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Kizzy Ann Stamps
In 1963, as Kizzy Ann prepares for her first year at an integrated school, she worries about the color of her skin, the scar running from the corner of her right eye to the tip of her smile, and whether anyone at the white school will like her. She writes letters to her new teacher in a clear, insistent voice, stating her troubles and asking questions with startling honesty.
The new teacher is supportive, but not everyone feels the same, so there is a lot to write about. Her brother, James, is having a far less positive school experience than she is, and the annoying white neighbor boy won’t leave her alone. But Shag, her border collie, is her refuge.
Even so, opportunity clashes with obstacle. Kizzy Ann knows she and Shag could compete well in the dog trials, but will she be able to enter?
From Jeri Watts comes an inspiring middle-grade novel about opening your mind to the troubles and scars we all must bear — and facing life with hope and trust.
The new teacher is supportive, but not everyone feels the same, so there is a lot to write about. Her brother, James, is having a far less positive school experience than she is, and the annoying white neighbor boy won’t leave her alone. But Shag, her border collie, is her refuge.
Even so, opportunity clashes with obstacle. Kizzy Ann knows she and Shag could compete well in the dog trials, but will she be able to enter?
From Jeri Watts comes an inspiring middle-grade novel about opening your mind to the troubles and scars we all must bear — and facing life with hope and trust.
183 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
82 people are currently reading
811 people want to read
About the author
Jeri Watts
3 books17 followersJeri Watts has worked as a public school teacher for twenty-seven years. She has written numerous short stories as well as the picture book Keepers. Kizzy Ann Stamps is her first middle-grade novel. Jeri Watts lives in Virginia, where she is a professor at Lynchburg College.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
February 28, 2015
Kizzy Ann Stamps tells the story of a young girl who lives in Lynchburg, VA at the time of integration. The story is told through a series of letters and journal entries to her new teacher at the white school. The story is great for upper elementary students because it showcases the varying responses of both whites and blacks to integration as well as some of the obstacles that arose. A lot of kids do not have a real grasp on what occurred during that time; this story gives some real, tangible examples that get the point across. There are a few things that did not make sense to me as to why they would be journal entries because of the severe consequences they could carry if known by the wrong people (which then means kids miss that point), but I do understand that those aspects of the story needed to be told. This is a great book for 4th to 6th grade, especially since the protagonist is quite spunky and rebellious - a kid with whom most kids today can identify.
June 7, 2017
This is a great read! Told through journal entries to her new teacher, Kizzy Ann describes her feelings attending an integrated school and talks excitedly about her border collie Shag. The author gives a very real voice to Kizzy Ann- I found myself celebrating her highs and wallowing in her lows throughout the book. The other characters did a great job of adding an extra element of authenticity to this great story. Highly recommend this one!
September 4, 2016
That book was downright painful. Who WOULD I recommend it to? Maybe a 10-year-old girl with a long attention span who absolutely must read a historical fiction book about early 1960s integration in the South for her common core assignment. That's about it.
Would a girl Kizzy Ann's age write letters that include entire paragraphs of dialogue? No. The format was unrealistic at best.
Much as I LOVE Border Collies, that element didn't make this book interesting for me. It was long and largely uneventful; there was no page-turning plot element. Kizzy Ann as a character may be relatable for some readers, but there are more interesting books that do a better job of dropping readers into a historical era.
I know, Goodreads reviews like this are borderline cruel... but I mean... I wouldn't hand this to middle-school readers (or to most kids) because it just wouldn't hold their attention. I'm a dedicated and loving reader and it didn't hold mine.
Would a girl Kizzy Ann's age write letters that include entire paragraphs of dialogue? No. The format was unrealistic at best.
Much as I LOVE Border Collies, that element didn't make this book interesting for me. It was long and largely uneventful; there was no page-turning plot element. Kizzy Ann as a character may be relatable for some readers, but there are more interesting books that do a better job of dropping readers into a historical era.
I know, Goodreads reviews like this are borderline cruel... but I mean... I wouldn't hand this to middle-school readers (or to most kids) because it just wouldn't hold their attention. I'm a dedicated and loving reader and it didn't hold mine.
October 3, 2019
This book was good and it is a good quick read for people looking for easy historical fiction book. I recommend this to older group of readers because it talks about slavery and the beating of kids for that fact that they don't have the same race. Its an overall good book, and I recommend you pick it up and read it.
