Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X

Hoje é o centenário do grande Malcolm X e aproveitei para ler esse livrinho sobre sua infância escrito por uma das suas filhas.
Como a própria Ilyasah Shabazz deixa claro nas notas da autora, esse livro soa mais como uma homenagem aos pais do Malcolm X do que a ele próprio, sua mãe era culta e inteligentíssima, seu pai um orador nato, dessa união Malcolm herdou tudo que de melhor puderam oferecer antes que a tragédia abatesse sobre a família, seu pai fosse assassinado por racistas e sua mãe internada por exaustão mental, mas aí já era tarde eles já tinham moldado um pequeno revolucionário.

Shabazz’s portrait of her father’s boyhood and his nurturing family is filled with bright and inspiring images and messages about hope, dedication, love, acceptance, perseverance and “discipline, fortitude, and self-determination.” Here is her description of her paternal grandfather:

"Malcolm’s father was Earl Little, but there was nothing little about him. Papa Earl was a strong, broad, and towering man. His smooth dark skin was as beautiful as the midnight sky. His voice resounded like gentle thunder whenever he spoke. His protection and guidance stretched up and around his family like the great live oak trees in his home state of Georgia."

Shabazz, the daughter and granddaughter of preachers, writes a vivid, powerful, and show more righteous sermon. Her diction and elocution are excellent. The result is inspiring. Ford’s glowing illustrations well complement her spirited prose. show less

An important and beautiful book that belongs in every educator's repertoire. I sure do appreciate that the author is a member of the family and had access to Malcolm's siblings... this provides a fresh perspective and reminds us of all the reasons to admire the man. Includes author's note.

edit: I did a little research and found an essay that concluded: "All in all, Louise Little spent twenty-six years in the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital. Malcolm and his brothers arranged for her release in 1963, and reported that she made a near complete mental, and physical recovery." She must have been a hell of a woman, because being in a mental institution for 26 yrs in those days could easily have been enough to break her even if she went in show more perfectly sane and healthy (which she apparently did not, as the circumstances seem to point to a sort of a 'gaslighting' by white 'welfare' workers, and so she was stressed and vulnerable but not insane). show less

“Malcom Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcom X” is the biography of Malcolm X, as told by his daughter. Throughout the book, the author tells of the childhood events that made Malcolm a great civil rights leader. I enjoyed reading this book for three main reasons. First, this book pushes reader to think about tough issues, especially issues of equality. Malcolm’s house was burned to the ground “by townspeople who disagreed with their family’s beliefs about universal equality and justice” and his father was killed by “the brute force of racism and the narrowmindedness of Ku Klux Klan members.” Additionally, Malcolm was the only student of color in his school, and his dreams were not supported by his teachers. When show more his English teacher asked Malcolm what he would like to be when he got older, he responded “that he wanted to be a lawyer;” however, “his teacher did not believe that African Americans should have high expectations for themselves or aspires to excel.” Students can look at the struggles Malcolm faced and learn valuable life lessons about treating everyone fairly and equally. Additionally, the organization of the writing is very clear and flows nicely from life event to life event. Since this book is a biography, it is organized in chronological order which makes it easy for the reader to follow the progression of Malcolm’s life. Another aspect of “Malcolm Little” that I enjoyed was the third person point-of-view. A common characteristic of a biography, the use of his, such as “standing there on his own two feet” and he, such as “he had good ideas and good friends,” gives the reader a glimpse into Malcolm’s life as a child. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and think it would be a great resource for children in the middle to late elementary school grades. The common theme that shines through for all of these events is love, compassion and equality which are important for young students to learn and use in their personal growth. show less

I think this is an excellent children’s book. I like how the book takes a look into a more unknown side of Malcolm X by exploring his childhood. I like how the author writes in a way that the children can relate to Malcolm X. “The little children were very happy, and romped endlessly around the Little home and land in Omaha, Nebraska. Malcolm was the middle child and, well…Malcolm was different,. He was full of questions, a natural leader, and a fun- loving prankster—and along with his brothers and sisters, he was always up to something.” This text allows the reader to compare and contrast them self with Malcolm X. I also like this illustrations in the text. They were extremely realistic and detail. It really showed the reader show more how much of an everyday child Malcolm was, and the pictures in the detail allow the readers to understand his life. One illustration showed the sadness on Malcolms face and the rain pouring down on him and his family while he watched the burial of his father after he was killed by the Ku Klux Klan. show less

This is a great book that tells the story of Malcom Little becoming Malcom X. During Malcom's earlier years he witnessed racial injustice. At the age of four he witnessed their house being burnt down in Nebraska Omaha. He also witnessed the death of his father to the hands of the Klu Klax Klan. These were brutal events that occurred in Malcom's life which changed him. Malcom's father death lead to his family being separated as his brothers and sisters were sent to different families. Despite these events occurring Malcom did not allow them to deter his life and during his seventh grade year he became the class president. I would recommend this book because it tells the story of Malcom X's earlier childhood and how it shaped him into show more becoming a Civil Rights Activist. This book teaches many lessons and shows that having faith is all you need during a transition. show less

Daughter recounts the childhood of Malcolm X. Inspiring, well-meaning and lushly illustrated but an overdone narrative.