Book Description

Read by Lynne Thigpen
Approx. 8 hours
6 cassettes

Why is the land so important to Cassie's family?It takes the events of one turbulent year--the year of the night riders and the burnings, the year a white girl humiliates Cassie in public simply because she is black--to show Cassie that having a place of their own is the Logan family's lifeblood.It is the land that gives the Logans their courage and pride, for no matter how others may degrade them, the Logans possess something no one can take away. ... Read more

Reviews (338)

Roll Of Thunder is Amazing
Roll of Thunder,Hear My Cry
Written by Mildred .D. Taylor
Publisher: Puffin

The book I am choosing to write about is Called Roll of Thunder,Hear My Cry. The genre is realistic fiction. It is about a black family living in Mississippi during the 1930s. The family struggles through racism,deaths and trying to maintain their land that they live on during the height of the Great Depression. Many scary things happen to the family. Such as burnings, night riders,and other close encounters. All through the hard times the family managed to keep their courage, love, and pride. It is a wonderful novel and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a story of courage and hope.

The main characters are Cassie, who is the one telling the story a brave daughter of the Logan family. Stacey, Cassie's older brother considers himself the man of the family when the father is gone. David, who is the father, is often gone from home by working on the railroad. Mary and Big Ma are the mothers of the family. Mary is the mother and Big Ma is the grandmother. There are many other supporting characters

I personally love this book . I highly recommend it to anyone. Especially African American children. To learn how hard it was for their race during that time. It is good for people of all ages. It is a story of faith, courage , hope, love and family. The family in this book are very brave. It is one of the best books I have read in quite a while.

Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry
It was the late 30's and the logan familiy had been trying to pay their bills and support each other. David, their father, worked on the rail road and Mary, their mother, worked as a teacher in the local school for blacks. Their kids names were Cassie(the nararator), Stacy(the oldest brother), little man, and Christopher John. They had many struggles, keeping up the farm, paying the bills, and having money for food were very hard things to do while the whites were harrassing, teasing, and trying to kill them. On top of all that, David and Mary were both out of a job. David got hurt by the Wallaces and Mary got fired for not teaching the white version of history. The Wallaces, Simon, and Mr. Granger were watching them like hawks, so that at any moment they could take their land and their lives. T.J., Stacy's friend, was not so lucky after Stacy stopped being "friends" with him. This was a very good book. I like how most of the book was in dialogue. I think that made it easier to read and tell what was going on and it gave me more emotions which makes it more interesting. It was just right for my reading ability, The book showed me how unfair it was bakc them for blacks to be hated so much and people could tease or kill with little emotion.

It was okay...
I had to read this book for school, and it just made me bored out of my mind. It didn't really hold my attention, and the only reason I finished it was because I had to. It was a very well-written book, but just not the kind of book I enjoy to read in my spare time.

Excellent book!
I really love this book. It kept my attention through the whole thing. I loved the characters and I felt for them as they suffered. The characters were well formed and it helps show what it might be like to be a black family living in that era and what they had to put up with.

A View into a new perspective
This book was about a family living in the 1930s in the Deep South. They struggle with racism and segregation. This family tries to stay together and keep their land. You are given a good perspective on what life was like as an African American in that time period and how they were unfairly treated. This story was low on action but told a great story, however, your interest is never lost. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The Land is Mildred D. Taylor's wonderful prequel to her NewberyMedal winner, Roll of Thunder,Hear My Cry. In the stories Taylor has to tell, life is not fair, hardwork doesn't always pay off, and the good guy doesn't always win. That's becausethis extraordinary author tells the stories of her African American family inthe Deep South during and after the Civil War, a time of ugly, painful racism.

Paul-Edward Logan, the son of a white, plantation-owner father and a slavemother, is our narrator, bound and determined to buy his own land and shape hisown future at whatever cost. Caught between black and white worlds and notfitting into either one is devastating for him, but his powerful, engaging talesof the love of family, the strength of friendship, and growing up will inspireanyone to dare to persevere despite terrible odds. Taylor's books are not onlyessential in understanding what led up to the Civil Rights movement inAmerica--they are also breathtaking page-turners, full of suspense, humor, love,and hope. The Land certainly stands alone, but the other award-winningtales of the Logan family--Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; Let theCircle Be Unbroken; and The Road to Memphis--are excellent as well.Heartily recommended. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (22)