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April 4, 2019Everything isn't easy for Kizzy Ann, especially since it's just the start of integration, but she has her border collie, Shag, to help her through everything. Black people aren't allowed to have their pets in shows, so when Kizzy Ann wants to get Shag into the dog show, she is determined to find a way. This is like an entertainment book, so I would recommend this book for people the ages of 8-14. -Neyvada S., Appaloosa Teen Advisory Board Reviewer
January 6, 2018
Amazingly strong main character. She is honest, curious, sensitive, strong-willed yet eager to find her place in the world without causing harm to others. Well-written and I loved the format of letter/journal entries to her teacher. A classic!
December 6, 2020
I am having too much trouble suspending disbelief about the voice of the narrator. Nobody writes letters like that except over-educated adults trying to show off. But I really want to like it, and it's short, so I'll try now to get past p. 26...
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ok done... cute enough book, and if the dog gets reluctant readers to learn a little history, that's a good thing.
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ok done... cute enough book, and if the dog gets reluctant readers to learn a little history, that's a good thing.
October 6, 2022
read this in like 4th grade lol
May 16, 2018
It is a great piece of literature. Great for understanding the Civil Rights Era better.
August 11, 2024
a beautiful connection written in pages between a girl and her dog.
November 5, 2012
It is 1963 and integration has at last come to rural Virginia. For 12 year old Kizzy Ann Stamps, that means a new school. Her teacher, Mrs. Warren, has given up her job teaching at the one room school for black students so that her kids can go to the larger, better equipped, formally all white school. It will be, Mrs. Warren tells them, a real opportunity.
As summer vacation begins, Kizzy takes Mrs. Warren's advice and writes to her new teacher, Miss Anderson. And to her surprise, Miss Anderson responds to her letter. And so it begins.
Kizzy is a girl who loves words and over the summer, she tells Miss Anderson everything - the history of her old school, about strict, switch-using but caring Mrs. Warren; about her family; about what life is like in the south for all African Americans; and about Shag, her border collie and her best friend and constant companion.
Kizzy is honest, too and tells Miss Anderson that she doesn't actually want to go to the white school, worrying that she and the other black kids really won't be welcomed there by the white students. Added to this is her distress over the very noticeable scar running down one side of her face from a farming accident. Frank Charles, now in her class, was the cause of Kizzy's scarring accident with his scythe and is the son of a bigoted neighbor farmer who hates having his farm bordered by "darkies" and who is angry that his son does not feel the same way. And to top it all off, now Frank Charles is following Kizzy and Shag around.
No sooner is Kizzy in her new school, than a white girl in her class tells Kizzy that Shag wouldn't ever be able to win let alone compete in a dog show. And she's not just any girl - she's the daughter of the woman whose house Kizzy's mother cleans and whose hand me down dresses Kizzy wears to school.
Hurt at the insult to her beloved Shag, Kizzy heads to the one small library she is allowed to use, but resources about border collies are slim. Nevertheless, she is advised by the librarian that there is someone who knows all about border collies and the kinds of competitions they can participate in. Mr. McKenna is a Scotsman and a loner who just doesn't care about Kizzy's skin color, just her dog. And it turns out that a competition would soon be coming to their area of Virginia. Can Shag be properly trained in time? More importantly, will they even allow Kizzy to enter?
Very often novels written in letter or journal form feel limited, providing only one perspective and relying on the writer to tell the story. Here, however, I thought it worked, because she was actually writing to a specific person who was apparently from somewhere else. Through Kizzy's letters and journal entries her teacher and the reader not only learn about her life, but it gives a window into how things were in general in a small rural area at a very important time in this country's history - integration of southern schools.
And there might be some concern that this is yet another novel with too many white people helping Kizzy, but to me it was believable - they were all outsiders in their own way - Kizzy, Frank Charles, Mr. McKenna, Shag, and even Miss Anderson to an extent. So I felt that the message here was that together, these outsiders could and did effect change.
And I also thought that the sub-story about Kizzy's brother was a good counter-balance to her story, though I would have liked to have read more about him. A champion basketball player on a winning team, the local school authorities and newspapers refused to acknowledge them, focusing on the not so wonderful white team. As her brother's frustration mounts, he withdraws into himself, becoming more and more bitter until one night he and his friends cause some destruction to the neighbor's property.
In the final analysis, Kizzy Ann Stamps is an interesting novel about overcoming obstacles, meeting your fears face on, and the power of friendships. As a historical novel, it is a wonderful fictional supplement to a middle grade study of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, especially if used together with two other recent novels about this time period, namely The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine and Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood.
This book is recommended for readers age 8-14
This book was obtained from the publisher - Candlewick
As summer vacation begins, Kizzy takes Mrs. Warren's advice and writes to her new teacher, Miss Anderson. And to her surprise, Miss Anderson responds to her letter. And so it begins.
Kizzy is a girl who loves words and over the summer, she tells Miss Anderson everything - the history of her old school, about strict, switch-using but caring Mrs. Warren; about her family; about what life is like in the south for all African Americans; and about Shag, her border collie and her best friend and constant companion.
