Time Pieces

by Virginia Hamilton

Newbery Medalist Virginia Hamilton presents a novella that brings together the slave past and multi-generational present life of a young girl in Ohio.

From picking berries with her cousins to surviving a tornado to being dissed by a white, bigoted teacher, the daily life of Valena is drawn here with quiet dignity. Time Pieces are places in time, including chapters moving back to Hamilton's autobiographical family story of her grandfather's escape from slavery in Virginia, when he was brought to Ohio by his mother, a native American. A strong work of fiction from a master storyteller.

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

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Virginia Esther Hamilton was the author of forty-one works of fiction and nonfiction. She was the first Black writer awarded the Newbery Medal and the first children's writer to be named a MacArthur Fellow (the "Genius" grant). She also received the National Book Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal.

Reviews

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

We listened to this as an audiobook in the car. I liked it more than the kids did, but I think they still got a lot out of it. The style is very poetic, blending the past and the present, with lots of descriptive passages about strange weather (the aurora borealis, a tornado) and the African slave experience. The main character, Valena, is a naive, curious girl of about 10 or eleven, and the story is told through her eyes.

[Megan Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

It felt long for its length, the stories were mostly dull, and I had a difficult time with suspension of disbelief (an eleven-year-old in Dayton, Ohio who doesn't know what a tornado is or what the signs are? Really?). Some of the chapters might be good for looking at language, but overall, I wouldn't recommend this.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each chapter reads as it's own vignette, which is confirmed at the end of the book. Ms. Hamilton combined some of her childhood experiences with that of her young heroine. Valena the main character is really naive so much so that i thought she was a lot younger then she turns out to be. This isn't one of Ms. Hamilton's best but I enjoyed it.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book I READ at the beginning of the school year if you like more advantce books this is a nice book to read I loved this book

[S10_Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

For grades 2-6, audio CD

[Madlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay book

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seemingly disjointed at times, but the last chapter brings everything together. I feel a child would become confused easily. Wish I knew going on it was semi autobiographical, as that somewhat changed my perspective. Cw: death of an animal

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story of changes and tellings, which were choppy with incomplete sentences. This took me a long time to read.

[Beth Filar Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another enjoyable short stories by Hamilton 3.5 lower only because I've enjoyed some of her other looks a lot better

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Virginia Hamilton book. I enjoyed hearing the stories but I had expected something different from the description.