White Socks Only (AV2 Fiction Readalong)

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 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 show more 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 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 show more 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 them.

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 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 show more 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

Summary: A little gill asks her Grandmother if she can go to town by herself. The grandma tells her granddaughter that she is old enough to go to town when she can do some good while being there and then tells her granddaughter about the first time she went to town on her own.
As a child Grandma out on her best dress, took two eggs from her kitchen and when to town to see if you could really fry an egg on the sidewalk when it got really hot. While she was in town, she got thirsty. She saw a water fountain that according to her had a sign that said "white socks only" so she took off her shoes and stepped up in her white socks to drink from the fountain. However a white person saw this and got really angry. Other people started taking off show more their shoes and using the water fountain. Even when she was beaten the little girl did not cry or complain. Finally she was rescued by one of her neighbours and when he delivered her to her mother her mom told her that she was old enough to go to town by herself because she had proven she could do some good while she was there.

Review:
I gave this book 5 stars because I really like some of the features in it. One of the things i really loved about it was that the writing is not in standard english. It has a flare of African Vernacular English to it. That is important because there are not many books where children who do not speak standard english when they arrive at school, can see their own home language reflected in.
Something else I really enjoyed about it was the mixture of events that took place. The book starts out with something very childish, a little girls mischievous quest to see if she could really fry an egg on a sidewalk. Then things get really serious after she drinks from the fountain. The author handles this masterfully. exposing the seriousness of the situation and transmitting to the reader the feel and meaning of what is happening with out out the utilization of graphic pictures or vulgar language and she does this is a way that can really help children understand a very cruel part of United States history from a child's perspective. show less

I liked this book a lot. I like how the author used a voice that the reader could tell was an older southern woman telling the story, "I sneaked into town once. Yep, all by myself.." language like this put the reader into the time period which the story was taking place. I also like how the authored showed the innocence of the girl happy and walking into town to just simply do something fun on a hot day. Also, the author showed her innocence because she thought that the sign "Whites Only" meant only her white socks. It was a powerful message portrayed when the author included how each of the black people came to the little girls assistance when she was down. The main message of this story was subtle and came at the end, she went against show more the rules of that town and made a difference by doing so. show less

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a very dramatic and emotional story that paints a vivid picture of how life was like for African-Americans during the time of Jim Crow Laws. I like how the story addresses how a little girl would perceive segregation of the time and how confusing it must have been to a lot of children. I especially like how the community takes a stand in a non-violent manner. The big message of this story is to shed light on the time of segregation and to show that people can change the world for the better without resorting to violence.