Kizzy is honest, too and tells Miss Anderson that she doesn't actually want to go to the white school, worrying that she and the other black kids really won't be welcomed there by the white students. Added to this is her distress over the very noticeable scar running down one side of her face from a farming accident. Frank Charles, now in her class, was the cause of Kizzy's scarring accident with his scythe and is the son of a bigoted neighbor farmer who hates having his farm bordered by "darkies" and who is angry that his son does not feel the same way. And to top it all off, now Frank Charles is following Kizzy and Shag around.
No sooner is Kizzy in her new school, than a white girl in her class tells Kizzy that Shag wouldn't ever be able to win let alone compete in a dog show. And she's not just any girl - she's the daughter of the woman whose house Kizzy's mother cleans and whose hand me down dresses Kizzy wears to school.
Hurt at the insult to her beloved Shag, Kizzy heads to the one small library she is allowed to use, but resources about border collies are slim. Nevertheless, she is advised by the librarian that there is someone who knows all about border collies and the kinds of competitions they can participate in. Mr. McKenna is a Scotsman and a loner who just doesn't care about Kizzy's skin color, just her dog. And it turns out that a competition would soon be coming to their area of Virginia. Can Shag be properly trained in time? More importantly, will they even allow Kizzy to enter?
Very often novels written in letter or journal form feel limited, providing only one perspective and relying on the writer to tell the story. Here, however, I thought it worked, because she was actually writing to a specific person who was apparently from somewhere else. Through Kizzy's letters and journal entries her teacher and the reader not only learn about her life, but it gives a window into how things were in general in a small rural area at a very important time in this country's history - integration of southern schools.
And there might be some concern that this is yet another novel with too many white people helping Kizzy, but to me it was believable - they were all outsiders in their own way - Kizzy, Frank Charles, Mr. McKenna, Shag, and even Miss Anderson to an extent. So I felt that the message here was that together, these outsiders could and did effect change.
And I also thought that the sub-story about Kizzy's brother was a good counter-balance to her story, though I would have liked to have read more about him. A champion basketball player on a winning team, the local school authorities and newspapers refused to acknowledge them, focusing on the not so wonderful white team. As her brother's frustration mounts, he withdraws into himself, becoming more and more bitter until one night he and his friends cause some destruction to the neighbor's property.
In the final analysis, Kizzy Ann Stamps is an interesting novel about overcoming obstacles, meeting your fears face on, and the power of friendships. As a historical novel, it is a wonderful fictional supplement to a middle grade study of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, especially if used together with two other recent novels about this time period, namely The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine and Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood.
This book is recommended for readers age 8-14
This book was obtained from the publisher - Candlewick
September 8, 2015
Historical Fiction emphasizes hope
I never thought I'd write to the teacher at the white school. I don't know as I've ever thought about the white school, really, before all this integration business got started. But here I am, fixing to go there come September.
--Chapter 1
This historical fiction novel tells the story of integration in a small town and how a young girl sees things. Kizzy Ann Stamps is a young girl of color who doesn't really want to go to the "white school". The book is set up as letters Kizzy writes to her new teacher and once school starts, a journal. Each chapter is a letter and later a journal entry. Kizzy loves to write and enjoys telling Miss Anderson all about her and her dog Shag in her letters.
Kizzy is very honest in her letters and expresses what she is feeling about whatever is going on in her life. As the story progresses, we see that Kizzy has a strong personality and sometimes speaks when she shouldn't and it gets her in trouble. But, Kizzy is also very smart, very determined and very resilient.
The author writes beautifully and really captures the voice of a young black girl during the time of segregation. At least as far as I can tell, being pretty far removed from that myself. I guess what I'm saying is, Kizzy is a compelling character and she seems real. Kizzy goes through some highs and lows. She is kept from doing some things because of the color of her skin, but she does break some barriers.
To me, this novel speaks of hope. How even though things seem set in concrete, there are always people with open minds who are willing to see the benefits of change. Of course there are those who are dead set against change, but that doesn't mean we stop trying to make life better.
Enough preaching. Here are some quotes that I especially liked.
I cannot believe the upside-downness of the world. One day your biggest problem is whether you feel like you can work with a man whose eyebrows are alive, and the next minute your problem is that your country's president is dead.
How can one man dying make the whole world hush?
He's my daddy, you know. But sometimes, I just don't know what's right. He'll do something and it feels, um, ugly or mean or something. I get mixed up then. I just don't always know what's right. You know what I mean?
The makeup didn't bring back the old me. It wasn't the old Kizzy Ann. It was just some other girl, someone I didn't know. It was a disguise, just a disguise.
