The Friendship

Logans #5.5

by Mildred D. Taylor, Max Ginsburg (Illustrator)

Cassie Logan and her brothers have been warned never to go to the Wallace store, so they know to expect trouble there. What they don t expect is to hear Mr. Tom Bee, an elderly black man, daring to call the white storekeeper by his first name. The year is 1933, the place is Mississippi, and any child knows that some things just aren t done.

A powerful story. Readers will be haunted by its drama and emotion long after they have closed the book.Booklist

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Childrens, Historical, African American

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Mildred DeLois Taylor is an African-American writer known for her works exploring the struggle faced by African-American families in the Deep South.

Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but lived there only a short amount of time, then moved to Toledo, Ohio, where she spent most of her childhood. She now lives in Colorado with her daughter.

Many of her works are based on stories of her family that she heard while growing up. She has stated that these anecdotes became very clear in her mind, and in fact, once she realized that adults talked about the past, "I began to visualize all the family who had once known the land, and I felt as if I knew them, too ..." Taylor has talked about how much history was in the stories; some stories took place during times of slavery and some post-slavery.

Taylor's most famous book is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. In 1977, the book won the Newbery Medal. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the middle book, chronologically, in the Logans series that also includes titles such as The Land, Song of the Trees, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, and The Road to Memphis. Her collective contributions to children's literature resulted in her being awarded the inaugural NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature in 2003.

Reviews

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

That got grim. With friends like these, who needs enemies? This is what's wrong with so-called "Christians" who hide their hate behind their religion and tell themselves that they're still good people no matter what despicable thing they've done.

As with the previous short story, I got the paperback through the library and this too had illustrations that added some interesting (and disturbing) visuals to the story.

[Ch_nataliepelaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This chapter book by Mildred D. Taylor shows the relationship between a white man and a black man living in the South before the Civil rights movement. The logan children walk nervously into a store to pick up medicine for their Aunt Cassie. They were always warned by their parents to not go into this store, but they had to get the medicine. The store is owned by the Wallaces who are white and the Logan children are black. While standing outside the store they see there friend who is a elderly black man, named Mr. Tom Bee. He walks in the store and to the children's amazement calls the owner by his first name. He feels he has the right to do this for a long time ago, Tom Bee saved John Wallace's life and John(the white man) always said that Tom can call him by his first name. John feels embarrased by the other white men in the store and becomes angry and threatens to harm Mr. Tom Bee, when Tom refuses to call him by any other name other than John.

This story would be good for older elementary students. So they can appreciate the courage Tom Bee has and they can see that John Wallace should not crumble to pure pressure by his white peers, instead he should do what he believes is right. Children should learn about life before the Civil rights movement and today how we still work towards equality. They need to learn to stick up for what they believe in.

[Rebecca]

Mildred D. Taylor is quickly climbing my list of authors I watch. After reading Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry (which I really liked) I still was not sure if I would read all of her other books being they are written for a younger age group and the library did not have them on audio. (The reader for the audio book of Roll of Thunder was excellent!) On a whim I ordered two Ms. Taylor short stories from the library, this one and Mississippi Bridge. I have only read one of them and I am sure I want to read all of the tales that include the Logan family!! Truth is, if I read this book when I was younger, the meaning would probably have been lost on me. The ending is very powerfully stunning, yet it could be confusing for younger readers.
Ms. Taylor is an excellent and engaging writer and her stories. I have always liked learning about the civil rights movement and this period in history. Ms. Taylor brings it alive with her wonderful story telling.

[Kaprisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was good and sad thays all I can say without spoiling it

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh dear! This short story is so sad and full of injustice. It is about an elderly black man, during the 1930s, who was betrayed by a white man whom he once considered his friend. It was so terrible how he was treated. I just wanted to cry. It made me so angry.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impactful and well written short story. I’ve read Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, and definitely need to read more from the Logan family series.

[Lisa Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

1.Historical Fiction

2.In The Friendship, three young black brothers and their sister experience racism in a very real way at the general store outside their community. They are teased and threatened by the shop owner’s sons only to later witness the shooting of their friend Mr. Tom Bee, by the same group of men.