READ THIS BOOK
When I discovered, through the note provided by Mildred Taylor, that The Land was more than five years in the making, I literally swooned in admiration of the freshness of the story. Any book which takes half a decade to research and write evolves with a certain degree of vulnerability. How can any author sustain such an endeavor, especially in the face of her readership, so familiar with her own impossibly hard acts to follow, and emerge holding such a live treasure as The Land, in the end?
The Land is a prequel, in that it tells the stories of the Logan family that chronologically came before those of her beloved, already known, characters. What sets this novel apart from typical prequel status, in my mind, is the electricity between its pages. The Land is filled with its own magical energy. Paul-Edward's many adventures, his beliefs in himself and his family (as well as his view of all the other people living on his father, Edward's, land) his complex relationships with his white father, his African-Indian mother, his white brother (Robert), and his African-American friend (Mitchell) are exclusively important. They are exclusive in that they are whole, in and of themselves, and a reader can appreciate their strengths without prior knowledge of Taylor's previous work. They are important in that they can and should be told, breathe, and stand on their own. I feel that comparing them might fail them, to a certain degree. That said, the stories of the life of Paul-Edward are certainly crucial... beyond their status as prequel. The private pain and pride of Paul-Edward that we come to know, as we follow his evolution into the young landowner we reluctantly must depart at book's end, all the great sorrows and victories that spill before him in his quest to, in his mother's apt words, have "something for himself"-his own land-while caring for Caroline, her brother, and Mitchell are wondrous, well told, at times lyrically rich.
There is nothing, in The Land, of the staleness that can threaten to tinge any writer's work when she is forced to write a prequel, by her readership, critics, or heart. Perhaps the staleness comes when a writer is not certain of the very something she must be precise about, as she attempts to trace steps prior to the heart of her matter (previous, related book(s)). I have come to believe that a great many prequels and sequels are created not in order to answer an author's own calling, but to answer the call of the readership. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Still, in Taylor's writing of The Land as a whole thing, contained in one book, which tells a before so well, as well, is wholly felt, the mold of the prequel is broken. The Land is exceptionally revealing for those who have known and loved the Logans. The Land is also its own, gorgeous, story.
I believe the heart of Mildred Taylor's matter is, actually, those family stories she finally tells, through fiction twinned with the breath of heritage, in The Land. The novel has clarity and life and a protagonist we love, and a singular life-almost as if The Land contained the most essential things the writer (the niece, the daughter, the landowner) needed to write; almost as if all those stories she'd already made were leading us to this great center.

Taylor Never Fails
Paul-Edward Logan has a unique life situation in the late 1800s. Born on a southern plantation following the Civil War, his mother is black and Native American, yet his father is a white man. As a child, he is treated with almost the same care given to his white half-brothers, yet as he grows up he begins to learn the harshness and injustice of his world. But Paul is determined to make something of himself. He wants his own land, he wants his own destiny, and he wants things that many others of his race wouldn't even dream of.

I was shocked with just how much I was impressed with this book! Throughout my life I have loved the powerful stories told in Taylor's "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" trilogy, yet often authors kind of fizzle after a couple of amazing books. But not here!

I think one of the best things about Paul-Edward's story is how once again Taylor draws on family stories. Anyone who has read "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" will recall that Paul-Edward is the grandfather of the Logan children, and will find it even more fascinating to read his own story. Which brings me to another point-the fact that Taylor not only draws on family stories, but brings them so vividly and credibly to life makes her writing all the better.

And the writing was indeed good. Paul's first-person narrative sounds intelligent and interesting, while still managing to sound realistic and fresh. He is a character full of pride and determination that makes him truly admirable. But the book never feels preachy, and the pride and strength that Taylor fashions into her stories never feels fake.

"The Land" is a book that is at once a story of hope and a realistic portrait of the ugly racism that plagued our society at the time. Just as in her other books, the author deals with racism in a balanced, up front, and intelligent manner.

I was so impressed with this latest from Mildred Taylor! The character-driven story is the perfect balance of timeless values and a compelling historical backdrop.

a good book
The book The Land was a great book a bout a boy named Paul Logan who was just trying to get by. he was th son of a white man and a black women. Paul was born with lighter skin so sometimes he could get away with things, but at other times they just treated him as if he were another one of the black people. Paul gets into a little bit of trouble along with his friend Mitchell. The boys end up becoming very close and helping each other out of achieving the goal of getting "the land." if you want to find out what happens, i recommend you read the book.

The Land
The Land by Mildred D. Taylor is a WONDERFUL book. It is the best book I have ever read. It is about a man, Paul Logan, and his life from childhood to adulthood. Paul has a hard life because he his half black and half white, meaning his dad white and his mom black. To make matters worse, it is right after the civil war. Paul has to learn that not all white men are going to treat him and be as fair to him as his white dad and brothers. This book has adventure, action, and suspense. It tells a GREAT story. I recommend this book to everybody!!!

The BEST Book
I loved this book. I could hardly put it down. Paul-Edward is a half black, half white slave whose owner is his father. He gets tired of his homelife and runs away. He meets Mitchell, a childhood friend, and they travel together. They work at a logging house and then find land that they would love to live on. I won't tell you the rest, because it would RUIN it!! This book has a whole lot of flashback and foreshadowing. I loved this book and encourage you all to read it!! ... Read more

Reviews (80)

Fantastic book.
I really liked this book because it gave me real insight into the hard life of African-Americans during a time when white was considered the 'better' race. Cassie Logan is a tough girl growing up with three older brothers, and she shows how hard growing up can be. It was so real,but also somewhat deppressing. But it never got boring. The Logan family was lucky because they had their own plantation, but they struggled to survive. The whites were very powerful and they just about took everything over. It helped me see through the eyes of a black person. Cassie went through a lot of things- her old family friend being put in jail after an unfair trial, her school friends losing everything they had, her brother running away to try to make a better living, and her father leaving for long spells to earn hardly any money. And the simpler things too- watching her older brother pull away as he began desiring privacy, her cousin trying to pass for white. I loved Cassie because she told everything from the bottom of her heart, and she didn't deny her feelings. At times, this book enraged me because it opened my eyes to the cruel realism of racism. It was excellently written.

The most thrillng and emotianaol book you'll read
Let the Circle be Unbroken is a book that you will take into your hands and never want to let go of. The characters become family, and when they are feeling hurt, so are you. The main charcteracters face racial discrimination everyday of their lives because they are black, but none-the-less they stick together. Life in Mississippi in the 1930's can be happy too. When you realize what some people go through, you are greatful for every breath you take. If you like fatasy books, this book is not for you. Although, if you love realistic and emotional books, Let the Circle be Unbroken and you would be a perfect match. As a seguel to Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, the conflict picks up and rises throughout the book. Personally, I think this book is fantastic. I recomend that you read the prequel first. This book was the best i've read in a long time

I personally didn't like it
I read this book with my classmates, and I didnt want to finish it because I thought it was so boring. Fortunely, I did and knew what happened in the end. Read other book instead. This is just my opinion, don't take it personally.

