Free White Socks Only (Albert Whitman Prairie Paperback) Ebooks Online
In the segregated south, a young girl thinks that she can drink from a fountain marked "Whites Only" because she is wearing her white socks.
Lexile Measure: 630L (What's this?)
Series: Albert Whitman Prairie Paperback
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (January 1, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 080758956X
ISBN-13: 978-0807589564
Product Dimensions: 0.2 x 8 x 10 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #29,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #44 in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Difficult Discussions > Prejudice & Racism #53 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > United States > 1900s #84 in Books > Children's Books > Geography & Cultures > Multicultural Stories > African-American
Age Range: 5 - 8 years
Grade Level: Kindergarten - 4
"White Socks Only" takes place in segregated Mississippi and does an excellent job of helping young children realize how foolish it is to judge others by the color of their skin. On a hot Mississippi day, a young African-American girl walks into town and stops at a drinking fountain to get a drink. She sees a "Whites Only" sign on the drinking fountain and misinterprets the meaning of the sign. She innocently thinks the sign must mean "White Socks Only", so she takes off her black, Sunday best shoes and steps up to the fountain wearing her clean white socks. Suddenly, an angry white man pushes her to the ground. Soon other African-Americans gather around the fountain. To show their support and understanding of the child's innocent mistake, one by one they also take off their shoes and step up to get a drink with red, yellow, or blue socks. She is rescued by the "Chicken Man," who has very unusual powers.This book deals with the issue of racism in a way that young children can relate to and understand because it makes the idea of judging people by the color of their skin almost as foolish as judging people by the color of their socks. I read this book to my fifth grade class and it generated some wonderful discussions about racism, and treating others with respect and kindness regardless of who they are, where they live, the color of their skin, or what clothes they wear. I highly recommend this book.
The book, in an attempt to teach children about the injustice of prejudice, actually trivializes it. A little girl wanders into the busy downtown area of a segrgated southern city apparently oblivious to the danger around her. She mistakes a "Whites Only" sign on a public fountain as a direction to wear only white socks while drinking. A white townsman is very angred by this and a confrontation ensues. What I found disturbing about the story was the amount of violence against a little African American girl at the hands of a caucasian adult male and the African American adults who come to her aid. The white man is shown to "whup" the child and all of the adults none of whom seen willing or able to defend themselves. Given that there is no mention of the role of non-violent resistance in the Civil Rights movement, the African American adults simply appear helpless or worse witless. The day is saved when a "magic" man comes along and points at the white man and begins to whisper incantations. The white man runs away for fear and the whites only sign comes down forever. At the end of the book there is an illustration of a Chicken wearing a bandana like the one the white man was wearing. What is the messege here? That African Americans were passive? That they failed to teach their children about the dangers of the segrgated south? That they fought injustice with magic? If you want to teach children about the foolishness of prejudice, I suggest "The Story of Ruby Bridges" which focuses on courage,faith and determination.
I read this book to my children and they loved it. Even at their ages - 7 and 8 - they clearly understood the irony of the title. This story gives children a front-row view of how ugly prejudice is, but does so in a gentle enough manner that it is appropriate for young ones.
This is a book I read to first and second graders for library story time. Older students remember it and check it out later. Our school is religious based with a diverse student body.The story and the illustrations keep the attention of the listeners. They find the little girl's interpretation and reactions to the events quite understandable. The children ask questions and discuss what happened so that they end up with an idea of civil rights and segregation in everday life.
The students in first grade have no understanding of the type of racism that went on just half a century ago. They became very involved with asking questions. Instead of just a short read; it became a history lesson. For them it became more of a bullying lesson because of their sweet little unspoiled souls.
Perfect for our homeschool library. Very easy for a five year old to understand. Check out storylineonline.net. SAG production has actor/actresses reading children stories....this is one of the books being read. You and your child can follow online with the book.
If I were younger when I read this book I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it as much as I did in my prime years. When I have kids of my own this will be a book I read to them. More in depth review is on amxBookShop.com
It was a gentle way to segue into segregation for my kindergartner. The absurdity of Jim Crow laws, the courage of the girl, the collective actions of the community, etc. - subtle ways of introducing a part of our nation's history.
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