3.A. Theme B. Racism/Friendship C. The Friendship addresses the theme of racism from a very realistic perspective. The children know the unwritten rules of their community, like not calling white folks by their first names. When Mr. Tom Bee refuses to stop calling the white store owner, Mr. John Wallace, by his first name everyone knows that trouble is coming. However, another important theme in the novel is friendship. Mr. John Wallace and Mr. Tom Bee had been very good friends. Racism and the cultural divides between blacks and whites come to destroy that friendship and tear it apart, just as the gun shot tore Tom Bee’s leg apart in the final pages of the novel.

4.This very short book can lead to some important discussions about racism within the middle school classroom. The use of racially sensitive words within the text needs to be addressed with care and respect, but can be an important learning opportunity. Students may also be challenged to research other unwritten rules that were true during the time of the novel and think about similar rules that may still exist today.

[Ro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is horrible and fantastic, all rolled into one. It is a fantastic piece of literature to generate a discussion for a book club. I read this to my daughter's 4th grade class as part of their unit on Rights and Responsibilities. The con's of this book are how it paints a very stereotypical picture of blacks/whites and racism in the early 1900's. We live overseas and it can be depresssing that blacks are portrayed in a certain way to children of other countries. But the undertones of this book are very very serious and it really makes you think. I am not sure children this young, 9years old, can truly comprehend the gravity of what is happening in this book, but maybe I am just old fashioned and want to let children hang on to their innocence a little longer. I would recommend this book for a middle school book discussion.

[Kelly Boggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a young girl and decided to read it with my seven year old. I forgot how heavy and tragic the story is. Considering what is going on in our country right now, it was a story that opened up some discussion with her. I've always enjoyed historical fiction and live the Logan series by Mildred D. Taylor.

[Mary Sutterluety · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coretta Scott King Award

I was unnerved by this book. Perhaps it was the overt racism, or the shotgun blast to the main character's knee, or the broken friendship between an old black man and a white store owner... Whatever it was, it is a chilling look back at Jim Crow.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in 1933 Mississippi, four African American siblings are shocked to witness an act of cruelty between an elderly black man and a white storekeeper. Although the Logan children have been warned to stay away from Wallace's store, they find themselves at the store running an errand for a family friend. While there they run into a Tom Bee, a local sharecropper, who has just come back from fishing nearby. When Tom walks into the store, he calls the white storekeeper by his first name only, an unheard-of event during that era. The children are shocked, but as Tom explains later, years ago Tom had saved the life of John Wallace when John was a youth. When John left for the city, he promised Tom that he could always call him by his name, as he had been a father figure to him. Years later, John returned to the area and expected Tom to call him Mr. Wallace which Tom did for many years. Finally, Tom decided to remind John of his promise, and while in private John allowed him to do so, he felt he was being publically shamed when Tom did so in front of other white patrons at the store. When Tom and the children have to pass the Wallace store on the way back home, Tom once again calls John by his first name in front of others, leading to an ugly confrontation between the two. Caving into peer pressure, John shoots Tom in the leg, while Tom remains defiant to the very end reminding John of his broken promise. This is a very thought-provoking subject and allows the reader to think about how our private choices can affect our public actions. This short story is one of many stories of the Logan family (Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry) and is based on the real-life experiences of Mildred D. Taylor's family. The illustrations by Max Ginsburg, add richly to the story. He especially captures facial expressions, and through the black and white ink drawings you see the shame, rage and strength of the different people

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading the whole Logan family series, and I couldn't help myself and skipped ahead with this novella/short story. Mildred D. Taylor packs so much into just 53 pages with such a light touch. She doesn't have to be heavy handed, she just shows you what you need to see. She doesn't gloss over the realities of the Jim Crow South to make her readers feel better; she gives you incredible characters that thrive and struggle and love and are real along with everything they experience. The ending is powerful. The Logan children's interactions with Jeremy are a thoughtful counterpoint mingling with the adults in the story. Can't wait to keep reading all the rest of them, I missed these characters, Cassie and Little Man especially.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a novella focused on just one incident of Cassie’s life and based on a story that the author’s dad experienced. While a specific example of the difficulties of interracial friendships it also, to me, was an example of how gratitude sours after a favor is done. I’ve helped people out and had them come to resent me. The victim here in addition to ignoring the “rules” of interracial relations also seemed far too eager to remind everyone how generous he was. Nonetheless this is primarily a story of interracial relations and helps explains why the family kept rejecting the way a White boy kept reaching out a hand in friendship. Sad but all too true on several levels. Recommended.

