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My Mother the Cheerleader
Acts of courage come in all shapes and sizes. In the tumultuous New Orleans of 1960, thirteen-year-old Louise Collins finds her world turned upside down when a stranger from the North arrives at her mother's boarding-house. Louise's mother spends her mornings at the local elementary school with a group of women known as the Cheerleaders, who harass the school's first black student, six-year-old Ruby Bridges, as she enters the building. One day a Chevy Bel Air with a New York license plate pulls up, and out steps Morgan Miller, a man whose mysterious past is eclipsed by his intellect and open-manner—qualities that enchant mother and daughter alike. For the first time, Louise feels as if someone cares what she thinks, even if she doesn't know what she believes. But when the reason for Morgan's visit is called into question, everything Louise thinks she knows about her mother, her world, and herself will change.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 24, 2007
27 people are currently reading
594 people want to read
About the author
Robert Sharenow
6 books32 followersRobert Sharenow is an award-winning writer and television producer. His first novel, My Mother the Cheerleader, was chosen as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, and a VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers.
He is also an Emmy Award-winning television producer and serves as senior vice president of nonfiction and alternative programming for A&E Network and Bio Channel. He lives in New York with his wife, their two daughters, and their dog, Lucy.
He is also an Emmy Award-winning television producer and serves as senior vice president of nonfiction and alternative programming for A&E Network and Bio Channel. He lives in New York with his wife, their two daughters, and their dog, Lucy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
November 20, 2007
I didn't like this one. It's an important story that I didn't think was told particularly well. It was published by the Harper teen label, but I don't think it would work well for many teens. The narrator is a twelve year old girl, but there are also references to blacklisted communists and Joe McCarthy that would fly right over the heads of most of the 12 to 18 crowd. And the boozy, promiscuous mom, the redneck rapist who lynches the northern agitator, the salt of the earth black maid whose anger at the culture she lives in is bubbling just below the surface--all very flat, stereotypical characterizations that really detract from what the book seems to be trying to do. Not impressed, which is too bad. It did make me want to read a good book about Ruby Bridges and the integration of N.O.'s Ninth ward though.
February 18, 2008
This is a young adult novel set in the 9th ward of New Orleans during the time of Ruby Bridges. The story is told by a young girl, Louise Collins, who is trying to make sense of why she can't go to school anymore and why people, especially her mom, are part of the protest. It is a very insightful story of the people and the mindset of the times. As Lynne Rae Perkins says, "It's so easy to look back at another time and place and say to each other,'what on earth were those people thinking?' but what if someone told us what those people were thinking, and showed us the personal earthquakes taht had to occur before they could think something else? Maybe we would realize that we are all human beings. That's one of the things that happen when you read this important book."
May 31, 2012
My Mother the Cheerleader
By Robert Sharenow
This book is fantastic. One of my all-time favorite books is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and I couldn’t help but find similarities in this book. I especially loves the themes of belonging, love, family, forgiveness, and honesty. Louise’s relationship with her mother is heartbreaking and beautiful. My favortie part of the book was when she took her daughter’s hand as they walked away from the school. So good. This book has wonderful messages without ever being pushy. When is the movie coming out?
Violence: Lots and lots
Sex: Yes, including a rape scene
Drugs/Alcohol: Lots
Language: Lots. Very cruel
By Robert Sharenow
This book is fantastic. One of my all-time favorite books is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and I couldn’t help but find similarities in this book. I especially loves the themes of belonging, love, family, forgiveness, and honesty. Louise’s relationship with her mother is heartbreaking and beautiful. My favortie part of the book was when she took her daughter’s hand as they walked away from the school. So good. This book has wonderful messages without ever being pushy. When is the movie coming out?
Violence: Lots and lots
Sex: Yes, including a rape scene
Drugs/Alcohol: Lots
Language: Lots. Very cruel
June 1, 2010
Okay, never was their a more deceptive title for a book. I think whoever came up with it really should find a new line of work. This is not a story about a girl whose mother was a peppy little cheerleader in high school and tries to live out her dreams in her daughter's life, or something like that. Um, no. Instead, this historical fiction depicts the events of 1960 New Orleans when the 9th Ward elementary school was first integrated. Not exactly what you were envisioning when you read that title, was it?
The "Cheerleaders," as they were called, were a group of women who gathered at the elementary school each morning and afternoon to yell and scream horrible things to little 1st grader Ruby Bridges -- the first black student to be integrated into the school. Thirteen-year-old Louise is the narrator of the story, and her mother was, in fact, one of these so-called "Cheerleaders."
