Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. ISBN:0-14-034893-X. Mildred D. Taylor. (1976). Newbery Medal. Historical Fiction. Age 11+. African American.

This story takes place in Mississippi in the 1930s, after the Civil War. We experience through the life of a nine year old little girl named Cassie, in the course of a year, what kinds of injustices her family and friends faced still after the war. She lived in a multi-generational home with her parents, her grandmother, her three brothers, and Mr. Morrison. Her uncle also stayed during some times. The live on a farm their family owns (which is not typical for black families during this time. Throughout the story, Cassie's family struggled to keep their family cotton farm land. They would do anything to keep their land.

Cassie's brother, Stacey, had a friend named TJ Avery, who throughout the book, was a very questionable friend. Throughout the book you really think that TJ is taking advantage of Stacey, but in the end you see that Stacey was really friends with him because he thought no one else would be, and he felt sorry for him. TJ got in some trouble and was framed by two "supposed" white friends for trying to rob a store and killing the owner. At the end, as a child, he ended up being put to death.


Thought this story focuses on segragation, lynchings, racial slurs and hierachy, there are glimpses of positive relationships. Jeremy, who is a white boy, refuses to ride the bus (as only white children could) and walks with his black friends (who are very nervous and apprehensive about the relationship). In the end, when the tension is at it's height and there are threats of lynchings, a sudden fire in the community (secretly started by Cassie's father to try to save T.J. in the midst of the manhunt lead by the white boys who framed him) draws attention and brings all people of all races together to fight the natural disaster. The end of this book, is truly bitter sweet.

In the classroom, I would ask students to write a letter to Stacey stating why or why not the student agrees with how the bus incident (teasing, lead to digging trench) was handled, and if they didn't think it was handled with justice, what would have been a better way to handle the situation.

I would ask the students to compare the white children's experience in school versus the black students' experience in school, how was it different? Then how do students today feel about that?

There are currently issues in the news about school districts that bus some suburban students to lower class urban schools and vice versa, and communities are in an uproar arguing that it is taking away from the sense of community. Others argue that if they discontinue, we are moving backwards and re-segregating. I would have the students discuss the pros and cons of this situation.