Let the Circle Be Unbroken: Head and Shoulders Above Others
Stacey, Cassie, Little Man, Christopher-John, Mama, Papa, Hammer, Mr. Morrison, Bud and his daughter. Wait, back up, Bud and his daughter, were they in the first book? No, and they cause quite a stir, but that's usual for them. Why do you ask is that usual? You'll just have to read on to find out.

The book starts out a little slow. It heats up when Bud, Mama's cousin, shows up. Bud had gotten Married TO A WHITE WOMAN! They had had a daughter who stays with the Logans for a while. While she is there, she learns what it means to be black. Also while she is there, Stacey goes to find work (without telling them) and worries the Logans. A lot of the book is spent looking for him. Oh yeah, you're probably wondering what happened to T.J. Well, you find out before Bud comes, but I'm not telling you either way.

I would defiantly rate this book a five. It is a lot better than Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, in my opinion anyways. The action starts sooner than in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and Let The Circle Be Unbroken has an overall better plot. While reading, I couldn't put the book down. I first decided to read it to find out what happened to T.J., however, by the end of the book that was in the back of my mind. The addition of Bud and Suzella (Bud's Daughter) defiantly improved the book, but not even that is what I was thinking about. I was thinking about Stacey.

Cassie is the protagonist in this book, as she was in the first. In the beginning of the book, Cassie is upset at Stacey because he is acting all grown up and ignoring her. Then when Suzella comes and Stacey talks to her, Cassie becomes jealous of Suzella. Cassie is an intelligent girl and she loves and cares for everyone, even the people others find strange. Something did happen to Cassie that caught me off guard but I don't want to give too much away. Cassie is very nice, however, she easily gets upset.

One very important scene comes about 2/3 into the book. It begins when Stacey kisses everyone goodnight and everyone is shocked because he hasn't done that in a long time. As Cassie is getting into bed Stacey calls Cassie onto the porch. Stacey gives her his knife which she had been wanting for a long time. Then Stacey kisses her and goes to bed. The next morning the house was full of panic and tears. Stacey had left to find work and left a note in his place.

Another "big" scene happens at the very end of the book. Stacey had been found and they were driving home. As they pulled up the driveway the dogs started barking and lights in the house came on. Big Ma, Little Man and, Christopher-John (who hadn't gone to get Stacey) come out of the house.
"David, ya'll bring that boy?" Big Ma asks
"Yes Ma'am, Big Ma. They sure did," answers T.J.

All in all, Let the Circle Be Unbroken is head and shoulders above Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. As I said before the book starts out a little slow, but the plot is great. Cassie, again, is the protagonist and narrator. Bud and Suzella bring much conflict and Stacey brings much sadness. This book again shows the hardships blacks had to deal with and does it better than in the first. How can a book get any better? Is the question I asked myself after finishing. Maybe the next in the series will be I thought. I seriously doubt it. This book was amazing!

Truthfully
Upon entering the library, I was immediately reccomended this novel by my librarian, after discussing my interests. Having gone to such great lengths to secure me this read, I assumed that is would be magnificent. I was wrong, however. Although the plot was interesting and the writing was probably realistic, I found it too choppy. Throughout the entire novel I felt embarassed. The portrayal of this African- American family truly embarassed me. I felt that if this was the strongest family there was, then how were all the rest? I believe that Mildred D. Taylor attempted to write a novel that wasn't sugar- coated and blunt, but in the end the product was quite the opposite. It portrayed the white families too kindly and the black families too deprived. Being of a black race myself I was actually upset by this read. I still reccommend reading it because the story is wonderful and the writing is good, but based on my studies of African- American history was unreal. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

The Friendship: GOOD book!
This book is called The Friendship. Mildred D Taylor writes this story. A young girl called Cassie is the one telling how their lives were when she and her brothers were young. This story takes place mostly in the Wallace Store. In these times Whites didn't like Blacks. The characters are Stacey, Christopher John, Little Man, Cassie, Jeremy, Mr. Tom Bee, and John Wallace. This kid named Jeremy is different than other Whites. It's like if he didn't know the difference about Blacks. He doesn't treat Blacks the way other White treat them.

This book is a very interesting book to read and it does have a good ending. It ends in Mr. Tom Bee telling John Wallace that he is always going to call him by his first name. When Mr. Tom Bee saved his life twice, John Wallace told him that he could call him by his first name as long as he lived. Mr. Tom Bee wanted to show the kids how Whites SHOULD treat Blacks. He did show them that Whites and Blacks should be treated equally. Even though he showed them, he still got shot in the leg for disrespecting a White man in front of other Whites and Black kids. It made him look bad because no Black could disrespect a White. It could have gotten worse for Mr. Tom Bee because John could have also shot again or he could have hung him. The police wouldn't have done anything because it was legal for Whites to kill Blacks if they disrespected them. A Black couldn't kill a White person just like the Whites did.

I liked the story because it was very interesting to read because I could read about how there was a lot of racism in the past and how Blacks suffered. I will recommend this book because it is easy to read and it is very interesting book. It is one of the best books I have ever read.

