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The Great Migration: Journey to the North
We were one family among the many thousands. Mama and Daddy leaving home, coming to the city, with their hopes and their courage, their dreams and their children, to make a better life. In this beautiful collection of poems and collage artwork, award winners Eloise Greenfield and Jan Spivey Gilchrist gracefully depict the experiences of families like their own, who found the courage to leave their homes behind during the Great Migration and make new lives for themselves elsewhere. When Eloise Greenfield was four months old, her family moved from their home in Parmele, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C. Before Jan Spivey Gilchrist was born, her mother moved from Arkansas and her father moved from Mississippi. Both settled in Chicago, Illinois. Though none of them knew it at the time, they had all become part of the Great Migration. The Great Migration concludes with a bibliography.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published December 21, 2010
9 people are currently reading
506 people want to read
About the author
Eloise Greenfield
75 books55 followersGreenfield was born Eloise Little in Parmele, North Carolina, and grew up in Washington, D.C., during the Great Depression in the Langston Terrace housing project, which provided a warm childhood experience for her.[1] She was the second oldest of five children of Weston W. Little and his wife Lessie Blanche (née Jones) Little (1906–1986). A shy and studious child, she loved music and took piano lessons.[2][3] Greenfield experienced racism first-hand in the segregated southern U.S., especially when she visited her grandparents in North Carolina and Virginia.[4] She graduated from Cardozo Senior High School in 1946 and attended Miner Teachers College until 1949. In her third year, however, she found that she was too shy to be a teacher and dropped out.[5]
Greenfield began work in the civil service at the U.S. Patent Office. In 1950, she married World War II veteran Robert J. Greenfield, a long-time friend. She began writing poetry and songs in the 1950s while working at the Patent Office, finally succeeding in getting her first poem published in the Hartford Times in 1962 after many years of writing and submitting poetry and stories.[6] After joining the District of Columbia Black Writers Workshop in 1971, she began to write books for children. She has published more than 40 children's books, including picture books, novels, poetry and biographies. She says that she seeks to "choose and order words that children will celebrate".[5][7]
Dismayed by the depiction of blacks and black communities in popular media, Greenfield has focused her work on realistic but positive portrayals of African-American communities, families and friendships.[1] These relationships are emphasized in Sister (1974) a young girl copes with the death of a parent with the help of other family members, Me and Nessie (1975) about best friends, My Daddy and I (1991) and Big Friend, Little Friend (1991) about mentoring.[5] Her first book, Bubbles (1972), "sets the tone for much of Greenfield's later work: Realistic portrayals of loving African American parents working hard to provide for their families, and the children who face life's challenges with a positive outlook."[1] In She Come Bringing Me that Little Baby Girl (1974), a boy deals with feelings of envy and learns to share his parents' love when his baby sister arrives. The poignant Alesia (1981) concerns the bravery of a girl handicapped by a childhood accident. Night on Neighborhood Street (1991) is a collection of poems depicting everyday life in an urban community. One of her best-known books, Honey I Love, first published in 1978, is a collection of poems for people of all ages concerning the daily lives and loving relationships of children and families. Her semi-autobiographical book Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir (1979) describes her happy childhood in a neighborhood with strong positive relationships.[5] In the introduction to that book, she explains her interest in biography:
People are a part of their time. They are affected, during the time that they live by the things that happen in their world. Big things and small things. A war, an invention such as radio or television, a birthday party, a kiss. All of these help to shape the present and the future. If we could know more about our ancestors, about the experiences they had when they were children, and after they had grown up, too, we would know much more about what has shaped us and our world.[8]
In 1971, Greenfield began work for the District of Columbia Black Writers' Workshop, as co-director of adult fiction and then, in 1973, as director of children's literature. That group's goal was to encourage the writing and publishing of African-American literature. She was writer-in-residence at the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 1985-86 and taught creative writing in schools under grants from the Commission. She has also lectured and given free workshops on writing of African-American children's
Greenfield began work in the civil service at the U.S. Patent Office. In 1950, she married World War II veteran Robert J. Greenfield, a long-time friend. She began writing poetry and songs in the 1950s while working at the Patent Office, finally succeeding in getting her first poem published in the Hartford Times in 1962 after many years of writing and submitting poetry and stories.[6] After joining the District of Columbia Black Writers Workshop in 1971, she began to write books for children. She has published more than 40 children's books, including picture books, novels, poetry and biographies. She says that she seeks to "choose and order words that children will celebrate".[5][7]
Dismayed by the depiction of blacks and black communities in popular media, Greenfield has focused her work on realistic but positive portrayals of African-American communities, families and friendships.[1] These relationships are emphasized in Sister (1974) a young girl copes with the death of a parent with the help of other family members, Me and Nessie (1975) about best friends, My Daddy and I (1991) and Big Friend, Little Friend (1991) about mentoring.[5] Her first book, Bubbles (1972), "sets the tone for much of Greenfield's later work: Realistic portrayals of loving African American parents working hard to provide for their families, and the children who face life's challenges with a positive outlook."[1] In She Come Bringing Me that Little Baby Girl (1974), a boy deals with feelings of envy and learns to share his parents' love when his baby sister arrives. The poignant Alesia (1981) concerns the bravery of a girl handicapped by a childhood accident. Night on Neighborhood Street (1991) is a collection of poems depicting everyday life in an urban community. One of her best-known books, Honey I Love, first published in 1978, is a collection of poems for people of all ages concerning the daily lives and loving relationships of children and families. Her semi-autobiographical book Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir (1979) describes her happy childhood in a neighborhood with strong positive relationships.[5] In the introduction to that book, she explains her interest in biography:
People are a part of their time. They are affected, during the time that they live by the things that happen in their world. Big things and small things. A war, an invention such as radio or television, a birthday party, a kiss. All of these help to shape the present and the future. If we could know more about our ancestors, about the experiences they had when they were children, and after they had grown up, too, we would know much more about what has shaped us and our world.[8]
In 1971, Greenfield began work for the District of Columbia Black Writers' Workshop, as co-director of adult fiction and then, in 1973, as director of children's literature. That group's goal was to encourage the writing and publishing of African-American literature. She was writer-in-residence at the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 1985-86 and taught creative writing in schools under grants from the Commission. She has also lectured and given free workshops on writing of African-American children's
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
May 15, 2011
The Great Migration is a beautiful blend of poetry, history and illustration. Eloise Greenfield shares a very personal perspective on the mass movement of African Americans from the southern part of the U.S. to the North between 1915 and 1930, intertwining both historical perspective and a personal experience. Greenfield begins with a short explanation of the meaning of “the Great Migration”, what it was, and how it affected her family. In August 1929, she was three months old when her father took the train from their home in North Carolina to find work in Washington, D.C. A month later, he sent for his family: “I was too little to know it then, but I had become a part of the Great Migration.”
