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kitsuneheart's review
4.0
Best for kids 6 and up, I think, not so much because of the content (though the story does include a section about the assassination of Malcom X), but because it is very visually complex. Go much younger than 6, and they might not be able to parse the art. And they certainly won't get the story line or the message, though both are really good and important.
The book ends with a great section on the actual history of the African National Memorial Bookstore in Harlem. It's text-heavy, so be prepared to read this alongside your child, and also be ready to explain harsh history and harsher current events. Still, this book has a good set of messages. For one, literature is the way we can teach ourselves and rise up to something greater. For another, waiting isn't going to work. The book looks at how we must act, rather than wait, both in educating ourselves, but also in demanding change of the world, even in the face of great dangers.
A good history lesson. Just make sure you have plenty of time set aside, as this will probably be a more lengthy lesson plan than you'll anticipate.
The book ends with a great section on the actual history of the African National Memorial Bookstore in Harlem. It's text-heavy, so be prepared to read this alongside your child, and also be ready to explain harsh history and harsher current events. Still, this book has a good set of messages. For one, literature is the way we can teach ourselves and rise up to something greater. For another, waiting isn't going to work. The book looks at how we must act, rather than wait, both in educating ourselves, but also in demanding change of the world, even in the face of great dangers.
A good history lesson. Just make sure you have plenty of time set aside, as this will probably be a more lengthy lesson plan than you'll anticipate.
tinynavajo's review
5.0
A beautiful book about Harlem's first and greatest bookstore, where literature was read and black activism took a stand. I loved reading a small part of history and being able to know a bit more about the history of different parts of my country. Definitely a book for the curious.
carolinemwatson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
jmitschke's review
5.0
Gorgeous and powerful.
"Me and my dad talk about important things. Things like truth and what it means to be free. Dad says books can help you. Not every book is true, he says, but the more you read, the easier it is to figure out for yourself what is true."
"Me and my dad talk about important things. Things like truth and what it means to be free. Dad says books can help you. Not every book is true, he says, but the more you read, the easier it is to figure out for yourself what is true."
swaggy_maggie44's review
3.0
I loved this book because it introduced several important figures in the Civil Rights Movement through a character a child can relate to.
beths0103's review
4.0
The Book Itch is a picture book version of No Crystal Stair and is the story of Lewis Micheaux, Harlem's most famous bookseller.