Historical
Fiction
Grade Level: 4-7
Interest Level:
4-7
Themes: racism,
segregation/Jim Crow south, storytelling, curiosity and imagination, southern
roots/life, absence of father’s
Sensitivity
Issues: Use of the ‘N’ word, black males die (not graphic)
This book is delightful. The voice of
the narrator will draw the audience into the world of the small, all black,
community of Eatonville, Florida and Zora Neale Hurston's friends and family.
We get a glimpse of how Zora's creative imagination keeps everyone trying to
figure out if her stories are truth, lies, or just the way she makes sense of
the world. We do learn that early on, Zora is confident of her ability to tell
stories and entertain others with them.
This book was written to be read
aloud, in true folklore/tall-tale fashion. It has great instructional
possibility. The language is rich, the historical facts are compelling, and the
dialogue creates humor and suspense. The female leads are strong, and well
developed for the books 180 pages. Zora's curiosity, and imagination are
central to the movement of the story. The book also contains a biography of
Zora Neale Hurston, and a timeline of her life.
The book does have a few sobering
moments, as it opens with man being killed by an alligator. Subsequently, we
learn that the main characters father left town to find work, and never
returned, a traveling man the children meet and befriend is found murdered with
his head missing, and then a strange, quiet man who is the subject of Zora's
tall-tales dies in his sleep. All of this misfortune concerning the men of
Eatonville however, lends itself to many discussion and instruction
possibilities, not the least of which is Zora's "coming of age" and
learning the truth about life. These truths, include one characters decision to
"pass" for white which is the source of both confusion and tragedy.
Zora wades through it all within her circle of family, friends and support and
does so with audacious determination and curiosity.
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