The story was incredibly interesting and pretty well-written, but it does include a rather violent scene when Louise's mother is raped by some "good old boys," and a few other implied acts of violence, so I was surprised to see this book marketed to readers as young as middle school. Maybe I'm just naive in thinking middle schoolers are still naive? Overall, though, it was thought-provoking to get this story from a very different perspective.
The "Cheerleaders," as they were called, were a group of women who gathered at the elementary school each morning and afternoon to yell and scream horrible things to little 1st grader Ruby Bridges -- the first black student to be integrated into the school. Thirteen-year-old Louise is the narrator of the story, and her mother was, in fact, one of these so-called "Cheerleaders."
The story was incredibly interesting and pretty well-written, but it does include a rather violent scene when Louise's mother is raped by some "good old boys," and a few other implied acts of violence, so I was surprised to see this book marketed to readers as young as middle school. Maybe I'm just naive in thinking middle schoolers are still naive? Overall, though, it was thought-provoking to get this story from a very different perspective.
July 14, 2012
This is not the book it could be. It is Young Adult but the mother, along with being an anti-integration cheerleader in the 9th ward nola, is a floozy alcoholic who owns a boarding house. One of the locals, an angry man, visits to manhandle and have sex with her regularly enough that the 13 yr old knows all about it. He appears at the 13 yr olds bedroom door undressed and threatens to join her in bed. He returns at a pivotal moment in the book with a drunk friend to beat and gang rape the mother, which the 13 yr old hears and observes. These types of seedy instances hijack the story away from portraying who these cheerleader moms were. The social issues of the time are brushed over and yet there is a reflection by the 13 yr old about menstruation that includes her friend talking about a penis and vagina. If the local poorly educated people are saying dat, dem, and where yat, I doubt a 13 yr old would use the words penis and vagina. If something doesn't flow in the "voice" of the story I want it to have significant meaning - it didn't. This was a disappointing treatment of an interesting topic and premise - the anti integration movement from the perspective of one of the students pulled out of school in the boycotts.
May 26, 2016
The Book “My Mother The Cheerleader” by Robert Sharenow is not my favorite book. The book seems to take forever to get to the main story. I read almost 50 pages of the book and it wasn’t anything that the back of the book said. The only things that has happened in this book are, the girl thinks she's ugly, her mom doesn’t care about her, she was pulled out of school because there was a black girl, and there is a legless man that lives in the same building as them. And I personally find this book kinda creepy. This book is not for people 10 and younger. This book not only takes long to start, it don’t seem very happy, exciting, or even suspenseful. I give this book a 1 out of 5.
February 14, 2013
I loved this book because its theme is you just might have to accept your reality even though it might be tough, and you might have to learn to deal with it. It's during the civil rights time period where Louise the protagonist develops her character to someone she learns how to be, being inspired by Morgan Miller that books in her moms hotel in New Orleans. To her he is attractive even though he is thirty years old and she's just twelve.
June 17, 2019
I really liked this one. It's a quick read...I finished it in a couple of hours, but it has a powerful message and is filled with nuanced characters.
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June 6, 2014If you are looking for a slightly different view of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's, check out MY MOTHER THE CHEERLEADER by Robert Sharenow.
Louise lives with her mother in a New Orleans' boarding house. Louise's mother owns the boarding house and usually rents the few rooms to truckers passing through on their runs. Her mother can usually be found "entertaining" these men or else spending the long, hot southern afternoons drinking pitchers of lime juleps in the backyard.
Recently, school desegregation has been the topic. A young Negro girl enrolled in Louise's school. Louise's mother is against desegregation and joined a group of mothers who protest every day at the school. The women yell vicious taunts at the little girl, and they've become known as the Cheerleaders. They have received media attention which has encouraged Louise's mother even more as she participates in the protests. All Louise knows is, like most of the other parents, her mother has pulled her out of school, and now she is spending her time doing most of the work around the boarding house.
When a handsome stranger from New York arrives and rents a room for several nights, Louise and her mother both fixate on this mysterious man. He says he has come to reunite with a brother he hasn't seen for many years. When he visits the site of the protests, he becomes the victim of taunts and threats from the crowd who see his New York license plates and assume he is Jewish there to support desegregation. Louise is frightened by the threats of violence toward the man she has taken a liking to, and her mother is also surprised by the crowd's reaction.
