Dear America

Gr 4–7—Upon being identified by the NAACP, Dawnie Rae Johnson becomes the first African American to integrate an all white school following the ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education. An animated reading of Dawnie's diary entries draw listeners in and make them part of her experiences and emotions as she bravely faces the angry crowds on her first days of school, excitedly describes her adventures on a pogo stick, angrily confronts her little brother after finding his scribbles in her diary, and nervously wonders when her father will find a new job. Waites's exceptional talents give voice to Dawnie's determination. Channie Waites expertly brings to life Andrea Davis Pinkney's story (Scholastic, 2011). Dawnie is a fictional 12-year-old living in Virginia in 1954. Pinkney's ability to weave historical events such as the Montgomery bus protest, Jackie Robinson's integration of baseball, and visits from Martin Luther King, Jr. into the fictional diary entries give listeners insight into what life was like during this important period of American history. Read with passion and expression, listeners will admire the spunky young girl in this entertaining, historically-based recording. The enhanced CD includes historical images and an interview with the author. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.—Cathie Bashaw Morton, Millbrook Central School District, NY