I was not amazed at the hug from you -- I know by now that you really do love me even if you are white and I am not -- but when the crowd gasped, I thought we were in trouble.
I looked to my friends, my friends who were there for me, there with me, this finest moment in my life. I knew that it didn't matter whether we won any place at all. For that experience, on that course, I was an equal.
I enjoyed this book very much. Historical fiction seems to be growing on me. I used to think I didn't like this genre much. But, recently I've read several historical fiction books that touched me. It's always fun to discover something new that you enjoy.
Recommended to:
Readers in grades 3-5 that enjoy historical stories or stories about young girls overcoming odds.
I never thought I'd write to the teacher at the white school. I don't know as I've ever thought about the white school, really, before all this integration business got started. But here I am, fixing to go there come September.
--Chapter 1
This historical fiction novel tells the story of integration in a small town and how a young girl sees things. Kizzy Ann Stamps is a young girl of color who doesn't really want to go to the "white school". The book is set up as letters Kizzy writes to her new teacher and once school starts, a journal. Each chapter is a letter and later a journal entry. Kizzy loves to write and enjoys telling Miss Anderson all about her and her dog Shag in her letters.
Kizzy is very honest in her letters and expresses what she is feeling about whatever is going on in her life. As the story progresses, we see that Kizzy has a strong personality and sometimes speaks when she shouldn't and it gets her in trouble. But, Kizzy is also very smart, very determined and very resilient.
The author writes beautifully and really captures the voice of a young black girl during the time of segregation. At least as far as I can tell, being pretty far removed from that myself. I guess what I'm saying is, Kizzy is a compelling character and she seems real. Kizzy goes through some highs and lows. She is kept from doing some things because of the color of her skin, but she does break some barriers.
To me, this novel speaks of hope. How even though things seem set in concrete, there are always people with open minds who are willing to see the benefits of change. Of course there are those who are dead set against change, but that doesn't mean we stop trying to make life better.
Enough preaching. Here are some quotes that I especially liked.
I cannot believe the upside-downness of the world. One day your biggest problem is whether you feel like you can work with a man whose eyebrows are alive, and the next minute your problem is that your country's president is dead.
How can one man dying make the whole world hush?
He's my daddy, you know. But sometimes, I just don't know what's right. He'll do something and it feels, um, ugly or mean or something. I get mixed up then. I just don't always know what's right. You know what I mean?
The makeup didn't bring back the old me. It wasn't the old Kizzy Ann. It was just some other girl, someone I didn't know. It was a disguise, just a disguise.
I was not amazed at the hug from you -- I know by now that you really do love me even if you are white and I am not -- but when the crowd gasped, I thought we were in trouble.
I looked to my friends, my friends who were there for me, there with me, this finest moment in my life. I knew that it didn't matter whether we won any place at all. For that experience, on that course, I was an equal.
I enjoyed this book very much. Historical fiction seems to be growing on me. I used to think I didn't like this genre much. But, recently I've read several historical fiction books that touched me. It's always fun to discover something new that you enjoy.
Recommended to:
Readers in grades 3-5 that enjoy historical stories or stories about young girls overcoming odds.
August 12, 2012
Kizzy Ann is both a typical middle-school student and one that stands out. It's 1963 and Kizzy Ann will be attending an integrated school in Virginia for the first time in her life when she begins school in the fall. She's 12 and her best friend is a stray border collie named Shag. Her story is told through a series of letters and journal entries over the course of that school year.
Kizzy Ann Stamps is a character that one feels drawn to immediately; somehow, no matter that her story takes place during the turbulent 1960s in the south, there is something in her story that others can relate to. Whether it's the fact that her family is looked at differently because they are black or because she is a no-nonsense girl who does what she has to do to follow her dreams, the reader feels as if Kizzy Ann's story is somehow their own.
Each of the characters in this coming-of-age story has a role to play and sometimes their role is not what the reader, or Kizzy, expects. That just makes the story that much more believable. When Kizzy Ann first talks about Frank Charles Feagans and his father, she has a definite opinion of the two of them. The negative feelings she has about the Feagans family isn't helped by the fact that Mr. Feagans is allowed to have Kizzy publicly switched for something beyond her control, simply because he is white and she is not. However, her opinions of the family, and especially Frank Charles, change over the course of her journal entries. The reader isn't surprised at the turn of events, although Kizzy Ann is.
Read more of this review:
http://www.examiner.com/review/review...
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher.
Kizzy Ann Stamps is a character that one feels drawn to immediately; somehow, no matter that her story takes place during the turbulent 1960s in the south, there is something in her story that others can relate to. Whether it's the fact that her family is looked at differently because they are black or because she is a no-nonsense girl who does what she has to do to follow her dreams, the reader feels as if Kizzy Ann's story is somehow their own.