Robert Sharenow presents a unique view of the segregation/desegregation issue. Louise is a curious and likeable main character, and readers will definitely connect with her as she critically observes the adults around her and tries to make sense of a very confusing social issue.
Louise lives with her mother in a New Orleans' boarding house. Louise's mother owns the boarding house and usually rents the few rooms to truckers passing through on their runs. Her mother can usually be found "entertaining" these men or else spending the long, hot southern afternoons drinking pitchers of lime juleps in the backyard.
Recently, school desegregation has been the topic. A young Negro girl enrolled in Louise's school. Louise's mother is against desegregation and joined a group of mothers who protest every day at the school. The women yell vicious taunts at the little girl, and they've become known as the Cheerleaders. They have received media attention which has encouraged Louise's mother even more as she participates in the protests. All Louise knows is, like most of the other parents, her mother has pulled her out of school, and now she is spending her time doing most of the work around the boarding house.
When a handsome stranger from New York arrives and rents a room for several nights, Louise and her mother both fixate on this mysterious man. He says he has come to reunite with a brother he hasn't seen for many years. When he visits the site of the protests, he becomes the victim of taunts and threats from the crowd who see his New York license plates and assume he is Jewish there to support desegregation. Louise is frightened by the threats of violence toward the man she has taken a liking to, and her mother is also surprised by the crowd's reaction.
Robert Sharenow presents a unique view of the segregation/desegregation issue. Louise is a curious and likeable main character, and readers will definitely connect with her as she critically observes the adults around her and tries to make sense of a very confusing social issue.
March 4, 2009
Sharenow’s debut novel is tough to categorize in terms of intended audience. The book deals with some very mature themes (rape, domestic violence, racially motivated violence, child abandonment) but the protagonist, Louise Collins, is still quite young when the book takes place in 1960. Since the book is told in the present tense, it’s awkward on page 55 when Louise describes her mother has having “basked in the attention like she was strutting down the red carpet at the Academy Awards” as there is no reference to television within the work and it’s unlikely that someone in their neighborhood would have owned one. These quibbles are minor, because the characters in Cheerleader are so nuanced and real, and New Orleans’ Ninth Ward so vividly described, that the reader will likely be too absorbed to notice. Louise is bored in the winter of 1960, as the vast majority of white citizens pulled their children from the schools when the government mandated the integration of schools. As a result, she’s home all day, helping around the boarding house in which she lives with her mother. She’s developed highly attuned spy skills as a result, and yielding keen observation skills applied to the daily weekday scene at William J Franz elementary school each day. The reader can actually feel all eyes on six year old Ruby Bridges as she steps out of the car escorted by four bodyguards to get to her first grade class, and the effect that those thrown tomatoes and racial epithets would have had on a small child. The book delivers an unexpected yet appropriate ending, but did leave a few lingering questions, but that doesn’t detract from very engaging historical fiction about the timeless competition between mother and daughter.
July 20, 2021
Skip it! What a disappointment! This book’s premise was so interesting and there was so much potential, and then the author decided he wasn’t going to give any character an arc. They were stagnant from beginning to end. Don’t waste your time, because all you need to read is the summary- the plot is disappointing and not one of the characters changes in any way.
I’m also concerned about the authors purpose for writing this book. He throws the “n” word around like confetti and the black characters are treated as less than characters. They’re just set pieces. This book is a disgusting display of racism mixed with trying to make you see KKK members and white racist mobs as sympathetic. And throwing around the “n“ word for funsies.
He also seemed to find it important to discuss rape in a way that was normalized and there were no consequences for a man who raped the protagonists mom on a regular basis and even sexually harassed the 13 year old protagonist. It added nothing to the story and felt like it was just added for shock value. In a book written for children.
There are effective ways to write books for young people about the horrors of our world. This is not an example of that. Whoever decided to publish it should be ashamed of themselves.
I’m also concerned about the authors purpose for writing this book. He throws the “n” word around like confetti and the black characters are treated as less than characters. They’re just set pieces. This book is a disgusting display of racism mixed with trying to make you see KKK members and white racist mobs as sympathetic. And throwing around the “n“ word for funsies.
He also seemed to find it important to discuss rape in a way that was normalized and there were no consequences for a man who raped the protagonists mom on a regular basis and even sexually harassed the 13 year old protagonist. It added nothing to the story and felt like it was just added for shock value. In a book written for children.
There are effective ways to write books for young people about the horrors of our world. This is not an example of that. Whoever decided to publish it should be ashamed of themselves.
