Great Books: Time to Choose

First, I'd like to tell you about your choices for continued in class reading. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman sounds and reads like nonfiction, but is, in fact, beautifully written fiction. It follows the life of a woman born into slavery and spans a powerful period of history. You may find this story of particular interest since it eventually crosses into the time period of To Kill A Mockingbird. In all her years, Miss Jane never experiences racial or gender equality. You may remember some of the narratives we heard on the Library of Congress site. The author actually reviewed a number of former slave narratives to gather Jane's story.

Our other choice, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, introduces us to a struggling black family in approximately the same time period as To Kill A Mockingbird. Like Mockingbird, our narrator is a young girl who faces many of the same challenges. It, too, is beautifully written and easy to read. Look them over in class, and if you have not yet chosen, be sure you get signed up for one of them tomorrow.

I'll hand out a reading schedule so that when you blog, you won't give away any unread details! Good Luck!