Book Twenty Four: Shades of Black

Shades of Black by Sandra L. Pinkney
Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (November 1, 2000)
Photographs by Myles C. Pinkney
DRA: 20-24

This is a collection of "I am" statements that really reflect the vast differences in black culture, and does a beautiful job of reflecting the differences in the people of their culture. The photographs that go along with the text is fantastic.

I loved this book, and I think I enjoyed it so much because it really reflects their culture. Often times it seems like people don't think of black people as being unique, and I would say that often times people stereotype their whole culture. This book challenges that, and makes you look into the unique faces of the children in that culture. The author also uses a lot of metaphors to go along with the "I am" statements. She does a beautiful job of incorporating verbs and adjectives into the text. She highlights the skin, eyes, and hair, and it really reflects their culture.The photographs were a huge addition to the story, and I thought they paired them very well. I felt like I knew the children shown by the end of the story, and you got a sense of their personalities.

I would use this book in my classroom with out a doubt. There is a lot to take from this story, and some of it is writing (verbs, adjectives, and metaphors). But, it also gives students who are not in that culture a different perspective in this beautiful book. It would be a nice transition into talking about stereotypes and prejudices we have.


Thanks for reading and have a great summer!

Gorms