Makings of a great book
The Friendship was a really good book. We read it because it took place in 1933 and it was by the same author who wrote Mississippi Bridge. We read it in my seventh grade class, and the Whites always thought they were always higher than any Black person. Even a young White boy could be at a higher standing than a Black grown-up. The Blacks would always have to address a White man or woman with a "MRS." or "MR", but the Whites would not have to call them with a "Mrs." or "Mr." They could call them by them by their first name. See, way back then Blacks could not call Whites by their first name or else they would be in some big trouble. The Whites believed that it was respectful for Blacks to call Whites with a "Mr." or "Mrs." in front of their last name.

When they were kids Mr. Tom Bee saved John Wallace's life and John promised that Tom could call him Mr. Wallace by his first name forever.

This is what happened. Mr. Tom Bee called him by his first name because he saved John Wallace's life, not just once, but twice. The end was really great and John comes out and shoots Mr. Tom Bee in the knee and Mr. Tom Bee kept on hollering "JOHN, JOHN, JOHN, JOHN...."

I found it quite interesting because my father is Black, and I think he probably would have done the same as Mr. Tom Bee, saving John's life. My father says, "Everyone needs a helping hand". That is why I recommend this book for everyone who can read.

Alyssa's review
The story takes place in Mississippi in the 1930's. Mr. John Wallace had told the
Black sand the kids to call him "MR. John," not to call him by his first name because that's not right according to Mr. Wallace. The kids are allowed in Mr. Wallace's store. But Cassie and her brothers have been warned twice not go into the store because they will get into trouble. Then Mr. Tom Bee went into the store to buy medicine for Aunt Callie because she was very sick. Then Mr. Tom Bee went fishing. He had some fish in his hands and the kids and Mr. Tom Bee went into the store to buy some sardines and some candy canes. He handed out the candy to the kids. One of them had said no because "My hands were too dirty because " Mr. Tom Bee said, "Don't listen to them."

Tom Bee and the kids went walking to the store again to buy tobacco. Cassie asked Mr. Tom Bee, "Why do you call Mr. Wallace by his first name?" "Because I had saved his life twice when he almost drowned. I gave him a place to sleep and something to eat," Mr. Tom Bee answered. In the store Mr. Tom Bee called him by his first name in front of the men. The other men said, "Are you going let him to talk to you like that?" One of his sons was looking at him mad. Then Mr. Wallace went outside with the gun and shot him in the leg. He said," You owe me, John. I saved your life twice. You will stay the same till judgment day." "Then you have to kill me here on the road," Mr. Tom Bee said. Then he said his name two to three different times. The kids started to cry and they stared at him. And there was no sound of him.

I really liked the book a lot. At the end of the book was kind of sad when Mr. Wallace shot Mr. Tom Bee in the leg. I learned that most White didn't got along with the Black s at all. Also, I learned that many Whites didn't treat the Blacks right at all.

The difference between Blacks and Whites.
This book was about how Blacks needed to show respect for Whites in 1933. Blacks showed respect by calling Whites "Mister", "Missus", or "Miss". But the southern Whites didn't have to do that because they thought they were much better than all the Blacks in the world.

The story takes place in the Wallace store. There were these kids named Stacey, Christopher-John, Little Man, and Cassie. The names of Mr. Wallace's sons were Dewberry and Thurston. Cassie and her brothers went inside the Wallace store, and then Dewberry and Thurston told Little Man that his hands were dirty. They were so dirty according to them that they could probably grow plants on Little Man's hands, and they also told him that they were going to cut his hands off. They all went outside the store and sat down. Little Man took his hands and put them closely to the ground to see if Dewberry and Thurston were right. Jeremy Simms started talking to Stacey, then they saw Mr. Tom Bee going inside the Wallace store. Mr. Tom Bee told Dewberry to give him some sardines, but Dewberry told Mr. Tom Bee that he already got plenty of charges so he doesn't need any sardines. Christopher-John walked inside the Wallace store and stared at the candies. Mr. Tom Bee told Dewberry to give him some candy canes, too. Dewberry told Mr. Tom Bee, "You don't need no candy canes neither, Tom, you got no teeth to chew them with." Dewberry still wouldn't give Mr. Tom Bee his sardines and candy canes, so Mr. Tom Bee told Dewberry to go get his daddy because he would get it for him. Mr. Tom Bee also said, "Where is John anyway?" Mr. Tom Bee shouldn't have said that because Blacks shouldn't call Whites by their first names. Finally Mr. Wallace came in the store and asked Mr. Tom Bee what he wanted. Mr. Tom Bee told Mr. Wallace what he wanted, and Mr. Wallace gave it to him. Mr. Wallace told his sons to go outside and work on something else, and shut the door on their way out. Mr. Wallace told Mr. Tom Bee that he couldn't call him by his first name any more, that this was the last time he's going to call him that and when the next time come, he better show some respect by calling him Mr. Wallace. Mr. Tom Bee walked out and gave the kids the candy canes that he bought. Jeremy was standing there too, so Mr. Tom Bee gave Jeremy a candy cane. Jeremy took it and put it in his pocket. Cassie and her three brothers went over to Aunt Callie's. Stacey asked Mr. Tom Bee why he called Mr. Wallace by his first name, and not by "Mr. Wallace"? Mr. Tom Bee told them the story that back in the day Mr. Tom Bee took care of Mr. Wallace when they were younger. Mr. Wallace told Mr. Tom Bee that he promised as long as he lived he would be known as "John" to Mr. Tom Bee. The kids thought that it was time to go home so they started walking, and they past by the Wallace store. Mr. Tom Bee told the kids to wait outside while he went inside and got something. They saw Jeremy standing there and didn't say a word. Mr. Tom Bee went inside and he saw Mr. Wallace, Jeremy's dad Mr. Charlie Simms, and some other White people sitting there staring at Mr. Tom Bee while he went over to Mr. Wallace. Mr. Tom Bee told him, "Hey John, give me some-a that chewing tobacco! Forgot to get it when I was in before." Mr. Wallace told Mr. Tom Bee to never call him "John" again, but Mr. Tom Bee still called Mr. Wallace "John". Mr. Charlie Simms told Mr. Wallace, "Are you going to let that old man call you that?" Mr. Tom Bee kept asking for his tobacco. Mr. Wallace reached back to a shelf and got the tobacco and placed it on the counter. Mr. Tom Bee got it and said, "Thank you, John, just put that on my charges." Cassie and her brothers were going to leave, but they heard a click. Mr. Wallace fired a shotgun on Mr. Tom Bee's right leg. Mr. Wallace said, "Tom, you made me do that, and you got to stop calling me "John" and I mean now." Mr. Wallace continued, "You gonna learn to address me proper." Mr. Tom Bee started talking, "Till the judgment day! John! John! John!"