The poems in this book follow a number of characters as they set out to move North, hoping to find a better life for themselves and their families. Each character is unnamed, but the poetry speaks from that person’s heart. Through this free verse poetry, the reader is pulled right into what it would be like to contemplate leaving your home.
This is a wonderful way into history for students, helping them imagine what it would be like to stand in a person’s shoes. The poems in this book are arranged in a chronological way, following a family’s move North. As the Horn Book review says, “Many of the poems give voice to unnamed travelers' thoughts; Greenfield explores the heart of each person, from the young woman going North alone, who sees her mother secretly packing her teddy bear in her bag, to the angry woman who says, 'I can't wait to get away. . .I hear that train whistling / my name. Don't worry, train, / I'm ready. When you pull / into the station, my bags and I / will be there.'“ I found this approach very moving, perfect for making me want to learn more.
Gilchrist's illustrations blend watercolor and collage to create landscapes and personal portraits that are as powerful as the poems. I was particularly struck by the way she incorporates faces from actual photographs into her artwork, reinforcing the feeling that these poems speak for actual people’s experiences.
The poems in this book follow a number of characters as they set out to move North, hoping to find a better life for themselves and their families. Each character is unnamed, but the poetry speaks from that person’s heart. Through this free verse poetry, the reader is pulled right into what it would be like to contemplate leaving your home.
This is a wonderful way into history for students, helping them imagine what it would be like to stand in a person’s shoes. The poems in this book are arranged in a chronological way, following a family’s move North. As the Horn Book review says, “Many of the poems give voice to unnamed travelers' thoughts; Greenfield explores the heart of each person, from the young woman going North alone, who sees her mother secretly packing her teddy bear in her bag, to the angry woman who says, 'I can't wait to get away. . .I hear that train whistling / my name. Don't worry, train, / I'm ready. When you pull / into the station, my bags and I / will be there.'“ I found this approach very moving, perfect for making me want to learn more.
Gilchrist's illustrations blend watercolor and collage to create landscapes and personal portraits that are as powerful as the poems. I was particularly struck by the way she incorporates faces from actual photographs into her artwork, reinforcing the feeling that these poems speak for actual people’s experiences.
February 18, 2012
Taken by surprise with this book. I feel like I've read so, so many picture and large-format middle-grade books about Black History in the last few years that I didn't think any of them could really intrigue me any more. This book is exceedingly simple and short, and that's its strength. No wasted words. For the most part each character speaks once and only once; they say what they need to say and the book moves on. This book captures a snapshot and knows what it's doing. It doesn't insist on creating drama. And make no mistake, for some reason the poorest illustration was chosen for the cover--I can't imagine why. This book has five-star illustrations within.
February 26, 2017
In a series of free-verse poems, Greenfield chronicles the great migration through the eyes of those who have decided to leave their homes in the south and to head north for a better life. The poems are written chronically, beginning with news about life up north, away from the fear and violence of the Ku Klux Klan. It is followed by a number of poems exploring the mixed feelings of those who have decided to make the move. Each person is left unnamed, identified only as, for example, man, woman, boy and girl, giving them a somewhat Everyman persona, even as they are personalized by expressing their feelings about leaving. At the center is a lone poem called "The Trip." It details the train ride and what the riders experienced as they leave everything familiar behind them. This is followed by a poem that speaks to the fears of the travelers about having made the right decision, as they arrive at their destination. The last poem, "My Family"is the most personal poem, a tribute to the author's family and their move north when she was only 3 months old. Gilchrist's mixed-media collage illustrations perfectly compliment the Greenfield's poems. You will notice, as you explore these details illustrations, that she has incorporated faces taken from photographs into them. And do explore each page, as there is so much to notice and talk about.
January 29, 2013
The Great Migration is a story about a young black woman's journey from the south to the north during the period called the great migration. It starts off with the main character reading about how the north is free from the KKK and the fear that surrounds them. The main character is unnamed which adds to the fact that this could represent any young black woman's experiences during that time. After hearing about the north, her and her family pack up and begin the journey. The book covers all aspects of the journey from saying goodbye to the trip. The pictures really add to the mood of the book, done in watercolors. The shadows make the pictures abstract again to add to the feeling that this could be any individual during the great migration.
I would definitely recommend this book for a Great Migration unit. Before the story starts it gives some good history of the time period and sets the reader up for what they will experience. Each new page also offers great room for discussion with students about how they could handle the different situations that are brought up.
I would definitely recommend this book for a Great Migration unit. Before the story starts it gives some good history of the time period and sets the reader up for what they will experience. Each new page also offers great room for discussion with students about how they could handle the different situations that are brought up.