Each of the characters in this coming-of-age story has a role to play and sometimes their role is not what the reader, or Kizzy, expects. That just makes the story that much more believable. When Kizzy Ann first talks about Frank Charles Feagans and his father, she has a definite opinion of the two of them. The negative feelings she has about the Feagans family isn't helped by the fact that Mr. Feagans is allowed to have Kizzy publicly switched for something beyond her control, simply because he is white and she is not. However, her opinions of the family, and especially Frank Charles, change over the course of her journal entries. The reader isn't surprised at the turn of events, although Kizzy Ann is.
Read more of this review:
http://www.examiner.com/review/review...
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher.
January 6, 2015
Kizzy Ann Stamps is an epistolary novel set in the south in 1963. The story follows Kizzy Ann as she first writes letters and then in her journal throughout the school year. She is among a group of black students that are the first at a formerly all-white school. Kizzy Ann is a strong character and was a real joy to share in life's trials and adventures with. This book covers subjects such as discrimination, segregation, the assassination of President Kennedy, farm life, and the magnificent breed of dogs known as border collies. This book is an excellent conversation starter with kids and really asks them to look deeply into the subject matter. This book is rated for 9-12 year-olds, and I think that is right on the mark.
The spoilers below are character notes for my OBOB team.
The spoilers below are character notes for my OBOB team.
January 26, 2014
Letters and journal entries from a young black girl to her first white teacher mark significant events and attitudes in the 1963-64 school year. Kizzy Ann's rapport with her remarkable dog Shag helps her withstand both physical and emotional injuries ranging from a harvest accident that leaves her with a large facial scar to hurtful words, to hurtful words, to exclusion from events because of her race. Shag keeps Kizzy from becoming bitter, but there is no devoted dog to help her older brother overcome the injustice he faces. Kizzy is worried for J.T. as his anger grows and he makes choices that could carry terrible consequences. As J.T. withdraws, Kizzy draws closer to her white classmates, neighbors and teacher and demonstrates understanding beyond her years. She realizes that the road will be long and the struggle may be hard, but true equality can be achieved as people look beyond color and scars to see the person inside. This heartwarming book belongs in every elementary collection.
October 28, 2013
This was a featured book at the Scholastic Book Fair and of course, the border collie on the cover drew me in (although Shag is described as classic black and white fur, not brown and white as in the photo). This is a great MG novel detailing the struggles with school integration for one African American girl's family in the 1960s. All Kizzy Ann's experiences and feelings ring true, as well as the sometimes chatty tone of her letters/journal entries. I was about to abandon it near the beginning as I felt Kizzy Ann's words at times seemed a bit more mature and self reflective than my experience with 12 year olds, and that the story would be better told as a straight narrative. The promise of more action and story development with the dog got me through and I am glad I did. Even without the historical and social themes of the book, it is just a great girl and her dog story. Will definitely order this for the school library.
February 15, 2018
I read this book with my fourth graders as a lit circle.
It is not a plot driven book, and would not be considered a page turner full of excitement. However, I thought it was a great literature discussion book. Kizzy Ann is a black girl growing up in the 1960s, and is one of the first kids to head to an integrated elementary school.
This book is mostly about race, integration, and being true to yourself despite differences. I found it to be an extremely powerful teaching tool when talking about the civil rights movement, and also it’s a sweet tale of a girl and her dog. I might consider reading this book instead of Because of Winn-Dixie in coming years to add a little more diversity and historic education.
It is not a plot driven book, and would not be considered a page turner full of excitement. However, I thought it was a great literature discussion book. Kizzy Ann is a black girl growing up in the 1960s, and is one of the first kids to head to an integrated elementary school.
This book is mostly about race, integration, and being true to yourself despite differences. I found it to be an extremely powerful teaching tool when talking about the civil rights movement, and also it’s a sweet tale of a girl and her dog. I might consider reading this book instead of Because of Winn-Dixie in coming years to add a little more diversity and historic education.
May 8, 2015
Kizzy Ann Stamps is a book about a black girl and her dog Shag, who live in Lynchburg,Virginia during integration. She is starting a new school and doesn't know if she'll fit in, especially since she has a scar running from her right eye to her lip. She is also training for a herding competition, but doesn't know if they will let her in, since she is black.
This book touched my heart and reminded me that equality is a big part of our lives. I recommend this book to people who like a different type of book to read every now and then.
This book touched my heart and reminded me that equality is a big part of our lives. I recommend this book to people who like a different type of book to read every now and then.