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March 11, 2012Alyssa Peters
Multicultural
This book is set in the south in New Orleans. The story is told from the main character Louise’s point of view. Louise is a thirteen-year old girl who lives with her mother and their housekeeper. A man named Morgan comes to stay with them. Louise’s mother works at a beauty shop. When she is not home, Louise just thinks she is at work. This is not the case all the time. Louise’s mom is a “cheerleader.” The “cheerleaders” are woman who are protesting at the school that Louise attends. They are protesting that the school let a six year old African American girl in. She is the first African American in the school. Many events happen in the story. Louise finds out that her mother is not actually her mother, she is her Aunt. Her mother was a druggie and a whore and is actually dead.
There is a lot going on in the story. I liked that it is different than what I would normally read. It does contain some southern dialect and some foul language. I would honestly recommend reading something else if you would like to read a multicultural book. It was different, but not my style.
Multicultural
This book is set in the south in New Orleans. The story is told from the main character Louise’s point of view. Louise is a thirteen-year old girl who lives with her mother and their housekeeper. A man named Morgan comes to stay with them. Louise’s mother works at a beauty shop. When she is not home, Louise just thinks she is at work. This is not the case all the time. Louise’s mom is a “cheerleader.” The “cheerleaders” are woman who are protesting at the school that Louise attends. They are protesting that the school let a six year old African American girl in. She is the first African American in the school. Many events happen in the story. Louise finds out that her mother is not actually her mother, she is her Aunt. Her mother was a druggie and a whore and is actually dead.
There is a lot going on in the story. I liked that it is different than what I would normally read. It does contain some southern dialect and some foul language. I would honestly recommend reading something else if you would like to read a multicultural book. It was different, but not my style.
February 21, 2019
From the beginning, My Mother the Cheerleader had potential to be a great book, and to many it may be. *SPOILER ALERT* But from the moment Royce and Clem barged through the door on that fateful night, I knew this was going to be another one of "those" stories. A story whose plot depends on the breaking of a woman character, just to "build her up again." NO. NOOOO. We do not need to break a woman into pieces to build her into something new , or "better." But the worse of it, is that it didn't do much to Pauline's character. The change? She was nicer to Louise. She was still a racist. Her heart did not change towards Ruby Bridges and the other brave little girls.She still attended the rally. It wasn't until she discovered her love interest's fate by the hands of her attackers did she remove herself from the rally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2008
Even hearing its praises sung at the Mock Printz didn't convince me that I liked this book. The premise is great - a white girl in New Orleans in 1960, whose mother is one of the 'cheerleaders' protesting Ruby Bridges being sent to her daughter's school. Louise and her mother are interesting characters, but a lot of aspects of the story and the supporting characters felt formulaic. Historical details often felt like they were added for their own sake rather than because they contributed to the story. The subplot about Morgan's brother didn't seem moored to the rest of the story. Louise is that combination of smart and ignorant that could work, but it didn't for me. By about half-way through, I just wanted it to be over. A lot of potential here, but it ended up falling flat.
June 24, 2008
I liked this book, I think I would have liked it a lot more if I hadn't just read Secret Life of Bee's which basically deals with all the same themes (mothers, racism, coming of age) in a more adult way. This is a great book for young adults. My favorite part was how real the main character seemed.
October 12, 2020
I read this book for class, but in an alternate universe in which this wasn't assigned to me and I came across it naturally, I would have chosen this book because of my interest in the Civil Rights Movement. I am studying history and I virtually always enjoy well-written and well-researched historical novels. My school counselor in middle school had a poster of Norman Rockwell's The Problem We All Live With, which sparked my curiosity about Ruby Bridge's story over the years. This book offered a unique perspective to me, one of someone connected to the villains in Ruby Bridges' story: the Cheerleaders. I know that our perspectives are shaped significantly by those of our family, so I was interested to see what the story would be like as told from the view of a daughter of a Cheerleader.
I would recommend this book to a more mature young adult audience. I think that some preteens who haven't been exposed as much racial violence might have a harder time reading this book. I would encourage those who do read this book to learn about the background of the situation as described in this book before, during, and after the read. This novel covers extremely difficult topics, but they are topics that we need to address. We all learn some basic information about the Civil Rights Movement in school (i.e. Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Selma, etc.), but there is more to the story to see and understand. This book contributes to a discussion about how people could have been so vile towards people of another color without painting them as victims.