I liked this book because I learned a lot about history, and how some Whites treated some Blacks back in the 1930's. You need to show respect for your elders, if you don't, then you will have your consequences. Also, the book teaches you if you keep a promise to a person, you can't break it, even if someone is by your side and you don't want to get embarrassed by that person, you still have to keep your promise.

Great book, Good ending
The story was about Cassie, Stacey, Little Man, Christopher-John, and Jeremy. It's about the kids buying things from the Wallace Store and meeting up with Jeremy. They get medicine for Aunt Callie because she had a bad headache. The kids are different than Jeremy because Jeremy is White, and so is his dad who sits with John Wallace in the store. Jeremy's dad doesn't want him to hang out with Black kids or his dad will punish him. He will really get in trouble or hit. And Jeremy doesn't want that to happen to him so his dad tells him to stay away from the Black kids. The Whites don't show respect to the Blacks who come to buy things that they need at the Wallace Store.

When Mr. Tom Bee goes into the Wallace Store, John Wallace treats Mr. Tom Bee with no respect and tells him off in front of the Whites. The Whites start laughing when Mr. Tom Bee gets told off. Mr. Tom Bee had saved Mr. John Wallace's life when they were kids. Mr. John Wallace made a deal with him and he let him call him by his first name. When Mr. Tom Bee came into the Wallace Store again, there were a lot of Whites in the store. Mr. Tom Bee called John by his first name in front of all the Whites. The Whites were all looking at Mr. Tom Bee. The Whites said, "Are you going to let the ---call you John, by your first name?" Mr. John Wallace threw Mr. Tom Bee out of the Wallace Store, shot Mr. Tom Bee in the knee, and said; "Don't call me by my first name until the judgment day of your life." Mr. John Wallace said to Mr. Tom Bee, "You call me by Mr. John Wallace, but not by first name. It will be MR. John Wallace for the rest of your life."

I liked the ending. It was kind of a great book. But it needs more ending to it so it can be more interesting and fun. I would like it to end differently, like instead of Mr. Tom Bee getting shot on the leg, I would want Mr. Tom Bee just walking out of the store and just calling him "Mr. John Wallace" and with no problem without Mr. Tom Bee getting hurt and without getting shot on the leg. I recommend this book to anyone else. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Book Review : The Well
The Well is a very compelling and resonant book by Mildred D. Taylor, the Newberry Award winner for Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. You will experience many emotions while reading this book, which are not limited to anger and sadness .The Well is set in the south during the mid 1910's, a time in which deep-rooted racism is practiced and where whites can do and say anything they please with abandon to blacks.
David Logan tells a poignant story of his boyhood in Smallsville, Mississippi when blacks could be hanged for considering themselves as equals to whites. The Logan family, the main characters in the book, are among few black families to own land. During an awful drought, they have the only well of sweet water in the whole town of Smallsville. The author eloquently describes how the Logan's believe that the water is not theirs to hoard but gods gift to share with black and white folks alike. Everyone is grateful to the Logan's except the white Simms family who hate being obliged to blacks. David's family lives by his father's words, 'use your head not your fists' but his insubordinate hotheaded brother Hammer is sick of the constant degrading of Charlie Simses and when Charlie pushes his handicapped brother with bitter rancor to the ground, Hammer reacts and does the unthinkable.
The characters are quickly and clearly brought into life, the setting is vividly drawn despite the frequent but historical use of the N word. The large cast of characters is masterfully individualized with opinions, beliefs, personalities and ways of life. I personally gained tremendous admiration for Mildred D. Taylor as an author for making such a luring plot seem so stupendous in a small book.

Outstanding storytelling!
The Well by Mildred D. Taylor is one of the best examples of juvenile fiction that I have read in the last ten years. (Coming from a teacher, that's a lot of books!) The reader is invited into a world where whites can say and do as they please and blacks are treated to cruelty, deceit and humiliation. Yet the Logan family, the central characters of this book, maintain their strength and dignity through it all. The Logan property sits on the only well that has not run dry in this turn-of-the-century tale of the Deep South. They are generous people and share their sweet water with all their neighbours, even the bigotted Simms clan. David Logan, the narrator, tells us how he and his brother Hammer cope with the abuse and terrors inflicted upon them by the Simms boys and their evil father, Old Man McCallister Simms. This short novel tells us much about the deep seated racism that was so much a part of that time and place. The characters are quickly and clearly brought to life, the setting is vividly drawn and despite the frequent - but historically accurate use of the N word - this book is a great "read aloud."

