White Socks Only (AV2 Fiction Readalong)

I really loved this book, it left a powerful impression! The author used first person throughout the book to tell of a dark time in American History marked by prejudice and injustice. The setting of the story was a "Whites Only" water fountain, where one brave African American girl drank water even though it was against the law in the south to do so. The diction in this story adds a lot to the story, because it really makes the reader feel like they are in the south during the 1950's and 1960's in the United States, and it helps readers imagine how people acted, talked, and lived. The illustrations were very fitting for the story as well, the expressions of people faces were extremely vivid and displayed a full spectrum of emotion in show more the book, adding to the message and plot of the story. I believe the message of this story was that sometimes you have to question things and be brave in doing so even if it's scary. This book touches on a heavy period in history, however it is very kid-orientated in how the story unfolds, and I think it is appropriate for kids in 2nd grade and up. show less

A young black girl's innocence causes her to get into trouble when she thinks that a "white's only" sign at a water fountain means "white socks only" and proceeds to drink. I think this book sends a strong message that racism is taught, not a trait you are inherently born with.

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

In my opinion this is an interesting book. I liked how the story was told by the grandmother and how it shed light on segregation this sorry made me think about history and how everything was so different back in then. I really think this book pushes you to think of the bigger picture when it comes to freedom, because it made me reflect on things like racism and segregation and how those things affected a lot of people. The illustrations were also amazing, I really loved how this book was different and the characters where painted and old looking, it gave the book a more realistic feel to it. And it made it unique because most of the books I have read are cartoon like pictures but this book was different. The message this book is trying show more to give to show children what life was like during segregation and how different life is like now. show less

The theme was very inspiring and this story would be a great discussion piece about history, equality, respect, and responsibility for ones actions. I think it is so important to incorporate a cultural variety of text in a classroom in order to reach all readers interests. This text does a great job of informing readers about past cultural differences as well as shedding light on kindness, and hope.
I really enjoyed this text for two reason, the writing and the illustrations. The writing in this book was engaging, and the conversations were clear and easy to decipher. The flow of the words allowed for easy transition from page to page. Since this story is being retold to a young girl, the word choice throughout the story is perfect for show more elementary students. As she was approaching the water fountain, “saw a ‘white’s only’ sign, she took off her shoes so she was just in her white socks.” This allows for readers to easily picture this occurring even without the illustrations. The illustrations in this book definitely enhances the story. Many children may not have background knowledge about Mississippi. This story paints the beautiful oak trees, long country dirt roads, and the dry, small town in Cole County in a way where readers could just look at the pictures and have a good idea of what is happening in the story. The colors used within the illustrations are soft, yet vivid which I believe is appropriate for the mood of the story. For example, this theme could be considered controversial, but Evelyn Coleman uses calming colors and soft stokes to keep the tone more comfortable throughout the text. 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

This historical fiction children's book is the perfect way to introduce racism and the struggle this country went through in the past. Evelyn Coleman writes a story of a grandmother telling her granddaughter about the time she first snuck into town. It has scary characters, like the Chicken Man, and deals with a young African American girl drinking out of a "Whites Only" water fountain. It shows the innocence of a child's understanding of what "Whites Only" meant and uses incredible metaphors to convey what equality should look like. Evelyn Coleman creates a strong character who stands up for what is right in the body of a small and terrified little girl who had no idea of the impact she had on her town when she stepped up to that show more "Whites Only" water fountain. If I had to introduce this topic to 2-4 graders, White Socks Only would be the perfect start. show less