Language: Racial slurs used throughout, occasional additional profanity
Sex: Allusions to sexual relationships
Drugs: Frequent mentions of alcohol and drunkenness
R&R: Racism and prejudice throughout
Violence: Mob violence, racial violence, individual attacks, and sexual assault
R&R:
I would recommend this book to a more mature young adult audience. I think that some preteens who haven't been exposed as much racial violence might have a harder time reading this book. I would encourage those who do read this book to learn about the background of the situation as described in this book before, during, and after the read. This novel covers extremely difficult topics, but they are topics that we need to address. We all learn some basic information about the Civil Rights Movement in school (i.e. Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Selma, etc.), but there is more to the story to see and understand. This book contributes to a discussion about how people could have been so vile towards people of another color without painting them as victims.
Language: Racial slurs used throughout, occasional additional profanity
Sex: Allusions to sexual relationships
Drugs: Frequent mentions of alcohol and drunkenness
R&R: Racism and prejudice throughout
Violence: Mob violence, racial violence, individual attacks, and sexual assault
R&R:
April 4, 2022
This is an example of a book that you can't judge by the title....
When I hear Mother & Cheerleader, I think of those stage moms who do anything to get their daughter on the dance or cheer squad.....
THAT is NOT THIS BOOK.
If fact, this mother, Pauline, is kind of hands off. She takes time in her days to have her hair done,
and spends the afternoon drinking lime juleps. Her daughter is expect to do the work in her lodging house.
This book takes place in the winter of 1960 - when 4 little first-grade Negro girls are admitted to 2 elementary schools in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Ruby Bridges was admitted to William Frantz Elementary School, the school our protagonist, Louise, attends. Of course no one attends school with Ruby. (How could the teachers afford to not work??)
Pauline was one of the mothers who gathered at the school entrance every day to viciously taunt those new little girls. Reporters dubbed them the Cheerleaders.
This is an interesting presentation of the point-of-view from that side. Horrifying as it may be.
The author relied on the work of many historians.
A new guest, Morgan, arrives at the lodging house. He's from New York which shows in his manner and the license plates on his car. He grew up in the area and has come back to try to connect with his brother. He learns about the thoughts and ways of this narrow-minded community. Again, horrifying.
John Steinbeck is referenced a number of times. He wrote about the Cheerleaders in "Travels with Charley"
Morgan gave Louise a copy of "The Grapes of Wrath"
When I hear Mother & Cheerleader, I think of those stage moms who do anything to get their daughter on the dance or cheer squad.....
THAT is NOT THIS BOOK.
If fact, this mother, Pauline, is kind of hands off. She takes time in her days to have her hair done,
and spends the afternoon drinking lime juleps. Her daughter is expect to do the work in her lodging house.
This book takes place in the winter of 1960 - when 4 little first-grade Negro girls are admitted to 2 elementary schools in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Ruby Bridges was admitted to William Frantz Elementary School, the school our protagonist, Louise, attends. Of course no one attends school with Ruby. (How could the teachers afford to not work??)
Pauline was one of the mothers who gathered at the school entrance every day to viciously taunt those new little girls. Reporters dubbed them the Cheerleaders.
This is an interesting presentation of the point-of-view from that side. Horrifying as it may be.
The author relied on the work of many historians.
A new guest, Morgan, arrives at the lodging house. He's from New York which shows in his manner and the license plates on his car. He grew up in the area and has come back to try to connect with his brother. He learns about the thoughts and ways of this narrow-minded community. Again, horrifying.
John Steinbeck is referenced a number of times. He wrote about the Cheerleaders in "Travels with Charley"
Morgan gave Louise a copy of "The Grapes of Wrath"
September 20, 2020
Wow.
This incredible book yanked me back in time and held me there. I couldn't put it down. Now to be clear, I didn't necessarily enjoy reading this book (I'm usually more of a fantasy reader), but this book did make me feel things. There were times I wanted nothing more than to step through the pages and hold characters so no one could hurt them. But this book is based on fact, and the fact is that sometimes people are terrible and sometimes you go your whole life never knowing that you are one of them. Luckily, there are other times where you are forced to see what you have become and get the opportunity to be better.
I feel that this book is especially poignant right now, with the nationwide protests for equality. It talks about heavy subjects, but ones that need to be discussed. This would be a great book to introduce high school students to subjects of racial inequality both in the past and present. There were times characters said things I have heard said nearly world for word on the news today. Clearly we still have much to learn.