BLACK vs. WHITE
I gave this book five stars because it was like you were in the olden days when blacks and whites were against each other. This book is about two boys named David and Hammer. They live in Mississippi. During the summer time there is usual a drought. But the Logan's well doesn't dry up. And they share their water with everybody who's anybody. Well one day Hammer and David were bringing their cows back from the Rosa Lee and they meet Charlie with a wheel off of his wagon. Well he asks Hammer and David to help him get it back on. So David said he would help him even though he has a busted leg. Charlie took a long time to put the wheel back on and David said he couldn't hold it much longer. So he dropped it and Charlie fell back with the wheel. He got up and hit David and he fell down. Then Hammer came over and jumped on Charlie and started to hit him. Then Charlie fell back and hit his head on a rock and it knocked him out. It is not legal to hit a white man. You could get hung.

The setting was in Mississippi during the summer time. It was during the 1800's, in the post slavery era.

The best thriller
This is a book about a boy and his family going through the early parts of Rascism and the heartaches of how water changes during a drought People who don't like you come and talk to you until you need something, but when you hit a white man back then and you were black bad things happen find out what can happen in the Well By Mildred D Taylor. But when you use your head you can do lots of thinges but not that many when you hit someone.

The Old Days
I am done reading the well and I think that It was one of the best books that were short. I wouldn't have read it if it weren't for my teaching talking me into it. It explains what blacks went though back then pretty well. It was good I think that Hammer took up for his brother and hit the simms son back. The part were they got a whipping, and it sounded like it was a real whipping was sad and horrible at the same time. Mildred did good on the well it was great, but I think it should have 4 stars. p.s.I hope of your books are that good ... Read more

Book Description

Jeremy Simms watches from the porch of the general store as the passengers board the weekly bus from Jackson. When several white passengers arrive late, the driver roughly orders the black passengers off to make room. Then, in the driving rain, disaster strikes, and Jeremy witnesses a shocking end to the day's drama. Set in Mississippi in the 1930s, this is a gripping story of racial injustice.

"Taylor, a powerful storyteller, again combines authentic incidents to create a taut plot....Her cry for justice always rings true."--Kirkus Reviews

"A powerful story about the segregated South of the 1930s."--Publishers Weekly ... Read more

Reviews (14)

When Whites were Slaves to Prejudice
Taylor's grim novella of Depression tragedy highlights the gross racial injustice rampant in rural Mississippi. Narrated by a decent and likeable white boy, the simple storyline proves both painful and powerful. Ten-year-old Jeremy is mostly a passive spectator, observing the subtle and flagrant ways that whites treat free blacks. He notices the mixed crowd of travelers who are waiting for the bus from Jackson, but on this rainy day there are more folks who want to ride than seats.

How does the arrogant bus driver handle this situation? Wading visually
through the heavy dialect readers quickly enter a dark world
of the deep South's shameful past. Despite his Pa's vicious temper and belligerent attitude toward black people, Jeremy's behavior serves as a moral bridge between the feuding races. Can one small boy show his elders the way to true social democracy? Because it is chapterless this lttle book rushes headlong towards its dramatic catastrophe, but who is to blame--if any person or race is? Can centuries of social discrimination and exploitation be avenged or expunged in one natural disaster? A riveting read.

Mississippi Bridge is one of Mildred Taylor's finest books.
Mississippi Bridge is a prequel to Taylor's other novelsabout the Logan family. This time, however, the reader is treatedto the viewpoint of Jeremy Simms, the shy and sensitive white boy who sees in the Logan family everything that is missing in his own. Taylor captures not only the bite of prejudice in depression era Mississippi, but shows its effect on the lives of those who reject prejudice. Taylor cleverly weaves a story in which a tragic accident clearly dispenses a bittersweet justice in that world of prejudice without taking away the reader's sympathy for the victims.

A+ 100% Book!!!!
This is a story about how black people were treated differently than white people. The white people didn't treat the black people nicely. Black people had jobs being slaves for the white people. In the 1930's if black people wanted to ride the bus they had to sit in the back. If there were a lot of white people wanting to ride the bus the black people would get kicked off the bus.
I think that it is interesting that the white adults didn't feel like being around the black people, but their children didn't notice the color of their skin.
I fyou like stories about history you will like reading this book.
Josias was one of the main characters and he lived the story. The bus that the white people kicked off the black people was going down the bridge and went off into the river. Josias went down and started to try to save the people in the bus. A little girlthat Josias brought up was dead. No one survived on the bus even though they did everything that they could.
If I was a teacher on the book I would give it an A+ 100%.

Great Book, Disappointing ending
I always enjoy reading Mildred D. Taylor books, and Mississippi Bridge was no exception. It was to short for my liking, but it was an excellent book. Taylor writes from the perspective of Jeremy Simms, a white boy, which is different from most of her books, which are usually told from the perspective of the african-american Logan family.
Mississippi Bridge descibes the unfairness of racial prejudice in the south, and how it backfired on some of the people who commited it. A swollen creek, a rickety bridge, and an out of control bus turn into a disaster. The book then ends with Jeremy, his african-american friend Josias, and others pulling people out of the water. It ends here, and kills the quality of the book. It seems like Taylor wanted a cup of Starbucks more than the importance of answering the questions I and most likely other readers are asking. This was a disappointing ending to an otherwise excellent book.

