Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

(Puffin-1996)

By: Mildred D. Taylor

Grade: 6-9

*1977 Newbery Award Winner*

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is set in Mississippi during the Great Depression. It is the story of one family's struggle to maintain independence and pride. It is told in first-person narrative of a girl, Cassie Logan who is in a constant struggle for physical survival. The story is both inspiring and terrifying. The story is told in the span of a year-with ups and downs. I don't want to give away too much because you should definitely read it!

Theme/Skills Taught: Fear, Distrust, Values, Not understanding one's culture/Problem & Soltions, Making Inferences, Drawing Conclusions

About the Author: Mildred D. Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi where life was difficult for their family due to racial segregation. Their family moved to the North to hopefully gain more opportunities. They continued to visit family in the South and through her father's love for the South and all the storytelling, Mildred became the writer she was. From these stories, Taylor learned about her great-grandfather, the son of a white plantation owner in Alabama and a slave woman. In the late 1800s, this young man ran away from Alabama to buy land and settle in Mississippi; the land he purchased more than 100 years ago is still owned by the Taylor family. All of these stories and her experiences influenced her writing. About Mildred Taylor

Pre-Reading Activities: Think about what it's like to be part of a large family, what it's like to start school, and how people who are different are treated. This story involves a number of characters in a dramatic novel in which the conflict between black and white Americans is described. Look at the front cover of the book. Read the title and ask: Who do you think these characters are? What can you tell about them just from their clothes and the way they are behaving? What questions do you have about the story from looking at the cover? See more activities

Post Reading Activities: Discuss problem/solution. In the middle of the book the author uses flashbacks: use flowcharts to keep track of the major events in the story so students don't get confused.