March 1, 2016
I think Kizzy Ann Stamps was a great book because the book tells you how life was being black and her life as a child. Kizzy Stamps is moving schools and she is going to a white school. She has a moon like scar on her cheek form an farming incendent. There is this boy who is following her around and he thinks that they are friends but she is annoyed by him. She has a dog and named Shag she goes where she goes not all the time and she cares for her. Shag is a border collie and she got bit by a snake in the barn but she is fine. The boy's name who follows Kizzy is Frank.
June 22, 2014
KIzzy Ann Stamps has a good story line, and is written as letters from Kizzy to her new teacher at the white school. I thoroughly enjoyed her adventures with her dog and finding new friends. However, the voice in this book is all wrong. Her letters did not sound like a child, much less a child of that time and setting. That made it very difficulty to finish the book, although the ending was satisfying. Good intentions, not so good delivery.
July 2, 2014
This book was full of racism and hard work. I loved the times when Kizzy was training shag as it was real and made sense. However, when Mr.Feagans suddenly just started to accept her after years of treating her badly, it confused me. Just a while before, he had someone hit her with a switch. It is very unlikely that someone would do that and then try to accept them in the real world. So, in my opinion, the author could have explained that better. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book.
April 18, 2014
This was a great book. I won't give everything because that's for you to find out. Kizzy Ann Stamps (a black girl) and her dog Shags earn their right to be in a dog competition. This is a very short review but I can assure you you'll love it!
July 30, 2014
Loved this story and Kizzy Ann's strength and determination! I love the way she overcame her difficulties and the way she was able to relate to all kinds of people. She is an inspiration.
January 17, 2024
Let’s meet Kizzy Ann Stamps and her dog, Shag. Kizzy Ann is called Moon Child by her mama because when she was younger the neighbor boy accidentally let his scythe drop and her face was cut from just under her eye to her mouth in a crescent moon shape. She has never forgiven Frank Charles for her injury.
Mrs. Warren, Kizzy’s old teacher, encouraged all her students to write to their new teacher at the white school. Miss Anderson learns a lot about the life of someone that has the most special dog in the world and a huge scar that people stare at and the many differences between her world and Kizzy Ann’s.
It is 1963 and the schools were integrating but attitudes were far from love thy neighbor.
Kizzy’s brother, James, doesn’t have any teachers like Miss Andersonnin high school. He said his teacher would not put the integrated students on the roll and they wouldn’t even give them books! It was like they were invisible. His JV football team didn’t lose a game but they were never mentioned in the newspaper. Losing a dream is hard. James and his buddies get into mischief. They excite the neighbor’s cows and the cows plow down Frank Charles’ daddy’s shed. Kizzy Ann stared in disbelief when Frank Charles took the blame for what James and his friends had done.
When she asked him why he told her, “It was the right thing to do.”
The author, Jeri Watts, gives readers a look at life during a different era. Step with us into Kizzy Ann’s shoes. Some people do the right thing and others do not!
We meet a cantankerous Scotsman, Mr. McKenna, who trains Shag and Kizzy Ann so they can perform in a dog trial. Will Kizzy Ann and Shag even be allowed to compete?
In the midst of dog training and spelling bees the president is assassinated.
Kizzy Ann expresses her emotions so well. “I cannot believe the upside-downness of the world. I could feel a blanket of sadness covering our school and our state and our nation.”
The kindness of this little book will touch your heart! When Frank Charles’ mama has a seizure and he goes berserk, Kizzy Ann takes charge and calms him down and helps his mama in a gentle way that she’d seen her Sunday School teacher do for a student that had seizures.
It was the right thing to do. Isn’t it funny that we never forget doing the right thing? You won’t regret meeting Kizzy Ann Stamps!
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Mrs. Warren, Kizzy’s old teacher, encouraged all her students to write to their new teacher at the white school. Miss Anderson learns a lot about the life of someone that has the most special dog in the world and a huge scar that people stare at and the many differences between her world and Kizzy Ann’s.
It is 1963 and the schools were integrating but attitudes were far from love thy neighbor.
Kizzy’s brother, James, doesn’t have any teachers like Miss Andersonnin high school. He said his teacher would not put the integrated students on the roll and they wouldn’t even give them books! It was like they were invisible. His JV football team didn’t lose a game but they were never mentioned in the newspaper. Losing a dream is hard. James and his buddies get into mischief. They excite the neighbor’s cows and the cows plow down Frank Charles’ daddy’s shed. Kizzy Ann stared in disbelief when Frank Charles took the blame for what James and his friends had done.
When she asked him why he told her, “It was the right thing to do.”
The author, Jeri Watts, gives readers a look at life during a different era. Step with us into Kizzy Ann’s shoes. Some people do the right thing and others do not!