June 26, 2012
This is a wonderfully creative book about the migration of over a million African Americans from the southern region of the US to the northern regions of the US. Each page shows us a picture of how each child, woman, man is feeling throughout their jouney to a new home. Sometimes scared, excited and even angry. It is so important to teach our children the history of our country and this book enables very young readers to read and view the story and the people in beautiful lyrical poems. This book appeals to boys and girls, but especially boys who love to read non-fiction and are interested in history. I think children from 2nd grade up to 5th could identify with the characters in this book and would love to jump into part of our American history.
Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor 2012
Greenfield, E. (2011). The Great Migration Journey to the North. NY: Harper Collins Children's Books.
Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor 2012
Greenfield, E. (2011). The Great Migration Journey to the North. NY: Harper Collins Children's Books.
August 31, 2011
In free verse poems, Eloise Greenfield tells the tale of African Americans who, hoping for a better life in the Northern states, leave all they know in search of a new home and new life.
Greenfield's lines are simple but thoughtful, carrying music in her words, like the sound of train wheels on the track in:
In Question: Men and Women:
Will I make a good life
for my family, for myself?
The whhels are singing
"Yes, you will,
you will, you will!"
I hope they're right.
I think they're right.
I know they're right
To me the real show stopper in this work is the illustrations, done in mixed media with photos, prints and other forms of monochromatic collage.
Greenfield's lines are simple but thoughtful, carrying music in her words, like the sound of train wheels on the track in:
In Question: Men and Women:
Will I make a good life
for my family, for myself?
The whhels are singing
"Yes, you will,
you will, you will!"
I hope they're right.
I think they're right.
I know they're right
To me the real show stopper in this work is the illustrations, done in mixed media with photos, prints and other forms of monochromatic collage.
June 20, 2012
This is a wonderful book, probably most appealing for grades 2-4. It tells of the Great Migration (1915-1930), when black families moved north in order to escape discrimination and find jobs. The story is told in segments, with each mini-story coming from a different age and viewpoint. The individuals say their goodbyes, make the trip north, question what they’re doing, and finally arrive with a determination to stay and make their lives better. I think the illustrations are dark and almost haunting, but they certainly add to the tone of the story.
(Coretta Scott King Author honor book 2012)
(Coretta Scott King Author honor book 2012)
June 16, 2011
I have tremendous respect for those authors who use their creativity, imagination, and passion to present a "non-fiction" topic to young readers in a way that not educates them about the facts surrounding a particular place or time in history, but are able to do so in a way that shows you the many different facets and perspectives of the people who lived the event. This beautiful picture book tells the story of the great migration north made by thousands of African Americans searching for a better life and freedom from the oppressive Jim Crow laws of the South. Beautifully done!
March 12, 2012
Text Summary
“They see the train coming closer and closer, and then it stops. They gather on the platform, hold out their tickets, climb aboard... It’s time. They’re moving slowly, then faster; some think too fast, some think not fast enough, toward a world they don’t yet know.” Thus begins the journey of the courageous men, women, and children of the Great Migration. In the South in the early 1900s, the Jim Crow Laws and the KKK were destroying the lives of African Americans. So, families left their homes; some mourning the loss of their land, some, the loss of their friends; however, for many, the anticipation of freedom willed them to leave. On the trip, they thought about the places they left, and daydreamed about places they were about to see: Chicago, New York, Washington... Although they were apprehensive and questioned whether things would actually be better in the North, they kept with them their hopes and dreams of a better tomorrow: “Got to try it. Going to do it. Going to make it. No matter what.”
Literary Merits
During the Great Migration, Eloise Greenfield and her family were one among the millions who left their homes in the South and traveled to the North in search of a better life. The short poems presented in this book are written from a range of perspectives of people who migrated to the North: a man leaving his farm, a young girl and boy mourning the friends that they are leaving behind, an older woman anxiously awaiting the arrival of the train, carrying no nostalgic memories of the town she’s leaving, and a young girl leaving her mother with only a small teddy bear to accompany her on her long journey. Using this technique, Greenfield allows for readers to experience this journey through the eyes of many different people. Through these characters, Greenfield shows the reasons why these families are leaving, what some of them leave behind, and what all of them look forward to in the future. Gilchrist’s vibrant collage artwork (photographs, drawings, maps, etc.) helps to depict their journeys along the way.
Classroom Recommendations
Ages 5 and up. Reflected in this text are themes of courage, resiliency, family relationships, justice, freedom, and dreams. Greenfield prefaces her selection of poetry with an introduction that gives some background information of the living conditions for African Americans in the South during the early 1900s. Although, further study of the KKK and Jim Crow laws would benefit young readers who may have had little exposure to these topics. It might be interesting to pair this text with something like Deborah Ellis’ Children of War to show the impact of injustice on a child’s life and their stories of having to flee their homes in search of better lives. I just read Ellis’s Children of War last week for our informational text study, so it is still fresh in my mind. See my review for Children of War to get some more information.
“They see the train coming closer and closer, and then it stops. They gather on the platform, hold out their tickets, climb aboard... It’s time. They’re moving slowly, then faster; some think too fast, some think not fast enough, toward a world they don’t yet know.” Thus begins the journey of the courageous men, women, and children of the Great Migration. In the South in the early 1900s, the Jim Crow Laws and the KKK were destroying the lives of African Americans. So, families left their homes; some mourning the loss of their land, some, the loss of their friends; however, for many, the anticipation of freedom willed them to leave. On the trip, they thought about the places they left, and daydreamed about places they were about to see: Chicago, New York, Washington... Although they were apprehensive and questioned whether things would actually be better in the North, they kept with them their hopes and dreams of a better tomorrow: “Got to try it. Going to do it. Going to make it. No matter what.”
