[Amber]

I love Mildred Taylor's books. She wrote "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" which I read in middle school and fell in love with. That book is much too high for 3rd graders, but she has many books that are great for that age group.

I read "Mississippi Bridge" aloud to the kids this year during Black History Month. I thought it was a great choice because it got the kids talking about segregation and slavery and the ways in which white people treated african-americans and minorities in general. The story is told from the perspective of a ten year-old white boy, and he doesn't understand the segregation because he has black friends. The only thing I caution you about is that it does have the N-word in there once or twice. I just left it out because I don't fell comfortable saying it. However, we did have a class discussion about the word and why it's bad and wrong to say it. After reading the book, the kids understood why there was such a negative conotation with the word. We live in a very rural area and unfortunately that word is still used occassionally. It was good to see children understanding why it is so wrong to use that word. I can't tell you how much I loved seeing the kids get into this book and also the discussions it started. I highly recommend it!

The other books she has that are also great for the age level are "Gold Cadalliac," "The Friendship," "The Well," and "Song of the Trees."

Hope this helps!

~Amber