LITERARY CONNECTIONS:
Paulsen, Gary (1993). Nightjohn. Laurel Leaf Press.
Amazon.com:
Imagine being beaten for learning to read, shackled and whipped for learning a few letters of the alphabet. Now, imagine a man brave enough to risk torture in order to teach others how to read; his name is Nightjohn, and he sneaks into the slave camps at night to teach other slaves how to read and write. Celebrated author Gary Paulsen writes a searing meditation on why the ability to read and write is radical, empowering, and so necessary to our freedom. These skills threaten our oppressors because they allow us to communicate--to learn the real status of our slavery and to seek liberation. In this tightly written, painful, joyous little novel is a key that may unlock the power of reading for even the most reluctant teens.
Rosales, Melody Benson (1993). Meet Addy: An American Girl. Pleasant Company Publications
From Horn Book:
American Girls Collection. Without romanticizing a shameful period in American history, the compelling and gripping narratives focus on Addy, a young girl enslaved in North Carolina who escapes to freedom with her mother, and her struggles as a free person trying to learn to read. Each book ends with an informative synopsis of the African-American experience during the time period.
Twain, Mark (1986). Huckleberry Finn.Penguin Press, USA.
Amazon.com:
Mark Twain's classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tells the story of a teenaged misfit who finds himself floating on a raft down the Mississippi River with an escaping slave, Jim. In the course of their perilous journey, Huck and Jim meet adventure, danger, and a cast of characters who are sometimes menacing and often hilarious.
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For additional information or comments about these Learning Activities, contact:
Dr. Joy N. Stapleton, Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction: Elementary and Middle Grades Education, School of Education, East Carolina University.