Taylor has wowed me again!
I am simply facinated by the Logan series that Mildred D. Taylor has created. Born and raised in Mississippi, I have seen first hand the actions that Taylor writes about. I share the books with my students. I plan to read this one next week. I can't wait. Mississippi Bridge gives us a look into the character Jeremy Simms. The story is one of pride and human nature. This story, along with Taylor's others, is an excellent teaching tool. Children of all ages can learn from our past mistakes through these touching and true to life stories. I highly recommend ANY and ALL of the Logan series books! ... Read more

Book Description

With the depression bearing down on her family and food in short supply, Cassie Logan isn't sure where her next meal will come from.But there is one thing that she knows will always be there-the whispering trees outside her window. Cassie's trees are a steady source of comfort to her, but they also happen to be worth a lot of money. When Mr. Andersen tries to force Big Ma to sell their valuable trees, Cassie can't just sit by and let it happen.She knows that her family needs the money, but something tells her that they need the trees just as much. The beloved heroine of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry enchants us again in this story of strength and pride.

Illustrated by Jerry Pinkey ... Read more

Reviews (7)

cute little book
i think this is a verey excellent book for a young person to get an idea about racism and prejudice all at the same time an enjoyable novel.

Everyone should buy this book!
This was a wonderful book about the way a family pulls together to save the trees! I cried when I read it! You are crazy if you dont buy this book! It is so wonderful! Please buy it plase please!

An excellent book to ignite an interest in Black history.
This is an excellent book to introduce Black history and literary techniques. The author paints vivid pictures of the scenery that are easily pictured in one's mind. She makes excellent use of similes and comparisons. When read aloud to children, they can easily draw pictures to illustrate the setting and the characters. It is an excellent springboard to discussion of Black history and American history during the Depression.

I enjoyed the author's tricks
I give Song of the Trees 3 1/2 stars because Song of the Trees needs more pages and a better ending. That would help the book. The good things are the author's tricks. They are imagery,accents and the way they make you feel like the character.

I recomend this book for anybody that loves imagery.
This story I have read was Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor. This story was manily about a girl named Cassie, who hears the trees singing outside her bedroom window. When Mr. Anderson comes she doesn't hear them singing anymore. I give this story three stars because as I was reading the book an image kept coming to my head. For example when Cassie said "Hello Mr.Trees" I could picture that image in my head. The reason I didn't give it four stars is because the resolution did not end like I wanted it to. I recomend this book for anybody that likes imagery as there reading. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

10 year old reader:I love this book
I love The Road To Memphis. I started reading Mildred D. Taylor's book at the beginning last year at school as a class reading but right away I loved it by the time my teacher stared I was at the end of chapter 1 in Roll of Thunder,Hear My Cry. After that I couldn't stop reading, and I got in trouble for reading it so quickly, but then I read Let the Circle be Unbroken, then found myself reading The Road To Memphis. The main charcters of this book is Cassie,Stacey,Moe,Claudia,Little man,Christopher-John. When Moe gets tired of the whites treating him like dirt,he beats up 3 white boys,almost killing them. Then has to make a run for a train in Memphis to get to Stacey's uncle Hammer, But on the way somebody dies (i'm not saying who).In the end even a white's life messes up.Before I read this book I knew slaves had a hard time, but after slavery I didn't know how they were treated, and I think all whites (including me) are well respected of blacks even without reading theese books.! And I recomend you reading her other books to!

I Loved This Book!!!!!!!!!
I read this book in one day!! I read "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" in 8th grade as a class requirment and I loved it and I started looking for the sequals and prequals a couple of weeks ago. So far I like this one the best. Cassie Logan is 17 and still has a temper when it comes to segragation and one of the young white boys Jeremy Simms cousin Statler is setting eyes on young and beautiful Cassie Logan. an incident happens causing the Moe to flee to Memphis with the help of Cassie, Stacie, Clarence, Little Willie, and Jeremy Simms. On the way Cassie meets a very handsome man in a cafe........... Great book I highly reccomend you read it or get it for your child. Taylor is very good in expressing the hardships of the African American people during that time period.

Wow what a book!!!!
I started , THE ROAD TO MEMPHIS,for the summer reading and fell in love. I couldn't put it down.
Cassie 17 years old, in high school, goes to jackson with brother and 3 friends, for school. Then one friend is caught in a mess with white and reacts, causing serious damage. With the help of white childhood friend, the friend is brought to safety. The freind gets on the train in memphis and confesses his true love for cassie. But Cassie is in love with Bradley Solomon, for what she thinks. One freind dies, and leaves baby and soon to be wife. Cassie tries to move on but has frightneging dreams. White friend confesses to helping and is beat by father and banished, and never seen again.Ends
Great book recemmend to anyone.

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
This book is absolutely great! Mildred D. Taylor explains the hardships of blacks in her books. This is a very sad book because Cassie has 3 friends that leave and her brother leaves. Cassie says she'll never fall in love, but she falls in love with a guy named Solomo Bradley. I won't give the book away to you, so get a book yourself a read it to see what happens! I wish Taylor would make a sequal to this book because I want to know what happens. I HIGHLY RECCOEND THIS BOOK! Get it now!

all mildred D. Taylor books
These are excellent books. All (young and old) should read these books and get a better undstanding of black history. ... Read more

Book Description

Lois and Wilma are proud of their father's brand-new gold Cadillac, and excited that the family will be driving it all the way from Ohio to Mississippi. But as they travel deeper into the rural South, there are no admiring glances for the shiny new car--only suspicion and anger for the black man behind the wheel. For the first time in their lives, Lois and her sister know what it's like to feel scared because of the color of their skin.A personal, poignant look at a black child's first experience with institutional racism. --The New York Times/ ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The segregated South through the eyes of a child
"The Gold Cadillac," by Mildred D. Taylor, is one of a series of works of fiction in which the author explores African-American history. Like her other books, "The Gold Cadillac" is told from the perspective of a young person and is suitable for younger readers.