Literary Merits
During the Great Migration, Eloise Greenfield and her family were one among the millions who left their homes in the South and traveled to the North in search of a better life. The short poems presented in this book are written from a range of perspectives of people who migrated to the North: a man leaving his farm, a young girl and boy mourning the friends that they are leaving behind, an older woman anxiously awaiting the arrival of the train, carrying no nostalgic memories of the town she’s leaving, and a young girl leaving her mother with only a small teddy bear to accompany her on her long journey. Using this technique, Greenfield allows for readers to experience this journey through the eyes of many different people. Through these characters, Greenfield shows the reasons why these families are leaving, what some of them leave behind, and what all of them look forward to in the future. Gilchrist’s vibrant collage artwork (photographs, drawings, maps, etc.) helps to depict their journeys along the way.
Classroom Recommendations
Ages 5 and up. Reflected in this text are themes of courage, resiliency, family relationships, justice, freedom, and dreams. Greenfield prefaces her selection of poetry with an introduction that gives some background information of the living conditions for African Americans in the South during the early 1900s. Although, further study of the KKK and Jim Crow laws would benefit young readers who may have had little exposure to these topics. It might be interesting to pair this text with something like Deborah Ellis’ Children of War to show the impact of injustice on a child’s life and their stories of having to flee their homes in search of better lives. I just read Ellis’s Children of War last week for our informational text study, so it is still fresh in my mind. See my review for Children of War to get some more information.
July 12, 2011
The Great Migration by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Jan Gilchrist chronicles the journey to the North by over a million African Americans from the American South between 1915 aand 1930.
When Eloise Greenfield was four months old, her family moved from their home in Parmele, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C. Before Jan Spivey Gilchrist was born, her mother moved from Arkansas and her father moved from Mississippi. Both settled in Chicago, Illinois. Though none of them knew it at the time, they had all become part of the Great Migration.
With poems and beautiful collage artwork, the experiences of families who were couragous enough to leave their homes behind and make new lives for themselves in the North are depicted.
The free verse poems follow a number of unnamed characters as they set out to move North with the poetry speaking from each person’s heart. Students will more easily be able to imagine what it would be like to stand in such a person’s shoes. The poems are arranged chronologically following a family’s move North. They explain how the combination of segregation, KKK threats, and Jim Crow laws encouraged African Americans to move North.
This is a strong addition to juvenile literature for younger readers regarding the Great Migration. Highly recommended.
For ages 9 to 11, Great Migration, segregation, African American history, poetry themes & fans of Eloise Greenfield and Jan Gilchrist.
When Eloise Greenfield was four months old, her family moved from their home in Parmele, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C. Before Jan Spivey Gilchrist was born, her mother moved from Arkansas and her father moved from Mississippi. Both settled in Chicago, Illinois. Though none of them knew it at the time, they had all become part of the Great Migration.
With poems and beautiful collage artwork, the experiences of families who were couragous enough to leave their homes behind and make new lives for themselves in the North are depicted.
The free verse poems follow a number of unnamed characters as they set out to move North with the poetry speaking from each person’s heart. Students will more easily be able to imagine what it would be like to stand in such a person’s shoes. The poems are arranged chronologically following a family’s move North. They explain how the combination of segregation, KKK threats, and Jim Crow laws encouraged African Americans to move North.
This is a strong addition to juvenile literature for younger readers regarding the Great Migration. Highly recommended.
For ages 9 to 11, Great Migration, segregation, African American history, poetry themes & fans of Eloise Greenfield and Jan Gilchrist.
December 13, 2014
"The Great Migration: Journey to the North" tells the history behind the horrible times in the South for African Americans, which caused the movement known as the Great Migration. In the very beginning of the book there is a summary that describes the time period between 1915 and 1930 were over a million African Americans left their southern homes in the United States to move to the North. They were almost forced to leave due to the dangers of the South, like the Ku Klux Klan. The book is broken apart into five sections: "The News", stories of different people, "The Trip", "Question", and "Up North". Each page has a different illustration, some not even matching the style of the last. The story really puts you into that time period and allows you to imagine how the people felt during this time of struggle and panic.
I think this book would be great for students who are learning about segregation and what that means. I remember learning about Martin Luther King as early as first grade, but I think that this book would be good for second and third graders as well. Students can study more in depth the Great Migration and more about the dangers that came about at this time. I remember studying the KKK and now learning that there is still such a group. I think having children research articles that are occurring today that relates back to that time. Students could discuss what is still a problem in today's society and what they think about such situations. Students could even act out events that occurred in history such as the segregation on buses like with Rosa Parks. This can really help students understand what happened during these times in the US.
I think this book would be great for students who are learning about segregation and what that means. I remember learning about Martin Luther King as early as first grade, but I think that this book would be good for second and third graders as well. Students can study more in depth the Great Migration and more about the dangers that came about at this time. I remember studying the KKK and now learning that there is still such a group. I think having children research articles that are occurring today that relates back to that time. Students could discuss what is still a problem in today's society and what they think about such situations. Students could even act out events that occurred in history such as the segregation on buses like with Rosa Parks. This can really help students understand what happened during these times in the US.
November 9, 2017
What a collection of powerful poetry that truly transports you to the journey African-Americans took from their homes in the South to their new homes in the North. This was such an enjoyable collection of poems about such a emotional time in many people’s lives that one can never fully understand unless they took this journey. Yet this book can help one themselves in these people’s places to get a glimpse of their feelings and journeys taken. Eloise took this journey herself when she was only four months old with her mother and siblings after being separated from her father we he went to secure their new lives up North. I believe this would be an excellent collection of poems to help younger elementary students understand the Great Migration. This collection of poems should not serve as the sole explanation though, but would be a valuable piece when talking about the journey and the various people that took this journey. The way these poems were pieced together and placed in the collection took you on the Great Migration from the beginning when people were hearing from relatives about how life was better up North to the point when they arrived North. This would serve as a great mentor poetry collection and one could have students then write their own collection about some journey that they have gone on or another “journey” or migration from history. Thus, this piece could act as a bridge between two different migrations in America’s history and act as a jumping point for comparing and contrasting them. Also the illustrations are amazing in this book. They are in collage form and many feature pieces of real pictures of those that went on the Great Migration.