[Ben Sirois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally liked this book it is an easy read but it does uses higher level vocabulary. I don't recommend the book to younger readers, for one it has racial slurs in it that little readers should not hear nor repeat. The book really develops problems and solutions and the characters have a good side and a bad one, and it really shows.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of the other short stories about the Logan family, this one stuck out to me the first time and even again when I reread it. It is one of those stories that hits you emotionally after you are finished reading.

Cassie and her brothers are sent on an errand to the Wallace store. They have been told by their parents that the Wallace's are not kind to black people. As they head to the store, they meet up with an elderly neighbor named Mr. Tom Bee. At the store, Mr. Tom Bee addresses the store's owner, Mr. Wallace, by his first name, John. The two have known each other since John Wallace was a young boy and Mr. Tom Bee saved his life. He has told Mr. Tom Bee that he could call him John. In the store, the white customers believe Mr. Tom Bee is being disrespectful. They insist on telling Mr. Tom Bee to address the store owner as Mr. John but Mr. Tom Bee refuses, escalating the conflict further.

A short story featuring the Logan's that details the everyday experiences of racism that took place during this time. Another great thought-provoking piece by Mildred D. Taylor.

[Lynn Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Mr Tom Bee!
These little children books are heart breakers.

[Katrina Mast · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book with all the homey, familiar characters from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and the same heart touching emotion.
I would love to see more redemption, but the rawness is more true to life.

[Fabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful story!

[Shell (booksbythecup)]

History of the relationship between John Wallace and Mr Tom B. Tom Bee saved John's life several times, was like a father to him. But with pressure from the white people who said this black man is disrespecting him calling him by his first name he caves in and takes a drastic action to save face in front of the white folks. So sad that a friendship and the saving of life doesn't mean anything

[Shadman705 · Rating 3 out of 5]

H.W final r.r

in this book there is a lot of racism going on and sometimes it goes around now. in this book the time was long ago. The books main charecter is mr tom bee. he is an african american. then there are the white people like john wallace and his children dewberry and turston. When tom came into the store he was talked to rudly and not obeyed and very mistreated.Why? Because he is black. HE was reffered to a nigger. Black people have to call white poeple by mr or ms. When johns children did not listen to tom john came in. John obeyed. But it was for only one reason. Tom has saved john life along time ago. So think about if tom did not save johns life. I can infer that the white people including johnn would beat him or kill him and he woudl not be served at all. Here is a part form the book which is able to expalin this idea:

Dewberry pointed a warning finger at mr tom bee. "Old nigger" he said "Don't you never in your life speak to me that way again. And dont you never stand up there with yo black face and speak of my daddy or any other white man without proper respect. You might be forgetful mind yo' age, but you forgettinn' the wrong thing when you forgetting who you are. A nigger nothing but a nigger. You may be old tom,. But you aint to old to teach and you aint to old to whip"

Well you can see what dewberry is saying that he did not treat him with proper respect but look at that freakin idiot. He calls him a nigger which is racist. Hew called him nothing but a nigger. That doesn't seem like proper respect. If a person doesnt respect you why should you respect them back? That something that happens now too. My parents tell me to respect back. But i say no. Dewberry had also said not to talk to any toher white man in the way Tom did. I think that was bearly disrespectful. He said white men which also shows they do not care about blacks. He treats them badly. They are juged by the color of their skin!

The other part of racism in this book was when tom and john were doing buisness . Here is the text:

"Wants me my sardines and some candy there john" dewberry slammed his fist hard upon the counter. "Daddy hpow come you let this old nigger disrespect you this here way? Just leetin' him stand there and talk to you like he was a white man."

So tom came in and just called john by his name. To them it was disrespect but i didnt seee anyone calling tom by ms or mr and any other white man calling john by ms or mr. Only blacks did. The word ngger also came up again. The word is a disrespectful racist word.

Any way john was lucky to still be alive. and john even gave his word to tom he could call him john. That is like betrayel. What kind of friend is that?

Not all the characters were racist. Jermey wasn't he was being freindly to everyone. He just asked them if they wanted to go fishing together and he politely took a candy cane from tom. John was like that before when he was saved by tom. He let him call him john. But now things changed. He gave his friend a word and later had broken it. He had no family but tom was there. He acted like his dad. What kind of person goes around doing bad things to his dad?