Warnings
Language: Frequent Use of Racial Slurs
Drugs: Brief Mentions of Addiction and Overdose, Alcohol Abuse
Sex: Mentions of Sex
Violence: Strongly Implied Rape, 'Offscreen' Murder, Frequent Mentions of Hate Crimes, etc.
It's about the racist reactions to the first African-American girl to go to a white school in the South. It's not supposed to be pretty.
This incredible book yanked me back in time and held me there. I couldn't put it down. Now to be clear, I didn't necessarily enjoy reading this book (I'm usually more of a fantasy reader), but this book did make me feel things. There were times I wanted nothing more than to step through the pages and hold characters so no one could hurt them. But this book is based on fact, and the fact is that sometimes people are terrible and sometimes you go your whole life never knowing that you are one of them. Luckily, there are other times where you are forced to see what you have become and get the opportunity to be better.
I feel that this book is especially poignant right now, with the nationwide protests for equality. It talks about heavy subjects, but ones that need to be discussed. This would be a great book to introduce high school students to subjects of racial inequality both in the past and present. There were times characters said things I have heard said nearly world for word on the news today. Clearly we still have much to learn.
Warnings
Language: Frequent Use of Racial Slurs
Drugs: Brief Mentions of Addiction and Overdose, Alcohol Abuse
Sex: Mentions of Sex
Violence: Strongly Implied Rape, 'Offscreen' Murder, Frequent Mentions of Hate Crimes, etc.
It's about the racist reactions to the first African-American girl to go to a white school in the South. It's not supposed to be pretty.
October 7, 2020
I liked this book! Something that kind of attracted me to this book was how it talked about multiple worldly issues that not only happened back in the 1960's, but also still occur in today's day. It stuck out to me, especially because of all the recent commotion about Black Lives Matter and the racism seen in this country to this day. I think that I would recommend this to high school aged students and older, just because there are some scenes in the book that can be a little too rough or intense for the younger students. I think people who are interested in these political issues like segregation, race and ignorance, is who I would recommend this book to.
In a middle or high school classroom setting, I would have the students read this book when we are learning about segregation/integration in a history section. I would want them to put themselves in Louise's point of view and decide how they would react about this. Would they speak out against Pauline or would they stay silent and snoop for information like Louise? It is important to teach young students that people in the past worked hard and went through so much to be able to gain the privilege that these kids were born with today.
Warnings
Drugs - none
Sex - mentions of almost rape and the action of rape
R&R - racism and alcoholism
Language - derogatory language (n word)
Violence - threats, fist fight and rape scene
In a middle or high school classroom setting, I would have the students read this book when we are learning about segregation/integration in a history section. I would want them to put themselves in Louise's point of view and decide how they would react about this. Would they speak out against Pauline or would they stay silent and snoop for information like Louise? It is important to teach young students that people in the past worked hard and went through so much to be able to gain the privilege that these kids were born with today.
Warnings
Drugs - none
Sex - mentions of almost rape and the action of rape
R&R - racism and alcoholism
Language - derogatory language (n word)
Violence - threats, fist fight and rape scene
September 25, 2020
This book was insightful, captivating, and well-written. I felt that the book led readers into the story of Ruby Bridges from a uniquely unbiased perspective, allowing readers to access the facts, imagine themselves viewing the situation, and draw their own conclusions as to who was right or wrong. Louise, the main character, seems to me to be an innocent bystander, with access to the perspectives of both Ruby Bridges as well as the cheerleaders. She even fancies herself an FBI agent. If you want to understand this historical experience from multiple points of view, this is definitely the book for you.
I took away a star from my rating because of some of the language and references to sex. These made it a little bit difficult for me to read. The language includes many of the insults and names shouted at Ruby Bridges-the words the newspapers refused to print at the time. The references to sex are in mild detail and very short, although they might make some readers uncomfortable. They made me uncomfortable. If teachers desire to use this book for lessons in high school, I would strongly suggest reading the book ahead of time, warning students about the content yourself, letting them skip these parts if they want to, and telling them which pages to skip if they don't want to read about it.
I took away a star from my rating because of some of the language and references to sex. These made it a little bit difficult for me to read. The language includes many of the insults and names shouted at Ruby Bridges-the words the newspapers refused to print at the time. The references to sex are in mild detail and very short, although they might make some readers uncomfortable. They made me uncomfortable. If teachers desire to use this book for lessons in high school, I would strongly suggest reading the book ahead of time, warning students about the content yourself, letting them skip these parts if they want to, and telling them which pages to skip if they don't want to read about it.