April 18, 2017
Based upon Eloise Greenfield's own life experience of migrating north in 1929, this series of poems describes the move from north to south for a group of black people at that time. In these spare poems she captures their hopes for a better life, their dreams for a future, and their fears that life may be no better. This is something that was never taught to me when I was in school, or, if it was, it was related to me as a dry fact. Books like this one give facts a human face, and reveal what it must have been like to leave the land and way of life you know and move north to the unknown. According to Greenfield's introduction, many people found that life wasn't perfect in the north, but somewhat better. I wish this book could have gone on a bit longer and revealed some of those imperfections. This book is a 2012 Coretta Scott King Award honor book for its text, and deserves to be so.
The illustrations intrigued me. I didn't particularly like them, but I'd really like to know how Gilchrist created them. Some look to be watercolored kodalith prints; some look like faded newspaper clippings or rubber stampings or drawings illustrated with sponges dipped in ink. Too bad a note on the illustration technique wasn't included.
I hope teachers use this in classrooms so that children today can get a full and clear picture of why so many black people moved north, and what they found when they got there. Recommended.
The illustrations intrigued me. I didn't particularly like them, but I'd really like to know how Gilchrist created them. Some look to be watercolored kodalith prints; some look like faded newspaper clippings or rubber stampings or drawings illustrated with sponges dipped in ink. Too bad a note on the illustration technique wasn't included.
I hope teachers use this in classrooms so that children today can get a full and clear picture of why so many black people moved north, and what they found when they got there. Recommended.
May 2, 2015
"The Great Migration, Journey To The North", is a poetry book that has won The Coretta Scott King Award.
This book is about Eloise Greenfield's family moving from the South to the North during the Great migration. Members Ku Klux Klan were assaulting African Americans, making their environment unsafe to live in. Because of the racial discrimination there were few jobs so African Americans moved to establish a better life for their families.
I gave this book 5 stars because it shows part of the struggle African Americans went through in the 1900's. The plot of this poetry book is to give understanding of the Great Migration and families having to split up because the fathers had to go look for work in another state to take care of their families. The theme is of the book provides the reader with knowledge of how hard it was to up root a family from the place they have always known as home and move to an unknown state. Trusting the word of other friends and family that there was better living in places like New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit and many more states.
The illustrations look as if they were hand sketched on fine paper to represent the era of time they were living in. This book maybe appealing to middle school children and would be great to use for a book report or during Black History Month in February.
This book is about Eloise Greenfield's family moving from the South to the North during the Great migration. Members Ku Klux Klan were assaulting African Americans, making their environment unsafe to live in. Because of the racial discrimination there were few jobs so African Americans moved to establish a better life for their families.
I gave this book 5 stars because it shows part of the struggle African Americans went through in the 1900's. The plot of this poetry book is to give understanding of the Great Migration and families having to split up because the fathers had to go look for work in another state to take care of their families. The theme is of the book provides the reader with knowledge of how hard it was to up root a family from the place they have always known as home and move to an unknown state. Trusting the word of other friends and family that there was better living in places like New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit and many more states.
The illustrations look as if they were hand sketched on fine paper to represent the era of time they were living in. This book maybe appealing to middle school children and would be great to use for a book report or during Black History Month in February.
March 17, 2011
Splendid multimedia illustraitons that bring alive the time and the emotions of the Great Migration journeys of Black kids, adults and families. I liked the poetic language, but the book has NO coherent narrative, which made it utterly confusing for my (learning disabled) 10 year old. We read the whole thing and he asked me "What was this about?" He enjoyed the pictures but it wasn't possible for him to really absorb the storyline, because there really wasn't much of one. It reads more like a montage of emotions as people make the great journey north, which is great for a child who already understands the basics of this part of history. In our case it ended up being a lovely jumping-off point for teaching him more about various eras of post-slavery Black life in both the North and South, and conversations about how my son's southern Black family members might have ended up in the Northeast. Not a bad outcome, but not really what I was looking for in a book for kids his age as it was not relatable for him.
May 4, 2012
Poet Eloise Greenfield makes an eloquent and moving story about African-Americans making the Great Migration to the North. Her own family's story is included seamlessly, making it all the more tangible. Poems describe the dream of a better life, the sadness of leaving home, the separation of loved ones and the journey by train to cities in the North.
The illustrations by Jan Spivey Gilchrist are mixed-media collages using photos of people. One really cool picture shows people in a wheat field as the train runs past. Kids would love to find as many people as they can in the field. Ask the kids why the the artist chose to make the field using the pictures of people -- I bet you'd get some very interesting answers!
The poems would make great read-alouds. They are short but poignant and bring a sense of immediacy to the reader. This would make a great addition to classrooms or to anyone who wants to learn about this part of American history. This book is excellent all around!
The illustrations by Jan Spivey Gilchrist are mixed-media collages using photos of people. One really cool picture shows people in a wheat field as the train runs past. Kids would love to find as many people as they can in the field. Ask the kids why the the artist chose to make the field using the pictures of people -- I bet you'd get some very interesting answers!
The poems would make great read-alouds. They are short but poignant and bring a sense of immediacy to the reader. This would make a great addition to classrooms or to anyone who wants to learn about this part of American history. This book is excellent all around!
