My Words on Children's Literature

Genre 2 TRADITIONAL LITERATURE

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

McKissack, Patricia C. 2006. PORCH LIES. Ill. by Andre Carrilho. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 0375836195

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This collection of 10 great trickster stories is perfect for reading aloud. Each one is told with a child narrator which encourages identification. Wily characters include Pete Bruce who flatters a baker out of a coconut cream pie and a quart of milk; Mingo who breezes through without ever paying his bills; Frank and Jesse James, AKA the Howard boys, who help an old woman out of a bind and several others. Each of these tales tells a believable story of someone who is tricked and someone who does the tricking.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

These stories are completely fiction, but the way McKissack sets them up with context and a child narrator makes the reader or listener believe that there might be some truth to the tale. The various characters, setups, jokes, and motifs come from a background of African American and Southern traditions during the Depression era. A word from the author might have been helpful to the reader who is unfamiliar with this African American history to help separate the “truth” of these lies that allude to the traditions. However, part of the fun of these stories is in thinking it could have happened. The reader or listener may be reminded of the Brer Rabbit stories and think the tricks in these stories, such as the man who gets a whole pie by tasting slivers, line right up with the tricks of ol' Brer Rabbit. Targeting children from 5^th grade and up, these tales will bring out hoots and giggles from everyone.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Bulletin of the center for children’s books: “Crackling dialogue fuels humorous plots, making this collection perfect for a classroom read aloud; the consistency of tone links stories across various frames and narrators.”

SLJ: “…they’re great fun to read aloud and the tricksters, sharpies, slicksters, and outlaws wink knowingly at the child narrators, and at us foolish humans.”

5. CONNECTIONS

* The collection would make a great curricular tie-in with units on African-American history and folklore, or trickster tales generally.

*Compare the tricks of Brer Rabbit to the tricks of these characters.

*Haynes, David. AFRICAN AMERICAN FOLKTALES.

ISBN 0780765745

*Harris, Joel Chandler. THE CLASSIC TALES OF BRER RABBIT.

ISBN 0762432195

// posted by catalogblog @ 7:16 AM