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gmamartha's review against another edition
4.0
Pictures the "story" of Zora Neale Hurston's childhood... giving basis for her strong spirit and storytelling. I think adults will appreciate this more than kids, though.
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
Zora Neale Hurston grew up in Eatonville, FL, "the first incorporated all-black township in the United States." In this fictional account of an incident in her childhood, Eatonville at first seems to be idyllic. Sure, the residents aren't very well off, but they're safe and free to be whoever they'd like. After a headless corpse is found by the railroad tracks, Zora and her friend Carrie's perspectives are changed forever.
This was a very fast read. Zora herself is a delight. She reminds me a bit of Anne Shirley in that she names everything around her and has her own mythology to explain the world. She's the leader of this little group of friends and she keeps friends Carrie and Teddy on their toes.
Zora and Carrie get a little too caught up in the events surrounding the murder at the train tracks. They've been on the edges of a lot of the events leading up to the event and curious Zora is trying her best to put all the pieces together. Seeing the world through their innocence, and seeing them just starting to lose that innocence, feels very real. They don't have the experience to really understand what they're seeing at first, but they gain that experience the hard way.
The novel becomes a good introduction to race relations in the US. I can't imagine that it would be an easy read for youngsters, but these kinds of books never are. Nevertheless, it is important that we know our history. The authors don't shy away from alluding to lynchings (note that I did write "alluding to"--nothing is spelled out) or using "the N word," so if your child isn't ready for that, it might be best to save this book for later.
All of that makes the book sound very heavy and depressing. It's mostly not. Zora and Carrie have to deal with some grown-up issues, but they also have fun playing and getting licorice and just being children.
This is a very well-done book that I enjoyed. I recommend it for anyone, but it would be an especially good conversation-starter for parents with children old enough to handle the subject.
This was a very fast read. Zora herself is a delight. She reminds me a bit of Anne Shirley in that she names everything around her and has her own mythology to explain the world. She's the leader of this little group of friends and she keeps friends Carrie and Teddy on their toes.
Zora and Carrie get a little too caught up in the events surrounding the murder at the train tracks. They've been on the edges of a lot of the events leading up to the event and curious Zora is trying her best to put all the pieces together. Seeing the world through their innocence, and seeing them just starting to lose that innocence, feels very real. They don't have the experience to really understand what they're seeing at first, but they gain that experience the hard way.
The novel becomes a good introduction to race relations in the US. I can't imagine that it would be an easy read for youngsters, but these kinds of books never are. Nevertheless, it is important that we know our history. The authors don't shy away from alluding to lynchings (note that I did write "alluding to"--nothing is spelled out) or using "the N word," so if your child isn't ready for that, it might be best to save this book for later.
All of that makes the book sound very heavy and depressing. It's mostly not. Zora and Carrie have to deal with some grown-up issues, but they also have fun playing and getting licorice and just being children.
This is a very well-done book that I enjoyed. I recommend it for anyone, but it would be an especially good conversation-starter for parents with children old enough to handle the subject.
trkravtin's review against another edition
I found myself "hearing" the dialogue in this unique fiction based on the childhood of Zora Neale Hurston. I kept wanting to read it aloud, so I could immerse myself in a place very familiar to me. An excellent introduction to a formative figure in literature and of a time that hasn't been too often explored for readers of any age. There is much literature regarding other periods in the African-American experience in America. Zora and Me brings us to a time and place that is different and interesting. Eatonville, Florida was a special all-black community established during the dawn of the twentieth century. In Zora and Me, a different kind of prejudice is explored, which makes this book more interesting still. The magic of storytelling is here, and in this special setting, a young woman developed beyond the bounds that typically held back many other girls like her. Zora Neale Hurston's life continues to inspire women writers long after her death, and this is an excellent volume to introduce Zora to a new and younger generation of readers.
jennymock's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this more than I did. It's an easy and interesting read.
msdeeburgos's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
sayam111's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kamckim's review against another edition
4.0
This is a solid middle grade novel centered around the childhood of Zora Neale Hurston, as told by her friend. The conflict is easy to understand, but almost too simplistic when it comes to the subject matter-the death of a black man in Jim Crow south. I felt like I had read it before. Parts of the first-person narration was also a bit didactic; however, I still enjoyed the novel. It was a quick read, and perhaps younger readers who have not read much in this genre and/or subject would come away with fresher learning than I have.
bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
4.0
Carrie, Zora and Teddy are best friends. Zora has a wild and contagious imagination. She is convinced that Mr Pendrik is an alligator man. When some residents of Eatonville are injured and a drifter is murdered, Zora's story seems to be true. This is a sometimes silly, tender, and often deep story for young people about a childhood experience of acclaimed author Zora Neale Hurston. This book would serve as a nice introduction for young people regarding racism in the the early 1900s, poverty, and the complexities of family life that transcend all eras.
Grades 5-7.
CSK 2011
Grades 5-7.
CSK 2011