April 20, 2012
I knew very little about this, so THE GREAT MIGRATION was a nice overview. Jan Spivey Gilchrist's collage-illustrations were assembled from what look like over-photocopied images of trains, cityscapes, vehicles and individual people and crowds, adding in color with crayons or pastels or watercolors. And they are imagination-capturing. The story is also told through Greenfield's poems that tell her own family's story. The combination of the poems and visuals succeed in conveying the dislocation ("...saying goodbye to the land puts a pain on my heart."), anticipation, fear, disorientation, separation and longing that had to accompany those, maybe especially children, who made the northward journey.
February 28, 2011
During the early 1900's more than a million African America migrated from the south to the north in order to escape the Ku Klux Klan. This is a wonderful story that is written poetry format that will help young students to understand the journey that many of these Americans had to take in order to feel truly free. The illustrations are beautiful and simple, adding to the story. This book does a wonderful job of helping the reader to connect to those the story is about, and will pull at your heartstrings. This would be a great text to use even with older classes of students as they student this era.
May 2, 2011
Greenfield weaves in the different points of view that men, women and children had as they fled their homes in the South for the promise of a better life in northern cities. The reader is able to gain insight into how families were separated as fathers went looking for work, the fears of African Americans as they left all they had ever known and the ever present hope that the future held.
Good for use during African American history month. Offers a look at a topic not widely discussed in elementary circles. Pair with "The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1964" to offer a look at why the family moved to Flint, Michigan.
Good for use during African American history month. Offers a look at a topic not widely discussed in elementary circles. Pair with "The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1964" to offer a look at why the family moved to Flint, Michigan.
November 27, 2011
A fabulous way to explain the joy, sadnes, and uncertainty that African Americans felt as they traveled from the dangerous south to the north during the Great Migration. I liked how the story was told trough a series of poems. That was very unique. I also liked how Eloise Greenfield included several points of views of the experience (men, women, and children.)
I would use this book during lessons about the struggles and hardships that African Americans have experienced in the United States. I would also use this book during poetry units.
I would use this book during lessons about the struggles and hardships that African Americans have experienced in the United States. I would also use this book during poetry units.
August 31, 2016
Eloise Greenfield uses poetry to interweave the story of her family's move from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., in 1929 with the greater migration north that took place between 1915 and 1930. Her family's story is a familiar one--more than one million African Americans took this journey north to find freedom from discrimination and prejudice and new opportunities. Jane Spivey Gilchrist's mixed media illustrations provide additional depth to the story and her use of historical pictures is particularly compelling.
June 25, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. In addition, the illustrations were amazing! I really liked how the book explained what the great migration was and then gave personal encounters from children and adults on how they were feeling about moving North to have a better life. The audience for this book would be 1st-3rd grade. I think that if the child was yet able to read they would still enjoy the pictures while someone else read the book to them. This book is from Coretta Scott King Book Award Recipients in 2012 for the Author's Honor Award.
Read
June 29, 2012This book appeals to any gender around the grades K-3rd. This book is very interesting because it's something that I would read after I had taught a lesson about the great migration to the north. This book gives what that time was like from every different point of view from the African Americans. It has what the husbands/fathers felt, what the children felt, what the wives/mothers felt, etc. I thought it was very interesting and insightful, and each story was told through a poem. This book is a 2012 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book.
April 25, 2017
Both the writer and illustrator had family who traveled north from the Jim Crow south, seeking a better life and new opportunities.
This poetic book is a tribute to those who risked what was known, to travel to the unknown. Roughly six million African-Americans left the Deep South from approximately 1910's to 1970's — about half of black America at that time. The transition from a rural area into one of the fast paced life of industrialized cities, brought new opportunities, but also the insecurity of leaving families and a different life style behind.
This poetic book is a tribute to those who risked what was known, to travel to the unknown. Roughly six million African-Americans left the Deep South from approximately 1910's to 1970's — about half of black America at that time. The transition from a rural area into one of the fast paced life of industrialized cities, brought new opportunities, but also the insecurity of leaving families and a different life style behind.
November 17, 2016
The Great Migration:
Plot Summary: The Great Migration: Journey to the North is a reminder that America wasn’t always great, and an eye opener as to what African Americans had to endure while hoping to start a new life in the North. This book has received awards from the Notable Social Studies organization and the Notable Books For a Global Society for it's distinct connections to social studies. This book is a collection of poems and artwork that depict different journeys and stories, similar to Eloise Greenfield’s, of African Americans who had the courage to leave their lives and sometimes families behind to start a new life. The book begins with a brief summary of the history of the Great Migration. The first poem is called “The News” and describes what people hear about the land of the North can offer them: such as jobs, homes and no Klu Klux Klan. One powerful poem called ‘Woman’ is written in what seems like a middle aged African American woman’s voice who is expressing her hope for a new life up North. She states how she can’t wait to get away and never see this town again, saying goodbye to the work for almost no pay, the cotton fields that broke her back, and the signs that tell her where she can and cannot go. Greenfield ends the book with the poem titled “My Family” in which she relates her own family’s experience of migrating north when she was four months old. This book allows the reader to connect with a culture that they may not be from, and thus never experienced
Literary Merit: I think the literary merit of characterization is profound in this book and really brings the poems to life with personal experiences. Being a young white female, I don’t really have much in common with the voices in the poems, but still got chills and strong feelings while reading them. I think this is because the author did such an amazing job of depicting the real life experiences and emotions of the characters to really highlight how important this journey was for them. We don’t know much about ‘the woman’ from the poem, and I definitely wasn’t alive back then to know, but i still felt connected with her and her personal experiences for some reason. Through a short couple lined poem, Greenfield was able to show us a realistic portrait of this woman's life and why she desperately wanted to leave so badly.
Classroom Connection: I would use this poetry collection in a text set for older readers about the Great Migration. I would have fiction and nonfiction texts paired together for readers to really experience what the people back then went through. I would have them read a couple of texts and then write an analysis of how they think they would have felt going through this experience. This activity would encourage students to really connect with how the people felt and would allow them to make an emotional connection.
