Grandmama's Pride

Plot Summary

Every summer, Mama, Sister, and Sarah Marie take the bus down south to visit Grandmama. The three of them sit in the back of the bus, because, as Mama says, it is the best seat. Later, on a walk into town, the girls don't drink from the water fountain because Grandmama says she'll make fresh lemon-mint iced tea when they get home.

Throughout the summer, Aunt Maria teaches Sarah Marie how to read. Then Sarah Marie notices signs in town she hadn't been able to read before, like the one on the bathroom door that says, "White Women" and another that says "Colored Women."

Sarah Marie faces a hard realization about the segregated South. But in the fall she reads about events happening in places like Clinton, Tennessee, and Montgomery, Alabama. And by the next summer, when they go back to visit Grandmama, they all sit in the front of the bus.

Awards

2005 SCBWI Golden Kite Honor Book (Picture Book Text); 2006 IRA Children’s Book Award Notables; 2007-2008 Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award Master List; 2007-2008 Show Me Readers Award Master List (Missouri); 2008 Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Master List (Kansas); 2008-2009 Georgia Picture Book Award Master List; CCBC Choices 2006

Reviews

"The straightforward text and arresting watercolor illustrations (the evocative cover says it all, showing the determination on Grandmama's face) brings home the fierce pride, the dignity, and the emotional impact of the times: 'Grandmama's pride' was 'too tall to fit in the back of the bus.' Told in Sarah Marie's voice, this slice of dramatic history will touch both heart and mind. An author's note provides historical context." Booklist

"The gentle tone of Birtha's writing reflects the quiet dignity with which the adults in Sarah Marie's family meet the indignities of Jim Crow laws....The strong, sensitive writing is enhanced by beautiful watercolor paintings filled with chips of light. This story will generate discussions on a range of topics including racial segregation, bullying, and self-respect." School Library Journal

"Her first person narrative conveys wide-eyed wonder, and each of the superbly detailed watercolor illustrations is a short story in itself....Bittersweet nostalgia and a gentle introduction to an important and painful piece of our national past. A lengthy author's note gives the story a helpful historical context." Kirkus Reviews

Associated Keywords
African-American, segregation, 1950, Grandma, history, grandmothers, grandmother, grandmas, grandmama's