A heartbreaking read that is more than tempered by Mr. Tillage's lack of bitterness even after all he witnessed and experienced as a black boy growing up in small-town North Carolina. Searing incidents are all the more so with the simplicity of his voice ("that's the way it was then" is a phrase he often uses to explain egregious behavior and sad facts of life). An unforgettable book about the hopeful resilience of an ordinary boy under extraordinary circumstances. An absolute must-read for any young person's understanding of the civil rights movement. ( )

Leon was the son of a sharecropper, and because of his color, he had to go through many difficult situations. Leon lived his life in fear, and despite the problems that he had, he always looked at the positive aspect of life. He was a very respectful person, and he loved smiling. Leon’s father was killed when Leon was a child, and his family stayed very close. The book emphasizes the cruelty of the Caucasian people from the south of the United States, and how African Americans had no rights to basic services. The book also shows the strength, courage, and endurance that African Americans had during that time period. Leon’s story also reflects a little of the next African American generation. Leon’s daughter became a nurse, and she improves her life. ( )

A great book to read to elementary school students! This one is another favorite of mine. It's a biography about a boy and his father who were slaves. He explains the rough times he went through and how other children treated him because of his skin color. Since this story is about Leon when he was younger, it can give students an idea of how he felt and that the way he was treated wasn't right since they would be about the same age. I highly recommend this biography to read to students when they are learning about slavery. It's a great read and I hope to read this to my students one day.

its was a good story and took place in 1940 in North carolinia i recomend this book to people that like african american history . ( )

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews
Tillage, a black custodian in a Baltimore private school, reminisces about his childhood as a sharecropper's son in the South, and his youth as a civil-rights protester. He explains the mechanics of sharecropping and segregation, tells of his mistreatment and his father's murder at the hands of white teenagers out to ``have some fun,'' and relates his experiences with police dogs, fire hoses, and jail while following Martin Luther King's ideas of nonviolent protest. Tillage matter-of-factly recounts horrific events, using spare language that is laced with remarkable wisdom, compassion, and optimism. Such gentleness only gives his story more power, as he drives home the harder realities of his childhood. Although the collage illustrations are interesting, they are too moody and remote for the human spirit behind the words, and readers will regret Roth's decision--especially in light of the boy smiling so brightly on the cover--that ``even one photo would be too many for Leon Walter Tillage's words.'' (Memoir. 8-14) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"In this riveting autobiography, Baltimore janitor Leon Walter Tillage reflects on his life with all the vitality of a storyteller gathering his audience around him. He recalls his childhood as an African American sharecropper's son in 1940s North Carolina...Tillage's words describe a time, only a few short decades back, when Klansmen and Jim Crow laws ruled the South...Roth's dramatic black-and-white collages pay homage to the power of Leon's story, a tale that does more in its gentle way to explose the horrors of racism than most works of fiction ever could.""-Starred, Publishers Weekly

"The story has great power."-The New York Times Book Review

"The incidents described in his moving personal narrative are transcribed from taped oral testimony...The full strength of character of Leon Tillage and those he represents is revealed in the plain dignity of his words." - Starred, The Horn Book