The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by E.B. Lewis.

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by E.B. Lewis.

Summary: Clover’s mother told her that she could not play on the other side of the fence because it was not safe. One day a girl in a pink sweater asked Clover and her friends if she could jump rope with them, but before Clover could say anything, her friend Sandra said no. Clover asked her mom why she couldn’t go on the other side, but she still didn’t quite understand. When it rain, and it did a lot, Clover had to stay inside, but when she looked out the window, she would always see that girl playing around in the puddles. One day, when Clover was finally able to go outside she got to meet the little girl. Her name was Annie. Annie got up on the fence and sat on it, then invited Clover to do the same. Clover said her mom told her about not going to the other side, and Annie said her mom told her the same thing, but her mom never told her she couldn’t sit on it. Clover decided it was okay to sit up there with Annie. And the sat together a lot for the rest of the summer. Clover’s friends, even Sandra, didn’t understand what she was doing up on the fence talking to Annie. Her mom even noticed, but didn’t tell her she had to stop. One day Clover’s friends were playing, so Clover asked if her and Annie could play, and they did. Now, they all sit on the fence. Annie says that one day the fence will come down, and Clover agrees.

Review: It can be hard for 5 to 8 year olds to understand why the country was segregated for a long time, a story like this one may help them understand what it looked like for children their age at the time. It would fit in perfectly with a lesson over the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. I would put this in my classroom in a heartbeat.