A Song for Harlem (Scraps of Time)

Obtained for .25 at the Bethlehem, PA Library sale even last weekend, this is a delightful, book that focuses on New York's Harlem district during the extraordinary time when Harlem was at it's peak of embracing opportunities in the arts, and freedom of opportunity and jobs for black writers, poets and musicians.

The time period is the 1920's in New York City Harlem when many African American's left the racist, bigoted, segregated south in the hope of freedom to express themselves and live in harmony in the north. This was a time of the beginning of NAACP, when it was reported that in 1923, 200,000 blacks left the south and many of them moved to Harlem.

The writers and editors at the time brought an excitement to the power of words by show more creating a unique literature that addressed issues long swept under the carpet. This was the time of W.e. Du Bois, Langston Hughes, and Jean Toomer.

As the book notes, in 1925, a black filmmaker by the name of Oscar Micheaux produced Body and Soul with Paul Robeson as the lead actor. This is the time of Louis Armstrong, of Duke Ellington and the Cotton Club.

This is the time of the very talented writer Zora Neale Hurston, author of Their Eyes Were Watching God paved the way by graduating from college and receiving a scholarship to do so. Charting unknown territory, she also attended graduate school at Columbia University.

While today these accomplishments may seem "normal", in the America of 1920's blacks were indeed especially treated incredibly poorly.

This book tells a story of a unique woman by the name of A'Lelia Walker whose mother was the founder of a hair and skin care company that grossed millions. This fortune was inherited by A'Lelia who encouraged writers and artists, especially reaching out by holding summer programs to young black students showing promise in writing abilities.

Patricia C. McKissack weaves a story of a character whom she calls Lilly Belle who spent the summer of 1928 under the tutlelage of Zora Neale Hurston whom A'Lelia Walker hired to develop the talent of a small group of youngsters who were carefully selected.

We see Harlem through the eyes of homesick Lilly Belle who soon became enhtralled with all New York City and Harlem had to offer.

While small in size, this was a fun book packed full of many beautiful, wonderful depictions of an exciting time of American History. show less

A Song for Harlem is about a little girl with a dream to be a writer. She wins a contest and moves to Harlem right before the Great Depression. Lilly Belle, from Tennessee, stays with her aunt in Harlem so she can attend a summer workshop for young writers. At first, Harlem seems scary and horrible and Lilly Belle is very homesick. She conquers her own fears, and the bully girl in her class, and stays the summer. Along the way, she meets a new friend, Melvon, and enjoys her time writing. The antagonist, Alice, ends up becoming one of Lilly Belle's close friends. The description of the sights and sounds of New York makes this a book to read.
I enjoyed reading this book. As a history fan, I became enveloped in the descriptions of Harlem. show more From Lilly Belle watching her first motion picture, to her eating out in a real restaurant, the book engaged me. It was very descriptive and an easy read.
This book would be amazing to use during Black History Month. It also could be used to discuss the early 1900's. I'd certainly use this book in a classroom with intermediate children. show less

While the School Library Journal lists this historical fiction novel as an elementary aged book, I think it could be included in the middle school LMC as the subject of the book is a middle school aged girl. Additionally, the reading level would be fine for special education, ELL and low reading level students. McKissack presents a fascinating story that uses real events and famous figures as a backdrop. In this book, Gee tells her grandchildren about an older aunt. The book is set in the nineteen twenties and shows Lily who is an aspiring author from Tennesee. She was 12 when she stayed in Harlem with her Aunt Odessa so that she could attend a writing worshop. Lilly is made fun of for her backwards country ways by a wealthy city girl show more and when Lilly discovers the stuck-up classmate committed plagarism, she confrons her and learns of her troubled home life. The book ends with Gee telling the children what eventually became of the two girls. The author includes characters that are believable as well as providing period details that portray this time and place vividly. The novel has the themes of finding your voice and telling the truth which are universal themes all middle school children can relate to. There are historical notes on Harlem in the appendix as well as illustrations. Overall, this book would make a good multicultural historical fiction addition to the LMC. show less

RGG: A young Southern girl visits her aunt in Harlem and participates in a writing program run by Zora Neale Hurston. A light read with references to the time period. Reading Level - 10-12.