Rating: 
Summary: The Real Thing
Review: NightJohn was one of the few books that stuck in my mind. This book taught me to appriciate that I live in the time where we moslty always get along. This book is about a 10 year old African American slave that lives on the Waller plantation. people think she is dumb because she is quiet, but that is how she learn she listens and learn things. then one day while working on the roses in the garden by the "white house" where Sarny over heard that Mr. Waller bought a new slave. the wife said that he cost one thousand dollars. later that day there came Mr. Waller with a man nadked as the day he was born came to the main yard. then he just runns him in to the faild to start working. later that night he sits alone in a corner of the quaters. he asks for a lip of tobacco. since Sarny was working in the flower bed she had to chew and spit tobacco on the roses to keep the bugs away. she still had some left over and wonders what he could have to offer for he had nothing. then he says that he would trade it for letters. Sarny wondered what these "letters" he was talking about. will she trade or not?
Rating: 
Summary: Life of Slaves on a Plantation
Review: NIGHTJOHN
"Nightjohn" was an extraordinary book about slaves and one slave,
Sarny, who did what no one could do. After her mother was sold, she stayed with her mammy, but it was not her mother. She was the mother of the plantation children.The plantation was owned by Waller. Waller would not allow the slaves to read or write. Gary Paulson shows great details about life as a slave. Waller brought Nightjohn to the plantation. He was in chains and had scars on his back like someone had taken a cheese grater and ran down its back with it. Nightjohn wanted to teach Sarny to read and write and he did. It's a remarkable story about Sarny and her long road to read and write. Not only watching mammy and fellow slaves get whipped and punished, Sarny never gave up. She showed spirit and determination to overcome her goals.If I was a slave I would follow my dream like Sarny.
If you like history about slaves then I recommend this book.
GRADES 4th-12th should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE BEST!
Review: Out of all of the books I've read in my twelve years (well over fivehundred books) this is definitely in my top ten, if not five. It is extremely accurately written, you can tell that there must have been tons of research done. I laughed, I pondered, but most of all I felt sad and sometimes cried. Believe me, you've got to read this one!
Rating:
Summary: Has an important and powerful message
Review: Reading - what does it mean to you? Many adore that word, and those people happen to be bookworms. But some detest that word, considering that reading is boring. Many people take reading for granted. But for an enslaved person, the ability to read is very powerful."Nightjohn" is the tale of a young, female, black slave who learned how to read, and the man who dared break the rules to teach it. Sarny is a curious, little girl, a slave from birth, who resides in the plantation of Mr. Waller during the Civil War. For her, life is the same, until a mysterious black man named John teaches her something new, the ability to read and write. Though the rules forbid that a slave should learn that, Sarney and John risk everything to learn and teach one of man's most powerful tactics. "Nightjohn" - an inspiring tale set during a time of despair and suffering, when the Civil War tore a nation apart, when people sorrowfully leave their families to do what they believed was right. It was a time when slavery existed, and suffering slaves risk their lives to seek freedom. Short and fast-moving (only 90 pages), "Nightjohn" has an important message. Many people can learn from this story. It teaches that words are the most powerful weapon that can be used against injustice and corruption. The book acuratelly portrays the cruel and violent life of a slave during 1800s America, and the despairs and hopes they kept during a horrible time. "Nightjohn" will convince you that slavery should never have existed!
Rating:
Summary: "THEY DON'T WANT US READING"
Review: Set in the slave-owning 1850's, this grimly concise novel narrates the impact of the arrival of John, a new slave on a modest plantation. He had actually escaped to the North to Freedom, but he chose to return surreptitiously in order to teach other slaves how to benefit from the white man's secret weapon: How to Read! This skill was for whites only and jealouslsy guarded--absolutely forbidden among the slaves, and viciously punished. His first pupil is 12-year-old Sarny, who trades him tobacco leaves in return for her first three letters: ABC. Narrated in the first person by plucky Sarny, this short book presents the gruesome reality of the shocking conditions suffered by Black people in the 19th century. The author has spared no ghastly detail to recreate our national shame. What is so appalling is the fact that the setting is NOT fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: nightjohn is not my type of book but it is very good
Review: Slavery, this word is in the past but Nightjohn brings it back. it tells how cruel blacks were treated and how brave Nightjohn was to come back and teach the slaves to write and read
Rating: 
Summary: NightJohn
Review: The protagonist is this girl who doesn't know how to read or write. The conflict is shes trying to learn how to read ,but she doesn'thave anyone to teach her.Summary is ;the master who ownes everyone buys this slave called NightJohn. He teaches this girl the first 7 letters of the alphabet. Then the master finds out so he cuts off two of his toes.I liked it when the little girl finds out how to spell the word BAG .She goes and writes bag everywhere in the dirt.
Rating:
Summary: Nightjohn
Review: This book is about Sarny, telling the story of John. He is the new slave brought to the plantation. He knows how to read and write and Sarny wants to learn. Every night for some tobacco, John teaches Sarny a letter of the alphabet so she can learn to read and spell words. This book tells it like it is (or WAS) it takes you through the story as if you were there learning with Sarny and witnessing all the events happening on the plantation. This was a great book and I highly recommend reading it, it is actually educational and still interesting.
Rating:
Summary: NightJohn
Review: This book is great for students that are into learning about slavery, and things that would happen to them if they did something wrong. I would only recomond this book to anyone older than 12.
Rating:
Summary: A must read; demonstrates importance of being able to read!
Review: This book should hook you as a Gary Paulsen fan. His research for the book is enough to break your heart as you hear about the desire of slaves to read. It also demonstrates that freedom can be accomplished by being able to read. Don't miss the follow up, Sarny. It made my 6th graders, even the boys, get teary eyed!
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