Overview

""Right here, I'm sharing the honest-to-goodness."" -- Loretta ""I'm gon' reach back, and tell how it all went. I'm gon' speak on it. My way."" -- Roly ""I got more nerve than a bad tooth. But there's nothing bad about being bold."" -- Aggie B. Loretta, Roly, and Aggie B., members of the Little family, each present the vivid story of their young lives, spanning three generations. Their separate stories -- beginning in a cotton field in 1927 and ending at the presidential election of 1968 -- come together to create one unforgettable journey. Through an evocative mix of fictional first-person narratives, spoken-word poems, folk myths, gospel rhythms and blues influences, Loretta Little Looks Back weaves an immersive tapestry that illuminates the dignity of sharecroppers in the rural South. Inspired by storytelling's oral tradition, stirring vignettes are presented in a series of theatrical monologues that paint a gripping, multidimensional portrait of America's struggle for civil rights as seen through the eyes of the children who lived it. The novel's unique format invites us to walk in their shoes. Each encounters an unexpected mystical gift, passed down from one family member to the next, that ignites their experience what it means to reach for freedom.

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9780316536738

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Reviews

...a gratifyingly unconventional format and a musical sequence of storytelling that may illuminate some stark moments of our country's history.--BCCB Praise for Loretta Little Looks Back: *Art adds elegant portraits of land and family to these vivid tales...--Publishers Weekly, starred review Sparkling with Southern diction and rhythms, peppered with poems and songs, Pinkney's monologues invite readers' out-loud participation.--The New York Times *...a compelling testimony of resilience.--The Horn Book, starred review *...an unforgettable reading experience. Perfect for every library.--School Library Journal, starred review *..timely and important read.--Kirkus, starred review *As always, Pinkney's writing sings, rich with metaphor, lyricism, and touches of magic realism...--Booklist

Author Information

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of nearly 50 books for young readers, among them The Red Pencil and A Poem for Peter, as well as several collaborations with her husband Brian Pinkney, including Sit -In and Hand in Hand, which received the Coretta Scott King Book Award. Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous books for children, including two Caldecott Honor books, and he has written and illustrated several of his own books. Brian has received the Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustration and three Coretta Scott King Book Award Honor medals. The Pinkneys have been named among the ""25 Most Influential People in Our Children's Lives"" by Children's Health magazine. They live in Brooklyn, New York.

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