June 10, 2024
Historically, I thought this was a very interesting book. I know a fair amount about the African American side of integration but I had never taken the time to learn much about the white side. It clicked a lot of pieces of information in my head together like the hatred/fear of “communism” and its role in integrating schools.
On the other hand, this book and its characters were flat. The main character, a 13 year old girl is a stereotypical nerdy, introverted girl without many friends. She also does not understand some concepts that I most definitely understood as a 13 year old— yes I am aware that my argument here relies on anecdotal evidence but still. (The main character at one point talks about periods and it is so obvious that the main character was written by a man).
There were more stereotypes than just the little girl; the strange northern man that changes people’s perspectives on integration, the old black woman who works for the main character’s family, etc. On top of that, the story didn’t have much substance until the end.
TDLR: Good concept, important history, could have a better storyline.
On the other hand, this book and its characters were flat. The main character, a 13 year old girl is a stereotypical nerdy, introverted girl without many friends. She also does not understand some concepts that I most definitely understood as a 13 year old— yes I am aware that my argument here relies on anecdotal evidence but still. (The main character at one point talks about periods and it is so obvious that the main character was written by a man).
There were more stereotypes than just the little girl; the strange northern man that changes people’s perspectives on integration, the old black woman who works for the main character’s family, etc. On top of that, the story didn’t have much substance until the end.
TDLR: Good concept, important history, could have a better storyline.
October 22, 2021
This book is set in the time period of Ruby Bridges, the first black student to disintegrate a school in Louisiana. The story is told in the perspective of another little girl whose mother is protesting integration. These women who would stand outside Ruby's school protesting her attendance were called "the cheerleaders". When an interesting man comes to stay at the boarding house that her mother owns, she is confused and surprised why he is not accepted in the community.
This book takes a difficult topic such as racism, and puts it through the eyes of a child. The result is a totally new perspective -- we get to see Louise as she tries to understand these complicated issues and complicated adults around her. I did like Louise as a character, but I think that the historical details behind the story don't really drive the plot like they should.
Content warning:
Language, sex, racism, violence, drugs/alcohol
This book takes a difficult topic such as racism, and puts it through the eyes of a child. The result is a totally new perspective -- we get to see Louise as she tries to understand these complicated issues and complicated adults around her. I did like Louise as a character, but I think that the historical details behind the story don't really drive the plot like they should.
Content warning:
Language, sex, racism, violence, drugs/alcohol
October 9, 2020
This book is one that I normally wouldn’t have picked up and chose to read on my own. Someone suggested that I read this book. Normally I am more of a fan of books with some hint of supernatural, but that goes without saying I still found myself enjoying this book. I would recommend this book to any fans of historical fiction for sure. Not to mention anyone who likes good recipes because there is a pretty good one in this book.
I would say that this book could be useful in helping students learn in a different way the kinds of things that were happening during the times of the cheerleaders and integration. It is also a story that excluding the topics of its content was written very well, and could be used to help students learn about writing.
Look out for these things when reading it though:
Violence
Language
Alcohol use
Rape scene
I would say that this book could be useful in helping students learn in a different way the kinds of things that were happening during the times of the cheerleaders and integration. It is also a story that excluding the topics of its content was written very well, and could be used to help students learn about writing.
Look out for these things when reading it though:
Violence
Language
Alcohol use
Rape scene
October 10, 2020
This was a very thought provoking novel. I read this book for a class, and honestly loved it! It make me think about things from a different perspective than I was used to. I would recommend this to a high school student, as the subject matter may be a little too mature for middle school children. Despite this, I would definitely recommend this novel as an interesting read for high schoolers.
In a high school class, this book could easily be used to introduce a discussion on racism, gender, or simply the culture and atmosphere of the American south during the early 1960s. In either a middle school or high school class, the teacher would need to be very careful of being sensitive and politically correct because of the topics of racism and gender in the book, but despite this, I think that a teacher can and should teach this book.
Warnings:
* Sex
* Violence
* Rape
* Language
In a high school class, this book could easily be used to introduce a discussion on racism, gender, or simply the culture and atmosphere of the American south during the early 1960s. In either a middle school or high school class, the teacher would need to be very careful of being sensitive and politically correct because of the topics of racism and gender in the book, but despite this, I think that a teacher can and should teach this book.
