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Summary: The Thunder in her Heart
Review: Twelve-year-old Cassie Logan comes of age that summer in 1930's Mississippi, as she learns the bitter truth about racial relations. Sharecropping was just a legalized substitution for slavery; her family is naturally the target of white suspicion, resentment and open hostility since they actually own property Her parents instill their love for the land and pride in ownership into all 4 children. The four adults valiantly protect the youngsters from harm, but no one can shield them from the frightful truth of generations of prejudice against blacks. Sometimes bigotry is the only way certain folks can feel Better than others and justify physical and social cruelty. Not all the white characters are bad in this story and one black youth goes to the dogs, as violence explodes before an overdue thunderstorm. The thunder is not only in the heavens, however, as decent blacks raise their heads to stand as people of quiet dignity--deserving of respect from all. But white scum do not recognize that personal integrity and honor are colorblind. It's easier to keep an entire race in moral bondage if one pretends they are innately inferior. This is a serious but fascinating read with brisk dialogue, fast-paced plotting, and intense characterizations, as three teenagers must grow up and face adult choices. Bigotry with no holds barred.
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Summary: a good cultural book
Review: Hello,My name is Ashley .I thought this was an excellent novel.I go to a very monority based school.I think this book taught me that it was a very hardship for African Americans.Although I am not an African American I thought the basis of the White families were true.I think they did wrong but part of it was not iknowingthat they were doing wrong.Even though the nightriders burned down the house of one black family and took the life of one man they had no idea that they were doing wrong because that's what they believed.Though the Simm's knew wrong and right and the way Mr.Simm pushed Cassie down into the street was wrong,and later Lillian Jean got what she deserved when she was beat up by Cassie.This story is a good way to tell people that ignorance and being mean get's you no where.An to tell people that they can have just as nice things as they do.This is a good book for teens.So I suggest you read it and understand this time period.
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Summary: Excellent story, beautifully written!
Review: This book is so excellent that I have no idea where to start. I don't think schools adequately teach pupils about segregation-era America and how awful it was. When I was in 4th grade our class read this and most everyone was brought to tears. The story is written so well that you know all the charecters and what they do, but it doesn't bore you with details. This book shows the real side of segregation and how awful it was. I am very surprised it has never been made into a movie.
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Summary: Especially for those using this for Lit
Review: I'm a 14 yr old who did this bk for Lit this year. This bookwas the better of my two Lit texts, the other being "The ClayMarble". Again, as in the situation of TCM, this book was written for children aged 7-12, and not for 14 year-olds. The character development was pretty bad, with mostly stereotypes, but this made character study a breeze. This book points out racism, but Taylor did portray some nice whites Americans and mean Afro-Americans, though these were in the minority. The only charac worth thinking about was TJ, but he was shed in a rather bad light. Talk about giving a dog a bad name and hanging him. Cassie (the persona) was another immature kid, and one wonders why she seems to take in so much but comprehend so little. The prejudice was portrayed fairly well; Taylor made it a point to show that the afro-american kids were reluctant to befriend friendly white Americans. Generally speaking, this bk's readable and not too boring, but it is a bad choice for sec2 Lit, for it is too shallow.
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Summary: Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry
Review: I think this was a very good book. The book takes place in teh 1930's right after the "Great Depression". There is a family, the Logans, that go through many hard times. The father of the family is gone in the summer while the children stay home and help pick cotton. Although he is home in the winters, the children dearly miss him. I think this would teach you about the way people use to be before segregation. I think that if you read this book you will enjoy it.
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Summary: The Good In All of Us
Review: How can one not love a book that is full of great characters, and a literary depiction of a harsh historical period? Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry is an excellent book that I have recently been introduced to. The reason I love it so much is because of the way Mildred Taylor describes the relationships between the White and Black races in the book. In a lot of multicultural literature the White race is depicted as the horrible oppressor giving pain to a victimized culture. However, Taylor does something wonderful. She doesn't stick to this idea. Of course she writes about the racist characters and the despicable things they do, but more importantly she gives us characters that are White and truly good, like Mr. Jamison and Jeremy Simms. She also gives us Black characters that are truly good, like the Logan's, and not so nice Black characters. I really enjoyed the chance for a culture, or race, to be both good and bad not just one or the other. In fact I'm planning to place this book in a future lesson plan so the students can discuss the characters and whether they contribute to both the good and bad aspects of this racist period. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about the good that any person can do no matter what race they are. Taylor is a talented writer and I'm excited to read more of her books.
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Summary: Great style, brilliant book overall
Review: There have been so many great reviews for this book, I can't really say much that hasn't been touched on. However, in response to the two reviews before me, I cannot possibly see their point-of-view. Roll of Thunder reads very much like a fourth grader's work, in the sense that the narrator is nine years old. Taylor is *brilliant* at giving Cassie credibility as a narrator and the reader is privileged to see the events of the story through her eyes. I love every page of this book and have read it over again a hundred times. The "slow" opening actually gives us a clear picture of the setting and the character traits of those people who shape Cassie's world. I do not understand how people can not see this. I read this book on my own in third grade, and read it in school in eighth grade, so I think it has a good range of ages. I'm in college and I still like re-reading it. There are a lot of good themes/issues to explore with your kids or students if you read this book with them.
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Summary: The Book was really really POINTLESS!!!!
Review: I was forced into painfully turning the pages of this disgrace to literature in my 8th grade ADVANCED English class. Maybe this book should be used for a remedial kindergarten reading program, but definately (sp?) not for educational purposes. My cousin, the biggest reader I know, was required to read this book, but he thought it was so stupid and surfacy, he didn't even finish the book. (He chose to read HARRY POTTER instead!) This book has no depth and symbolism at all and should be used as a good example of how not to write.
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Summary: Waste of time
Review: I loved the message of the book, but how did this lady become a writer? Her writing style is similar to a fourth grader's essay, not enough description on things that needed it, and too much for those that didn't. Again, I loved the story and ideas, but she could have done so much better.
Rating: 
Summary: A book that starts too slow
Review: This book was the slowest starting book I ever read. I got headaches after reading for 15 minutes until I reached the 8the chapter and the book got better if you dont mind long boring books this one is for you!
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