Going North (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards))
Starred Review. Grade 3-5–This autobiographical story follows an African-American family on their difficult move from Alabama to Nebraska in the 1960s. The journey presents special complications for the young narrator, her siblings, and her parents; they can only buy fuel at "Negro stations" and shop in "Negro stores." Jessie has reservations about leaving all the good things she knows in the South but grows increasingly optimistic about improved prospects elsewhere as she gets farther from home. After several anxious days of driving, the travelers finally arrive in Lincoln, their new frontier. Lagarrigue's paintings are subdued but powerful and well-suited to Harrington's somber, poetic narrative voice. Contrasting shades and changing textures are used to evoke the characters' emotions and to highlight the passing landscape. On the endpapers, an outline map showing the family's journey is painted on a road map, setting the tone for the book. A brief author's note is appended. A solid choice for readers who aren't quite ready for Christopher Paul Curtis'sThe Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963(Dell, 1995).–Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SCCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.