I also think that john had never wanted to do anything to tom. It was just that the people around him were intimidating him. They were yelling at him for letting a black person talk to them like that. So he needed to do something. But the messed up part was that he did it for his reputation. But john gave tom several warnings. Once in the store when tom was buying. Then later john shot tom . He told him that he didn't want to do that. And when tom went further there was silence. The second shot. That shows how some people change.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

American Library Association Notable Book Award (ALAN) 1988
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award (BGHBA) 1988
Coretta Scott King Award (CSKA) 1988

Mildred D. Taylor brilliantly depicts a relationship between a white man and a black man living in the South before the Civil Rights Movement. The story begins with the Logan children on their way to the store for medicine for their Aunt Cassie. They are nervous about going to this store because it is owned by the Wallace family. The Wallace’s are white and the Logans are black. Their parents have warned many times not to go there. But, they have to get the medicine for their aunt.

While at the store, they witness something remarkable. They see Mr. Tom Been and elderly black man, address the store owner by his first name. John Wallace owns the store. John Wallace is white. Black people are not supposed to address white people by their first names.

John’s sons become angry and threaten to harm Mr. Tom Bee. As the story progresses, we learn that Tom Bee saved John Wallace’s life years before. Tom Bee insists on calling John by his first name. “Ya was John t’ me when I saved your sorry life and you give me your word you was always gonna be John t’ me long as I lived.”

There are many lessons for upper elementary students in The Friendship. I appreciate the fact that the children observe Tom Bee. They see his courage. They know he is right. John Wallace also knows Tom is right. He doesn’t know how to handle the situation. This is a great moral dilemma for children to consider. John has added pressure with his sons watching.

I read this book with my daughter and she was engrossed in the story. She asked numerous questions. Why can’t Tom call John by his first name? Why are the shop owners being mean to the Logan children? Why can’t Tom and John still be friends?

The Friendship encourages rich discussions about life prior to the Civil Rights Movement. Many students believe that when slavery ended, there was equality between the races. Educators need to teach our children that we still work towards achieving equality today. Teaching lessons from our past, such as the one share in The Friendship, can hopefully prevent mistakes in the future.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Actually, I've yet to read one of Taylor's books that I didn't enjoy. Having lived in Virginia until I was 9 and having spent all of my summers in Georgia, stories set in the South are familar to me on a visceral level.

What stood out for me in The Friendship is that the plot centered around the concept of black folks being expected to address whites as "Mister John" or "Missus Ella" or "Miss Mary" simply because of the color of their skin. This is a concept that I have been trying to explain to my children and their friends for nearly 20 years. It is so foreign to them that they have trouble believing me when I try and tell them about it.

You see, a lot of my children's friends have automatically called me "Miss Allison" over the years despite my trying to stop them. I try to explain to them that I know they are being respectful but that I find it offensive because it reminds me of how in the South whites were expected to be addressed that way without having to earn respect. It's hard to convince them to stop but it truly makes me cringe. Some of them will call me "Allison" but it's usually easier for them to call me "so-and-so's Mom".

I feel that these stories, despite their use of derogatory terms I loathe (like the n-word), are crucial to teach our children and others who did not grow up during the era before equal rights became the expected norm, why human rights are so very important.

[Gen · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have always learned about the times during the civil rights movement, but not necessarily the moments before it. In The Friendship, racism very bluntly encompasses this book. Before a child reads this, I would make sure that child is a little bit more mature so he/she can actually learn something and discuss this book rather than simply crying about it. Upper elementary students would be a good age group for this book. The Friendship recounts the true story of Mr. Tom Bee's (elderly black man) and John Wallace's (white store owner)unique relationship. Bee calls John by his first name even though black people are not supposed to address white people by their first name. We learn later however that Bee actually saved John's life. Tom refuses to call John by any other name and the white people harasses John for letting Tom do that. John is in a pickle because he knows Bee saved his life but he feels pressured into doing what society wants him to do. Courage, peer pressure, and moral dilemma are the main themes in this story. This book will be good to use in the classroom because it encourages a rich discussion about the life before the Civil Rights moment. There were also pictures throughout this 50 page bookthat enhanced the story's. Overall, The Friendship is powerful, emotional, and thought-provoking.

