4/15/2017 0 Comments New Shoes2014, Written by Susan Lynn Meyer, Illustrated by Eric Valasquez Jane Addams Children's Book Award for Younger Children (2016) New Shoes is the story of how the industrious Ella Mae and her friend Charlotte turn a humiliating Jim Crow law into success. Ella Mae has always wanted brand new shoes of her own, that were not handed down. When she gets the chance to get brand new shoes, she is shocked to discover that "colored" people like her are not allowed to try the shoes on in the store, even though white people can. She and her friend Charlotte team up to collect used shoes from around their community, and work hard to make them good as new. They create their own shoe shop where they can make the rules, and where anyone can try on any shoes they want, no matter who they are. New Shoes is a great way to explore the Jim Crow era of American history with young readers. The story gives readers an understanding of the unfairness of the time, without becoming heavier than they can handle. And its main characters, Ella Mae and Charlotte, are two fantastic heroines, full of spunk and ingenuity. What I particularly like about New Shoes is how it shows two young girls who question the "natural order" of things. They do not just accept that the law is how things should be; they know it is unfair, and they work to find a way around it. And they do it in a way that helps others in their community, not just themselves. Seeing how they opened up their own shoe business will inspire many other children to try something similar, and could lead to many great conversations and projects!
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