We meet a cantankerous Scotsman, Mr. McKenna, who trains Shag and Kizzy Ann so they can perform in a dog trial. Will Kizzy Ann and Shag even be allowed to compete?
In the midst of dog training and spelling bees the president is assassinated.
Kizzy Ann expresses her emotions so well. “I cannot believe the upside-downness of the world. I could feel a blanket of sadness covering our school and our state and our nation.”
The kindness of this little book will touch your heart! When Frank Charles’ mama has a seizure and he goes berserk, Kizzy Ann takes charge and calms him down and helps his mama in a gentle way that she’d seen her Sunday School teacher do for a student that had seizures.
It was the right thing to do. Isn’t it funny that we never forget doing the right thing? You won’t regret meeting Kizzy Ann Stamps!
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September 22, 2019
The story Kizzy Ann Stamps the story is about this little girl named Kizzy and she lives in Lynchburg, VA. This story has the little girl that sends letters and journal entries to her new teacher at the white school. Kizzy doesn’t want to go to the white school. This story showcases varying responses of both black and whites to integration as well as some obstacles ahead. And she has a Border Collie Shag. Shag has helped Kizzy through everything. In the book black people aren’t allowed to have pets in the dog show. That’s not fair at all because she could win the dog show if they were allowed to. She tries to get Shag into the dog show. But I feel like her dog made everything better, like being a person it made here better. But her dog helped her through physical and emotional injuries ranging from a harvest accident that leaves her with a big facial scar to hurtful words, to exclusion from events because of her race. Shag keeps Kizzy from becoming bitter, but there is no devoted dog to help her older brother. Kizzy is worried J.T as his anger grows and he makes bad choices there will be terrible consequences. As J.T withdraws, Kizzy draws closer to her classmates, neighbors, and her teachers, and demonstrates the understanding of her years. She realizes that the road will be long and the struggle may be harder, but true equality can be achieved as people look beyond color and scars to see the person inside. And I just like the book a lot because it is saying that race matted back then now we are all equal in our own ways. It doesn’t matter the color you are we are all the same. I think the writing is powerful. I would recommend this book to classmates because I think it's really a good book and it says race doesn’t matter and that’s true.
September 17, 2018
Goodreads Post #2
The book Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jeri Watts is about a girl who doesn’t give up. Kizzy ann got a scar from an accident and she is worried of what people think of her. She has a dog named Shag who they found wandering around. It is her first year at a white school and she has a very nice teacher who gave her a journal to write in because she loves writing. Kizzy ann works with Shag so they can enter a dog show. In the dog show they win first place and she was the only girl and black girl there. In the end she has new friends she will never forget.
I think this book was worth reading because it teaches that you shouldn’t judge people based on their skin color or what they look like. I can relate to Kizzy ann because I have a dog and she likes to herd our chickens sometimes. People judge me on how I look but I have decided to ignore what people look like and I focus on what they are like on the inside. This book makes me realize that people judge and we just need to ignore it because it just tears people down.
The theme for Kizzy Ann Stamps is be yourself and don’t let others stop you from your getting to your dreams. In the story Kizzy ann was told she couldn’t be a part of a dog show because only white people were aloud to show their dogs. She had a lot of support from her friends and they convinced the dog show judge to let her compete. She didn’t let anybody stop her from being in the dog show and she practiced training her dog to be in the dog show. She got to one of her dreams by competing in the dog show and placing.
The book Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jeri Watts is about a girl who doesn’t give up. Kizzy ann got a scar from an accident and she is worried of what people think of her. She has a dog named Shag who they found wandering around. It is her first year at a white school and she has a very nice teacher who gave her a journal to write in because she loves writing. Kizzy ann works with Shag so they can enter a dog show. In the dog show they win first place and she was the only girl and black girl there. In the end she has new friends she will never forget.
I think this book was worth reading because it teaches that you shouldn’t judge people based on their skin color or what they look like. I can relate to Kizzy ann because I have a dog and she likes to herd our chickens sometimes. People judge me on how I look but I have decided to ignore what people look like and I focus on what they are like on the inside. This book makes me realize that people judge and we just need to ignore it because it just tears people down.
The theme for Kizzy Ann Stamps is be yourself and don’t let others stop you from your getting to your dreams. In the story Kizzy ann was told she couldn’t be a part of a dog show because only white people were aloud to show their dogs. She had a lot of support from her friends and they convinced the dog show judge to let her compete. She didn’t let anybody stop her from being in the dog show and she practiced training her dog to be in the dog show. She got to one of her dreams by competing in the dog show and placing.
