Girls survive : Lena and the burning of Greenwood : a Tulsa Race Massacre survival story / by Nikki Shannon Smith ; illustrated by Markia Jenai.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781663990563
- ISBN: 1663990565
- ISBN: 9781666329445
- ISBN: 1666329444
- Physical Description: 103 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm.
- Publisher: North Mankato, Minnesota : Stone Arch Books, an imprint of Capstone [2022]
Content descriptions
Target Audience Note: | Ages 8-12. Stone Arch Books. Grades 4-6. Stone Arch Books. 580L Lexile Decoding demand: 83 (very high) Semantic demand: 96 (very high) Syntactic demand: 84 (very high) Structure demand: 87 (very high) Lexile |
Study Program Information Note: | Accelerated Reader AR MG 3.9 2 515221. |
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Genre: | Fiction. Historical fiction. History. Juvenile works. |
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Kirkus Review
Lena and the Burning of Greenwood : A Tulsa Race Massacre Survival Story
Kirkus Reviews
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
On Memorial Day 1921, 12-year-old Lena watches a gathering of clouds that portends a storm unlike any ever seen in Greenwood. In this moving story told from Lena's perspective, readers learn about the African American community of Greenwood, Oklahoma, or Black Wall Street as it came to be known. Lena lives in Greenwood with her mother, father, and 16-year-old sister, Cora. Her father often reminds her that "we have everything we need in Greenwood." They have shops aplenty, libraries, schools, parks, and, most importantly, a sense of community. One day, Lena's family hears whispers about Dick Rowland, a local Black man who was accused of assaulting a White woman. As racial tensions heighten, the residents of Greenwood fear White retribution for the alleged assault. The book moves quickly through the hours leading up to the massacre of over 300 Black people at the hands of White mobs and ends with Lena's family and her community trying to piece together what little remains of their lives. This well-plotted fictionalized account of the Tulsa Race Massacre geared at young readers is emotionally challenging but necessary. Smith's narrative deftly captures a child's emotional and psychological experience of the tragedy as well as the tenderness shared among Lena and her family members. Jenai's black-and-white digital illustrations, which appear every few pages, depict only Black characters and help readers imagine the historical setting. The thoughtful, informative backmatter will help adults lead discussions with children. An unflinching account of the Tulsa Race Massacre seen through the eyes of a young Black girl. (author's note, discussion questions, glossary) (Historical fiction. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.