Picture book for children ages nine and up
James William, son of a racist white man, lives in the south and endures most of his childhood living in ignorance about his father’s beliefs while he befriends both white and black boys, until one day he discovers the truth of his father under his Ku Klux Klan white suit.
Mississippi Morning is a picture book that is on the controversial book list. This is understandable for the fact that the abhorrence that comes in the form of racism is described through a real-life story. The story begins describing James William as the picture perfect son. He is a boy who wakes up early to do complete the daily chores in place of his father who runs a hardware store in town. This hardware store is a symbolic landmark in this story. James William, while helping out at his father’s store, sees the men that gather and solve all of life’s problems on his father’s porch as great men. While hanging out with his friend Red, he hears a different perspective about the discussions and actions of his father and his friends. James William refuses to believe the fact that these great men could think that a black preacher got what he deserved when his church was set aflame. Another unknown insight gained from a friend came to James William in the form of his friend LeRoy, whom the reader only knows to be black based on the illustrations. LeRoy describes the group known as the Ku Klux Klan and their actions against his people. Still, James William refuses to believe it, even after his father refuses to answer his questions about such actions and groups. It is only when James William awakes earlier than normal to complete his chores and physically makes eye contact with his father pulling off his white Ku Klux Klan suit does he see the horror in the solutions that the men who sit on the porch of his father’s store have to the problems of the land.
Mississippi Morning would fall under the category of a well written book. It’s illustrations are wonderful. The story it tells and the lesson it teaches is powerful. Because this story is told from the perspective of an innocent young boy, this story becomes even more of a harsh reality when describing the white man’s discrimination against black people during the early 1900's. Children who read this book would be able to easily relate to James William in the story and then fully understand the horror of the actions of many white men and the Ku Klux Klan better than any textbook or any other history lesson. Due to this fact, this book should be used with caution. It is important to make sure that the audience is age appropriate as well as emotionally prepared for this story.
Although this book is considered to be controversial and could cause some parents to be upset about the content in this story, I would still use this book, when appropriate, as a part of my social studies curriculum. Any lesson that can be taught without using a textbook is worthwhile because students will be more excited about the lesson. With this book in particular, I think the children will really learn the material and understand the brutal reality of discrimination, then and now. My reasoning for choosing Mississippi Moon to read to my class while discussing early 20th Century United State history would be to emphasize the point that discrimination, in any form, is hurtful to many people. The children would be able to relate to James William because he is a child of their same age, and they would be able to feel the shame that James William felt when he heard about Ku Klux Klan’s actions. Hopefully, the students will see the hatred in their actions and never want to take part in something like of their own. Lastly, I think Mississippi Moon would generate a great post-reading discussion about what the students would do if they were James William and they saw their father as a member of hate-group. So many other topics in history, as well as current events, relate to the hate crimes of the KKK that I think the lesson taught in this story is far more valuable than the chance of upsetting a child over the reality that is discrimination.
To see what another blogger thought of this book check out the blog Cynsations.
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