The book's narrator, nicknamed 'lois, lives with her family in Toledo, Ohio, around 1950. Her father's purchase of an extravagant gold Cadillac causes some family friction. But the intense drama comes when the family piles into the car and takes a trip south, into communities poisoned by racial segregation and other manifestations of racism.

Taylor is frank, but not sensationalistic, in her portrayal of racism. And although the book ultimately celebrates the strength of a Black family, the book is not sentimental and does not, in my opinion, trivialize the scars of racism. And although Taylor is certainly a writer in the tradition of children's literature, I also see "The Gold Cadillac" and her other books as being a firm part of a larger African-American literary tradition. Certainly, this book has a good deal in common with such "adult" African-American literature as Gwendolyn Brooks' novel "Maud Martha" or Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun." I recommend this book to readers of all ages.

the gold cadillac
"As I saw my dad coming in a Cadillac I felt some butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't believe that Cadillac was ours."
What I liked about this book were the characters. I liked the characters because they really showed their feelings. I also liked the car because it is an o.k. car. What I didn't like about this was the white and black people signs. I also didn't like how the white cop treated the family when he thought they had stolen the car when they went down south. This historical fiction book was written by, Mildred D. Taylor. I really recommend this book to people who are interested in African American history.

I loved this book!
This book shows today's youngsters what it was like to be black in the South during the l960s. Some of the characters are very unlikable; some are likable. This book shows what daily life could be like, something many people choose to forget.

Another winner by Mildred D. Taylor
This is another beautifully written book. It is well worth reading.

boring
I didn't like the book becase the book was just boring, and the story had no point what-so-ever. It's a book that peopple who like reading old books would read! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It takes near impossible determination and courage for a family to remain together in the face of brutal racist attacks, illness, poverty, and betrayal. But in the Deep South of the 1930s and '40s, Cassie Logan and her family manage not only to stay together, but to draw strength from their adversity. Mildred D. Taylor's classic trio about the Logan family has been the recipient of many distinguished awards, including the Newbery Medal (for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry) and two Coretta Scott King Awards (for Let the Circle Be Unbroken and The Road to Memphis). Starting at age 9, Cassie begins learning about things no one should ever have to encounter: humiliation, prejudice, brutal violence, and profound injustice. At the same time, though, her family teaches Cassie and her three brothers about dignity, pride, and respect for humanity. The trilogy follows the Logan family through the Depression and into World War II, as they confront tragic loss and joyful triumphs. By the age of 17, Cassie is dreaming of college and law school, but still battling horrific racism. This is a tremendously powerful, dramatic, and beautifully written series. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Nice book, good story!!
I was required to read this novel for my English course. In the book Mildred Taylor depicts the life of a little black girl in the 1930's with the utmost detail. The writer shows that you must first have pride in who you are before you take any further actions. It was so sad and touching yet so triumphant. Through this book, the life of an Afro American in the thirties fully shines through. The book also shows the inequality and hatred that fills each persons mind. I really enjoyed reading it.

Lovely book and well written
I loved to read this book. It was well written and tells a heartbreaking story. The innocents of a black young girl who doesn't understand why she is treated so different then the white kids. I almost felt sorry it had to be explainded to her. I wish we didn't have to tell our chideren that there is a difference between black and white.

Very Cool
I think this book was great. I read this book for my book report. I enjoyed the whole plot of it all. I enjoyed it being told from a 9-year-olds point of view. I like that Ms. Taylor didn't let everything just pop out. Like Cassie's parents just didn't tell her everything. She found out most of the stuff either by sneaking around or by asking Stacey her older brother. Some of the parts were confusing. And others were a little boring, well I shouldn't say that I guess slow going is the word. Overall I think this book was very exciting and you should buy it why you can. I promise you YOU WON'T BE SORRY!

Roll of Thunder Hear My Thoughts
I gave this book a 4. I thought it was a great book. I enjoyed reading it.The reason I gave it a 4 and not a 5 is beause there were some parts of the story that I got confused and didnt understand what was going on.It took me a while to understand some of the stuff they were talking about.Some parts I thought were slow and kind of boring.I would have liked it if they showed T.J. having the conversation with the Wallaces about Mrs.Logan.
The Characters in this story were very realistic.The book was very well written with detail and as I was reading it I could picture what was going on.I liked how the book was written through the eyes of a young girl whose name was Cassey.Cassey was very brave and willing to do anything for her family.I think she takes after her Uncle Hammer.This book reminds me of the book Watsons Go To Birmingham.When I was in seventh grade I read the prequil to roll of Thunder called"the Land" and now that I have read Roll of Thunder I understand better what is going on with the family.
I thought this book was excellent and it helped me understand what black families went through.I liked the overall purpose of the book and the subject of it.The Logans are trying to get all their bills payed so that their land doesn't get taken away from them.It is uniquely written because the kids dont't know what is going on and how the white families treat black people out side of their town.You can deffinately tell that the don't know what prejudice people act like to them when they take the trip to Strawberry.

Roll of thunder hear my cry
THIS IS THE GREATEST BOOK I EVER READ!!!!!! I Would recomend this to anyone with good taste it has a lot of detail and meaning I give it a 5 cause of the great storyline ... Read more