Carolivia Herron

This book is a little hard to talk about. The title is considered derogatory by many. At the time it was published (1997) this may have not been the case. Uncle Mordici is telling his niece where she got her hair. That it was sent by God to represent her culture. I liked this book, and think I understand it. However, I am not the right person to tell one how true or how good of a representation this book is or isn’t. It has been banned in the past, and back in 1999, it even caused some problems in a community that caused a teacher to change schools. Overall, I think this is a good addition to a library but understand that I may be wrong.… (plus d'informations)

In my opinion, this is an AMAZING book! The author has such a strong voice and I love how the author embraces African American culture. In addition, Herron also uses a lot of African-American English (AAE), which makes the text feel authentic and real. For instance, she writes,“Them some willful intentional naps you / got all over your head. / Sure enough. / Your hair intended to be nappy. / Indeed it did.” This quote among many others, shows her unique voice and offers a sense of rhythm. Another thing that I really liked was how she challenged the views of many and embraced her culture, stating that nappy hair is a distinct feature of African Americans, and she writes with a sense of pride that shows throughout her writing. Moreover, the illustrations in the book also supported the language and voice and it helps to promote African American culture and pride. I think this would be a great book to include in a classroom collection and it allows students to embrace their individuality and all of their unique features.… (plus d'informations)