Week 12: Nonfiction RA Matrix
For the reader's advisory matrix, I have chosen the title The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 By Tim Madigan and adapted for young adults by Hilary Beard.
1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum?
A mix of both narrative and fact-based storytelling.
2. What is the subject of the book?
The Tulsa Race Massacre that occurred in the Greenwood community of Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921.
3. What type of book is it?
A history text that has been simplified for the beginning learner to be able to understand.
4. Articulate appeal
What is the pacing of the book?:
Slow
Describe the characters of the book.
The book doesn't focus on one main person, but the African American and white communities in Tulsa in 1921.
How does the story feel?
Tragic, horrifying, disheartening
What is the intent of the author?
Tim Madigan wrote this to tell the story of Oklahomans that perished during this horrific event in history that was covered up by the city of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma. Hilary Beard made the adaptation for this title to be included in classrooms for children ages 12-18.
What is the focus of the story?
The accurate retelling of the destruction of one of the richest African American communities in the nation because a young African American man was falsely accused of attempting to rape a young white woman in an elevator he was working in.
Does language matter?
Yes.
Is the setting important. and well described?
The setting is very important. The author was able to describe the path of the white mob. in such detail that a reader would be able to follow the path should they visit Tulsa today.
Are there details and, if so, of what?
The author goes into detail through interviews with some of the few surviving Greenwood community members, letters written by deceased survivors and saved by their descendants, and through other sources. These sources were able to give details of what it was like to try and get away from the white mob that descended on Greenwood that night, how they felt trying to. get out of their burning homes, and even after it was all said and done, the emotions they felt burying their fallen in a mass grave somewhere outside of Tulsa.
Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear?
This title does not include any graphic material.
Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience?
The book stresses the different experiences of the Greenwood community, specifically how they were attacked and forced to rebuild without any assistance from the city of Tulsa or the state of Oklahoma. It illustrates the resilience of the community as they were able to rebuild and get their lives as close to normal as possible within a year of this tragic event.
5. Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)?
1. Educational
2. Historical relevance
3. Social justice
This is a very important, but I'm sure also emotionally taxing, read. The detail you included about how a modern day reader could follow the same path of the mob was visceral.
ReplyDeleteIt really hit home how horrific the whole event was. I have been a resident of Oklahoma all of my life and the fact that I didn't learn about this until I was finished with my bachelor's degree is appalling to me.
DeleteI've come across this book in my work when providing reading materials for YA readers. Even though I've never read it, it often gets worked in to the collections I put together, largely because I always need teen age non-fiction, but because of exactly the reasons you've described. Because it has a lack of graphic content and for how educational it is, I think it's a great way to get young adults into non-fiction.
ReplyDeleteI agree! The language used is easy to understand and while it is less than 250 pages, it still took me almost three weeks to read this because of how much information was included. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance! There is a museum in Tulsa specifically for this event and I hope to be able to visit one day to try and learn more.
DeleteThis sounds like a really interesting read, in so far as it tells an horrific story, albeit one that has to be told, in a way that's still fitted for a younger audience. What a great find
ReplyDeleteIt is one of the few nonfiction titles that I have been able to read, and if you are so inclined, I highly recommend it! It's detailed without being extremely graphic, which I find to be beneficial for the horrors faced by the community over the course of one night.
DeleteI was a history major in my undergrad and I didn't learn about this until much much later. I need to add this book to my tbr. Excellent write up!
ReplyDelete