Plot Summary: The Great Migration: Journey to the North is a reminder that America wasn’t always great, and an eye opener as to what African Americans had to endure while hoping to start a new life in the North. This book has received awards from the Notable Social Studies organization and the Notable Books For a Global Society for it's distinct connections to social studies. This book is a collection of poems and artwork that depict different journeys and stories, similar to Eloise Greenfield’s, of African Americans who had the courage to leave their lives and sometimes families behind to start a new life. The book begins with a brief summary of the history of the Great Migration. The first poem is called “The News” and describes what people hear about the land of the North can offer them: such as jobs, homes and no Klu Klux Klan. One powerful poem called ‘Woman’ is written in what seems like a middle aged African American woman’s voice who is expressing her hope for a new life up North. She states how she can’t wait to get away and never see this town again, saying goodbye to the work for almost no pay, the cotton fields that broke her back, and the signs that tell her where she can and cannot go. Greenfield ends the book with the poem titled “My Family” in which she relates her own family’s experience of migrating north when she was four months old. This book allows the reader to connect with a culture that they may not be from, and thus never experienced
Literary Merit: I think the literary merit of characterization is profound in this book and really brings the poems to life with personal experiences. Being a young white female, I don’t really have much in common with the voices in the poems, but still got chills and strong feelings while reading them. I think this is because the author did such an amazing job of depicting the real life experiences and emotions of the characters to really highlight how important this journey was for them. We don’t know much about ‘the woman’ from the poem, and I definitely wasn’t alive back then to know, but i still felt connected with her and her personal experiences for some reason. Through a short couple lined poem, Greenfield was able to show us a realistic portrait of this woman's life and why she desperately wanted to leave so badly.
Classroom Connection: I would use this poetry collection in a text set for older readers about the Great Migration. I would have fiction and nonfiction texts paired together for readers to really experience what the people back then went through. I would have them read a couple of texts and then write an analysis of how they think they would have felt going through this experience. This activity would encourage students to really connect with how the people felt and would allow them to make an emotional connection.
February 9, 2013
Both the author, Eloise Greenfield, and the illustrator, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, came from families that participated in the Great Migration. This movement of American blacks from the South to the North and West took place from 1915 to 1970 and involved approximately six million people. The mass movement profoundly changed the cultural and political landscape of the United States.
Many Americans today only know about this phenomenal internal migration thanks to The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, the highly praised 2010 book by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson. (The book won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, among other prizes.)
Wilkerson tells the true story of three people who made the decision to participate in the Great Migration, a watershed in American history. Greenfield takes an analogous approach for children, personalizing the story with impressions spoken by migrators of different ages and from different walks of life. Beautiful collage artwork by Gilchrist accompanies each segment.
Some of those who are leaving are unhappy:
But others have no regrets, like this woman:
And the children don’t know what to think!
In a forward, Eloise Greenfield writes about why the South had become unsafe for African Americans and why they felt they had to leave. She notes:
Both Greenfield and Gilchrist have won many awards. This lovely book will show you why.
Many Americans today only know about this phenomenal internal migration thanks to The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, the highly praised 2010 book by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson. (The book won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, among other prizes.)
Wilkerson tells the true story of three people who made the decision to participate in the Great Migration, a watershed in American history. Greenfield takes an analogous approach for children, personalizing the story with impressions spoken by migrators of different ages and from different walks of life. Beautiful collage artwork by Gilchrist accompanies each segment.
Some of those who are leaving are unhappy:
Saying good bye to the land
Puts a pain in my heart.
I stand here looking at the green
growing all around me,
and I am sad."
But others have no regrets, like this woman:
I can’t wait to get away.
I never want to see this town
Again. Goodbye, town. Goodbye,
Work all day for almost no pay,
Enemy cotton fields, trying
To break my back, my spirit."
And the children don’t know what to think!
I wonder what it’s like. Anyway,
As long as Mama and Daddy
Are there, I know I’m going
To be happy."
In a forward, Eloise Greenfield writes about why the South had become unsafe for African Americans and why they felt they had to leave. She notes:
...when they reached the North, they found that it was far from perfect. They had not escaped racial discrimination. Even so, things were better, and most people stayed in their new cities and worked hard to earn a living and take care of their children.”
Both Greenfield and Gilchrist have won many awards. This lovely book will show you why.
June 13, 2013
I liked how Greenfield used different characters to show different perspectives on the Great Migration of African Americans in the South to Northern cities. It's interesting to see how their migration is similar to that of immigrants that I know today: someone in the family moves to a new place, gets settled, and then convinces other family members to come because of better living and working conditions, then shows them the ropes. I liked how the end of the book emphasized this aspect of the train riders that we "see" in the book soon becoming the old hands at life in the North and helping others adjust. The illustrations had an interesting style to them, a mixed media type feel, and though I didn't love all of them, I was especially drawn to the page where the train passengers going North are looking out into a field where the workers are blending in with the crops that they're harvesting. This seemed to highlight the way that relatives who chose to stay in the South were somewhat fading into the background, as it seemed the mother of the young woman on the cover of the book who was staying in the South was.
Knowing that the author's own family had made this trip gave this book more emotional weight, but somehow the story didn't impact me as much as I thought it would. It was written in a plain style, with some lovely flourishes here and there, but on the whole, it didn't grab me.
As mentioned before, one of the traditions in this book is that of migration in general: of people moving to find better lives, and of the difficulty of leaving old neighbors, customs, and familiar places behind. Change, of course, is the massive influx of African-American families into cities in the North, coming to work but also bringing with them ideas and traditions not yet well known in the cities they settled in. Change is also happening for the families that are being divided, either temporarily or permanently, by migration.