Warnings:
* Sex
* Violence
* Rape
* Language
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2020
I read this because it was required for a class, but I ended up really enjoying it. I'm going to be honest this wasn't my usual type of book, but I had a hard time putting it down. I would recommend it to anyone who loves history and wants to learn more about what integration was like in the 1960's in New Orleans.
This would be a good book for maybe a freshman high school class or higher. There are some more sensitive topics that are covered in it. It is a good book for analysis though, along with have great insights into a specific period of time. If a teacher was wanting to a book for either or both of those this would be a good pick.
Warnings
Violence - mostly hate crimes
Implied Rape - one scene toward the end, but not very graphic
Language - a couple of cuss words but more racial slurs
Drugs - there is some smoking a drinking
This would be a good book for maybe a freshman high school class or higher. There are some more sensitive topics that are covered in it. It is a good book for analysis though, along with have great insights into a specific period of time. If a teacher was wanting to a book for either or both of those this would be a good pick.
Warnings
Violence - mostly hate crimes
Implied Rape - one scene toward the end, but not very graphic
Language - a couple of cuss words but more racial slurs
Drugs - there is some smoking a drinking
March 11, 2021
I read this book in one day! I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters here. Sharenow's first book was a hit for me. I almost cried when *not to spoil* but if you read it, you'll understand. My professor talked about this book and I saw it on facebook marketplace. I snatched it so fast. I was instantly hooked when I realized the book was dealing with the mid-1900s racial issues. I am addicted to learning about that part of US history.
I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those in the south who are still prejudice. I encountered that when I lived in East Texas and border of Louisiana for one year and six months. I would teach this in the classroom during Black History Month.
WARNINGS:
Drugs: no
Sex: yes; talks about pornography and some sexual language and rape
Violence: yes
R&R: yes
Language: yes
I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those in the south who are still prejudice. I encountered that when I lived in East Texas and border of Louisiana for one year and six months. I would teach this in the classroom during Black History Month.
WARNINGS:
Drugs: no
Sex: yes; talks about pornography and some sexual language and rape
Violence: yes
R&R: yes
Language: yes
December 26, 2017
Sharenow, Robert My Mother the Cheerleader, 304 pgs. HarperTeen. Language-PG, Sexual Content-PG, Violence-PG,
Louise lives in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans with her mother, running a boarding house. When Ruby Bridges comes she is pulled out of school and her mother joins the crowd every day jeering at the girl. A man from New York comes and starts changing their lives as he tries to change his.
It had the perfect mix of historical fiction and fiction. I learned something while still having a good read. It showed that courage comes in all shapes and sizes. There was a little bit of alcohol.
MS-ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: KD
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2007/...
Louise lives in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans with her mother, running a boarding house. When Ruby Bridges comes she is pulled out of school and her mother joins the crowd every day jeering at the girl. A man from New York comes and starts changing their lives as he tries to change his.
It had the perfect mix of historical fiction and fiction. I learned something while still having a good read. It showed that courage comes in all shapes and sizes. There was a little bit of alcohol.
MS-ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: KD
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2007/...
October 11, 2020
The book itself was okay, but as all the other reviews state the title is deceptive. The book as a whole seems to focus less on the American civil rights movement, and more on how the world at the time works from a thirteen year olds perspective. The book is based heavily in the history of the 1960s, and if you aren't knowledgable about that time period, a lot of stuff is going to go over your head. All in all the book is a quick read, and it captivated my atteniton so I would say it's a pretty good book.
Warnings
Drugs - alcohol
Sex - sexual crimes such as rape
R&R - racism (the book is about cheerleaders and the 1960s, this is a given)
Language - racial slurs
Violence - fights, threats
Warnings
Drugs - alcohol
Sex - sexual crimes such as rape
R&R - racism (the book is about cheerleaders and the 1960s, this is a given)
Language - racial slurs
Violence - fights, threats
November 11, 2020
I read this book as part of a young adult fiction class. The most interesting part of this story for me was the character development. Set in the South just as public schools are starting to integrate black children, the story follows a young girl named Louise, her mother, and one of their temporary boarders Mr. Morgan. The opening of the book gave me one impression of these three... built on stereotypes of people who are racist or wealthy. I quickly realized there was so much more depth to these characters and learn the deeper "why" behind what they do.
Definitely some language, implied sex/rape (though not described in detail). A lynching takes place off-screen, and a man gets beaten up. Alcohol use throughout the book.
Definitely some language, implied sex/rape (though not described in detail). A lynching takes place off-screen, and a man gets beaten up. Alcohol use throughout the book.
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