May 22, 2017
Kizzey Ann Stamps is about a young girl named Kizzey Ann. She is a Native American who was unfortunately not treated the way that she should be. Because she is black she cant do all of the things that she has always wished to do. She has a dog that she really loves and she wants to show him and present him to all of the people. In a dog show, and she gets to do until they get mad at Kizzy for entering because she is black and she should not be aloud in to the dog show.
In the book Kizzy Ann stamps there is many figurative devices that are in this book. One of them is imagery. When she is asking her teacher many honest questions and is really confused about a lot of things, but in the book it describes every facial expression that she makes. There is also a lot of personifications, there is a part when she is telling the teacher about her dog, she brings him to life by saying that he does things that a human would do. And the last figurative device is, there is also a lot more imagery when she gets kicked from the dog show.
I really like this book because it teaches the leason that no matter what you like or how old you are you still matter. This was a really good book and I think many people around the world should read this to look at everyone as equal.
In the book Kizzy Ann stamps there is many figurative devices that are in this book. One of them is imagery. When she is asking her teacher many honest questions and is really confused about a lot of things, but in the book it describes every facial expression that she makes. There is also a lot of personifications, there is a part when she is telling the teacher about her dog, she brings him to life by saying that he does things that a human would do. And the last figurative device is, there is also a lot more imagery when she gets kicked from the dog show.
I really like this book because it teaches the leason that no matter what you like or how old you are you still matter. This was a really good book and I think many people around the world should read this to look at everyone as equal.
April 23, 2021
This book takes place in 1963 when Kizzy Ann is preparing for her first day at an integrated school. She is worried about what people will think of her personality, but also her physical appearance. She reaches out to her new teacher to firmly express her concerns. This book tells her story going to an integrated school for the first time and the challenges she faces and how she overcomes them. She uses her dog, Shag, as her refuge and enters him into dog trials.
Something I really like about this book is how easy it is to understand. I think it is important for books like this, that heavily include diversity, are written for all ages because I believe it is something that all ages should learn about.
I gave this book 5 stars. Like I said, diversity is very important considering the current state of our world. I think it is really cool that when reading this book, you are almost walking in Kizzy Ann's shoes and get a little taste of what it might be like to experience things like racism and discrimination.
Something I really like about this book is how easy it is to understand. I think it is important for books like this, that heavily include diversity, are written for all ages because I believe it is something that all ages should learn about.
I gave this book 5 stars. Like I said, diversity is very important considering the current state of our world. I think it is really cool that when reading this book, you are almost walking in Kizzy Ann's shoes and get a little taste of what it might be like to experience things like racism and discrimination.
October 24, 2017
I don't read many YA novels these days. But this one was donated to the school library I work in, and it caught my eye because I lived through the period in which it is set. The novel is a first-person narrative from the POV of an elementary-school-age African-American girl whose all-black school is closed down so the students can be integrated into the local "white" school in the early 1960s. I must say I am highly suspicious of black characters written by white authors, especially in the first person. I felt I couldn't quite trust the voice to be authentic. I know the narrator was supposed to be highly intelligent and perceptive, but some of the language just didn't ring true, i.e., it sounded like an adult white woman. And the gratitude she expressed to her supportive white teacher was a little cloying. On the other hand, maybe it was an authentic POV for the 1960s. I dunno. I did cry at the end, so that says something, but probably more about me than about the book.
November 28, 2021
Personal Review:
I love books like this because they show you what life is like in a time/place/age/gender/ethnicity I will never experience. I was able to see the world through the eyes of a Black girl in the 1960's. And, yet, I feel that I have a deeper understanding of that time because I have read this book. It was a quick read, and with short chapters, it was easy to jump into and out of and still keep the thread.
Librarian Review:
I would recommend this for every library elementary through high school. It is simple in writing, but complex in ideas. It has a Black girl on the cover in a happy and welcoming state - it doesn't imply any of the 'dark' themes that a lot of other Black covers use to capture readers' attention. A girl and her dog...joy and hope. Even so, there is darkness and truth in the novel. It doesn't gloss over the hurtful nature of the times, but there is hope in everything she does.
I love books like this because they show you what life is like in a time/place/age/gender/ethnicity I will never experience. I was able to see the world through the eyes of a Black girl in the 1960's. And, yet, I feel that I have a deeper understanding of that time because I have read this book. It was a quick read, and with short chapters, it was easy to jump into and out of and still keep the thread.
Librarian Review:
I would recommend this for every library elementary through high school. It is simple in writing, but complex in ideas. It has a Black girl on the cover in a happy and welcoming state - it doesn't imply any of the 'dark' themes that a lot of other Black covers use to capture readers' attention. A girl and her dog...joy and hope. Even so, there is darkness and truth in the novel. It doesn't gloss over the hurtful nature of the times, but there is hope in everything she does.
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