Knowing that the author's own family had made this trip gave this book more emotional weight, but somehow the story didn't impact me as much as I thought it would. It was written in a plain style, with some lovely flourishes here and there, but on the whole, it didn't grab me.
As mentioned before, one of the traditions in this book is that of migration in general: of people moving to find better lives, and of the difficulty of leaving old neighbors, customs, and familiar places behind. Change, of course, is the massive influx of African-American families into cities in the North, coming to work but also bringing with them ideas and traditions not yet well known in the cities they settled in. Change is also happening for the families that are being divided, either temporarily or permanently, by migration.
November 21, 2012
Grade level interest: 3rd-5th grade
Lexile Level: 730L
Genre: Informational Text/Multicultural and Coretta Scott King Award
Main Characters: Mama, Daddy, and Eloise
Setting: North Carolina and Washington D.C and Chicago/Farmland/City
POV: Eloise Greenfield
This book is a Coretta Scott King Award that has made a major impact on many young children. Eloise Greenfield is the main character in the book that talks about the Great Migration that included thousands of families moving up North and going through a few different states. She explains that the reason for the Great Migration was for families to provide better lives and opportunities for their children and live lives that included growth and equality. Eloise talks about the struggles they encountered on the way along with positive aspects people went through. This book takes children on a journey through the Great Migration teaching them about a historical even that took place in the United States and how it affected thousands of people negatively and positively.
I would use this book in the classroom as a read aloud in order to open up a class discussion an important topic that took place in America. This would be a great social studies unit talking about migration and how people were affected. I think its important for children to learn about struggles people faced in America and open up a discussion to why they think this occurred and what they think should have happened. Children need to be opened up to important information that occurred in America and even relate it back to their own lives and struggles they have encountered personally.
Lexile Level: 730L
Genre: Informational Text/Multicultural and Coretta Scott King Award
Main Characters: Mama, Daddy, and Eloise
Setting: North Carolina and Washington D.C and Chicago/Farmland/City
POV: Eloise Greenfield
This book is a Coretta Scott King Award that has made a major impact on many young children. Eloise Greenfield is the main character in the book that talks about the Great Migration that included thousands of families moving up North and going through a few different states. She explains that the reason for the Great Migration was for families to provide better lives and opportunities for their children and live lives that included growth and equality. Eloise talks about the struggles they encountered on the way along with positive aspects people went through. This book takes children on a journey through the Great Migration teaching them about a historical even that took place in the United States and how it affected thousands of people negatively and positively.
I would use this book in the classroom as a read aloud in order to open up a class discussion an important topic that took place in America. This would be a great social studies unit talking about migration and how people were affected. I think its important for children to learn about struggles people faced in America and open up a discussion to why they think this occurred and what they think should have happened. Children need to be opened up to important information that occurred in America and even relate it back to their own lives and struggles they have encountered personally.
July 16, 2013
Audience: Primary
Genre: Picture Book
Text to Text: In The Great Migration: Journey to the North, author Eloise Greenfield imagines from multiple perspectives what it may have felt like to move from the southern part of the United States to the northern states in the early half of the 20th century. Greenfield imagines hopeful children who are excited to reunite with family members in places like Chicago and Detroit. She pictures men who are hopeful of finding better jobs, and women who pack their families.
There is a particular line in the book from the perspective of an African-American woman who thinks, "Goodbye crazy signs telling me where I can go, what I can do (Greenfield, 2011, p. 10)." Her thought mirrors what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. detailed in his 'I Have A Dream' speech. Dr. King was hopeful that America would someday be a place "where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers (King, 1963)." Both the woman in the story and Dr. King had hoped for an integrated American culture.
References
Greenfield, E. (2011). The great migration: journey to the north. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
King, M. (1963, August 28). Martin luther king's speech: 'i have a dream' - the full text . Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/martin...
Genre: Picture Book
Text to Text: In The Great Migration: Journey to the North, author Eloise Greenfield imagines from multiple perspectives what it may have felt like to move from the southern part of the United States to the northern states in the early half of the 20th century. Greenfield imagines hopeful children who are excited to reunite with family members in places like Chicago and Detroit. She pictures men who are hopeful of finding better jobs, and women who pack their families.
There is a particular line in the book from the perspective of an African-American woman who thinks, "Goodbye crazy signs telling me where I can go, what I can do (Greenfield, 2011, p. 10)." Her thought mirrors what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. detailed in his 'I Have A Dream' speech. Dr. King was hopeful that America would someday be a place "where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers (King, 1963)." Both the woman in the story and Dr. King had hoped for an integrated American culture.
References
Greenfield, E. (2011). The great migration: journey to the north. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
King, M. (1963, August 28). Martin luther king's speech: 'i have a dream' - the full text . Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/martin...
April 20, 2012
We don't have enough information on this event in the library. However, I don't think it is clear as to why people thought things would be better in the north....although not many people would describe Washington DC as north. I found the most interesting illustration to be that of the wheat field next to the train. The people hidden in the filed are pretty interesting. I am not completely sure I understand why they were hidden in the field. Is that supposed to be part of what they are escaping, working the fields? Or is it a reference to people hiding in the fields during slave escapes via the underground railroad? Or to their invisibility as individuals, particularly to whites who owned the fields? I liked how the poems went from the general to the specific, the author's own family making the trip when she was an infant and her brother a toddler. The general showed how very many different people decided to make the trip, the specific individualizes the event and perhaps makes it more meaningful to children reading these poems. So this is a useful title. However, I already can't remember a lot of the specifics of the poems, other than the one illustration described above. So I don't think the writing is as good as it could be. I tend to be more of a word person than visual oriented and the words simply didn't resonate with me. Greenfield must be around 83 years of age from her author's note.
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