girl to wander off to a city by herself. show less

While reading White Socks Only, there were a lot of ideas and concepts that were going through my mind, and because of that, I really enjoyed reading this book. As a future teacher, we are teaching the youth, however we are always learning as well. As I read this book, I learned a lot and that is why I loved reading this book. For example, the main character, a young African American girl, walked into town to use a water fountain that had a sign on it that said “whites only,” and she show more thought she could use this water fountain because she had white socks on. Although it is portrayed as a young girl misunderstanding the meaning of the sign, it also shows racial and ethical issues in the world and how they are unfortunately still present today. Children can not just be expected to understand all of the issues that are going on in today’s society without being taught. Another reason I liked this book is because of all the symbolism that is portrayed throughout the book. For example, the little girl, the main character, is from way outside the city in a more rural part. The reason this is relevant is because it shows that because she is not from the city and does not spend time in the city, she is unaware of the issues that happen in the city. The book has a lot of great messages behind it that can be used for teachers who need to teach racial and ethical issues in their classrooms and I definitely recommend it for teachers to use in their classroom. show less

I enjoyed reading this book because it showed the value of community. The author wrote the book in a way to engage readers what would happen next throughout the story. The story can also spark curiosity among readers. Grandma sat down and told a story to her granddaughter about the time she decided to go into town during the era of segregation. I feel as though this can be a coming of age story which is nice for younger readers and it can truly open their eyes to the real world world around show more them. show less

I really enjoyed reading this book for several reasons. First and foremost, the language in the book was phenomenal. The author wrote the book using the slang that is common in African American culture, allowing the reader to connect with the story on a different level. This language made the text more cultured. An example would be when the grandmother said, “kept right on yelling.” Though it is not proper English, it enhanced the writing. The language was also very descriptive. The show more author did not just use descriptive adjectives, but metaphors, which gave the reader a better understanding of exactly what was occurring. My favorite example of this in the text was when the grandmother said, “I watched that egg like the old men watched checkers before making a move.” This allows the reader to visualize what is happening without even needing to look at the illustrations. I also enjoyed the fact that the book pushed readers to consider issues that may be unfamiliar or hard to face. Racism and segregation can be hard for students to relate to in this day in age, especially if they are Caucasian. This book addressed it, but in a light hearted way. The little girl innocently though that “White’s only” meant she needed to wear white socks. The white man did not appreciate this, which is where the racism came into play. The story also spread a good message to children when all of the African American people stood together. It teaches children to stand up for what is right. I was thoroughly impressed with this story! show less