[Allie K]

This very short story explained a lot about the rules of racism, especially in only 56 pages. I did not like Mr. Tom Bee in this book, but only because I was very concerned for him, since he disobeyed many rules. I was really scared and was kept on the tips of my toes, because of Tom Bee. He is the type of character that is unpredictable and makes the reader's heart race, wondering what he will do next. Fortunately, Mr. Tom Bee was not killed, and that relieved me. I think that Mildred D. Taylor wrote this book to explain the importance of obeying rules, and what will happen if you don't, especially if you were African American during the mid 1900s. I can relate to Stacey and Jeremy, since they are very obedient and are afraid of what would happen if they broke the rules. Cassie's personality is very similar to Tom Bee's. They both are outspoken and short-tempered. These two qualities get them into a lot of trouble. This book is great to anyone who enjoys a short story, and who wants a good moral to take out of it. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

[Anna J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Friendship by Mildred D. Taylor is a story about racial discrimination in Mississippi in 1933. Written from a little girl’s perspective, this Coretta Scott King award-winning book is about a man, Mr. Tom Bee, who refused to call a white man, John by a title of “mister” and instead chose to use his first name. The African-American man called the white man John, not out of disrespect, but to remind the man of the friendship they once had before society changed John’s views. Though a short story, this book very clearly gives readers a taste of the trials African-Americans faced simply because of their race and portrays the courage of those who chose to stand up for their rights. Scholastic recommends this book for children in third through fifth grade; however, I think this book would be better for the older end of this age range or maybe children in middle school who would better understand the discrimination that takes place in this story.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Friendship
Mildred D. Taylor

**Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner

I would have to say I did not enjoy this book at all. I found it very upsetting the way the characters were treated and I did not like how it did not have a happy ending. Having read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry I was familiar with the characters in the story but I did not like how they were segregated and the way they were treated by white people. I guess I did not like the story because it brought out the harsh reality of a possible example of how African Americans were treated in the past. As a Caucasian woman I felt horrible reading this story and all I wanted to do was just jump into the book and change the way the store manager treated the characters. I would say this book is good for ages 10 and older and I think it would be a great book to teach students about segregation with and the effects it has on people.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story left me in tears, and I'm not one to cry while reading books. It just hit me out of nowhere. Maybe I'm just hormonal, who knows.

It's based on a true event, which also makes it hit home a little harder.
It's a GREAT book for starting conversation regarding this period in America's history, the civil rights movement, etc. Many children can't fathom that our country used to have these laws and ways of life.

I think it depends on the maturity level of the child reading it or that you're reading it to on whether or not they will understand it. I have a very open dialogue with my 9yo daughter, and I believe she would benefit from the themes in this book. Other children her age might not be ready to get what the book is about.

Highly recommended. Very quick read.

[Simone S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good M.D. Taylor book from the Logan Series.
Didn't like the ending - but something I realize from reading YA, or historical fiction, and non-fiction - Life does not have happy endings the way Disney portraits. Most of these books are in a way unfinished - because the people these books were based on didn't reach their happily-ever-after in time to stuff in the books, if they did at all.
So while it would be fun to see every detail - if it's based on real life there are probably many sides missing from the book/story, for more reasons than I could think up.

But for what it was - I think it was a great book - and it pieced together some bits of story from The Land - to current-day in the Logan series, mainly dealing with Tom-Bee.


Thanks for reading!
~Simone

[Sherry Thornberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book about my black countrymen got my hackles up. It seemed like this blatant disrespect of people and their rights based on skin color was far removed from my lifetime. So I googled "The official end of slavery". It was just 105 years before I was born. Just 65 years before my grandmother was born. So it has not been so long ago that people walked our streets here in America that were directly influenced by the institution of slavery. That seems unreal. But its not. Praise be for those who fought and died for civil rights. There is still a long way to go but that gap is more narrow thanks to their sacrifices.

[Miss Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

gr 2-6 53 pgs

1933 Mississippi. Cassie and her brothers witness the ugliness of racism in this short story. When John Wallace was boy, Mr. Tom Bee took him in and raised him. John Wallace had no family of his own and promised that he would never forget what Mr. Tom Been had done for him. Even though, John was white and Mr. Tom Bee was black, John told Mr. Tom Bee to always call him John and not Mister John. Many years later, John Wallace is an adult and has forgotten his promise. Mr. Tom Bee is determined that John Wallace keep his promise and refuses to call John "mister."