Show Way (Newbery Honor Book) 
asked by runningscared on November 15, 2006 4:37 AM
Soonie's great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She pieced together bright patches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches with secret meanings made into quilts called Show Ways—maps for slaves to follow to freedom.When she grew up and had a little girl, she passed on this knowledge.And generations later,Soonie—who was born free—taught her own daughter how to sew beautiful quilts to be sold at market and how to read.
From slavery to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches and the fight for literacy, the tradition they called Show Way has been passed down by the women in Jacqueline Woodson's family as a way to remember the past and celebrate the possibilities of the future. Beautifully rendered in Hudson Talbott's luminous art, this moving, lyrical account pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledge illuminate their daughters' lives.
From slavery to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches and the fight for literacy, the tradition they called Show Way has been passed down by the women in Jacqueline Woodson's family as a way to remember the past and celebrate the possibilities of the future. Beautifully rendered in Hudson Talbott's luminous art, this moving, lyrical account pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledge illuminate their daughters' lives.
Reviews
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Soonie's family made Show Way quilts, ones that would show illiterate slaves the way to freedom. In this Newberry Honor book, Jacqueline Woodson takes children on a trip into the past back to the days of her great-granmother Soonie and beyond into the days of slavery. Readers will read about slavery, the days after the slaves were freed, the fight for equal rights during the sixties to present day to when the author's daughter was born. As a white person, I struggled a bit with the language used in places, but enjoyed the story that told of generations of black women and their strength and courage and love for their families.
reviewed by learner on November 24, 2006 5:36 AM
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My seven year old borrowed Show Way from our neighborhood library. He read it to me and I immediately said this is a book that we must own for our children's library shelf. I told a friend about it also. It is a great read for story times at family reunions. It's a book of celebration, courage and freedom. After reading it to my three year old, I lifted my baby girl up and told her "I love that girl-child up"! What a wonderful read!, and children learn about the tradition of quilts and how they showed the way to freedom.
reviewed by imtheboss on November 25, 2006 6:25 AM
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Jacqueline Woodson has created another powerful, thought-provoking, personal yet universal story. Combined with Hudston Talbott's equally poignant and vibrant illustrations, Show Way is by every measure a most worthy Newbery Honor winner.
I will not join the discussion of the verity of quilts as "show ways." Whether they were in fact or not is less relevant to the appreciation of Ms. Woodson's phenomenal book than the love she poured into this story, the family history she drew upon, and emotional impact of the telling. In just a few words, we come to know all of these people like family, learn of their lives and hardships, and respect and admire their unwavering hope for a better life. There is magic in these pages as even the generations of slaves live with dignity and perseverance.
The generational continuity of the story is driven home by the repetition of key phrases across the generations: "stars and moons and roads," "loved that baby up," "tall and straight-boned," "There's a road, girl." The book has an easy yet progressive rhythm that draws the reader in, and never lets go.
My daughter is 5 years old, and we love this book, and we talk about its historical showcase--its own "show way"--every time we read it. And we are moved, inspired by the love of storytelling and respect for history that shows up in every sentence.
This book is brilliant.
I will not join the discussion of the verity of quilts as "show ways." Whether they were in fact or not is less relevant to the appreciation of Ms. Woodson's phenomenal book than the love she poured into this story, the family history she drew upon, and emotional impact of the telling. In just a few words, we come to know all of these people like family, learn of their lives and hardships, and respect and admire their unwavering hope for a better life. There is magic in these pages as even the generations of slaves live with dignity and perseverance.
The generational continuity of the story is driven home by the repetition of key phrases across the generations: "stars and moons and roads," "loved that baby up," "tall and straight-boned," "There's a road, girl." The book has an easy yet progressive rhythm that draws the reader in, and never lets go.
My daughter is 5 years old, and we love this book, and we talk about its historical showcase--its own "show way"--every time we read it. And we are moved, inspired by the love of storytelling and respect for history that shows up in every sentence.
This book is brilliant.
reviewed by bigben on November 26, 2006 2:42 AM