The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson and E. B. Lewis

 

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E. B. Lewis
              • Historical Fiction
              • K-3
Summary:
This is a story about an African American girl, Clover, who lives in a town that is divided by a fence, whites on one side and people of color on the other. This summer, there was a girl who climbed the fence to look at the POC (people of color) side, sometimes Clover would stare right back. This girl wanted to play with Clover and her friends, but Clover's friends always said no. One day, Clover decided to go up to the fence where the girl was, and the girl talked to her (her name was Annie). Clover began to sit on the fence with Annie everyday. At the end, Clover's friend accept Annie as their friend, and they all sit on the fence together. 
Evaluation:
I love books like this, that show some of the harsh reality of America's past, but in a more light-hearted way. In my classroom, I want my students to know the history of their country, good or bad. However, I do not want them to be in a bad mood while learning about it. I think this book is a great way to teach students about the past, while at the same time showing that not everyone/everything was terrible. This is also just a great book for teaching about accepting others as they are, even if they are different from you. 

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