#tbt: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Image: Penguin Random House

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. 304 p. Dial Books/ Penguin Young Readers.

Happy Thursday! #tbt features Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. I do believe I featured this a few years back, but it is worth repeating as it is a classic. The novel was published in 1976 and won the 1977 Newbery Award. It tells the story of the Logan family through the eyes of nine-year-old Cassie Logan, the only daughter in a family of six. The family are landowners, something which was very rare in the Jim Crow south of the 1930s, but Cassie's grandfather bought his first 200 acres from a plantation owner in the 1880s and another 200 thirty years later. Cassie's parents work hard to keep the land and they also value education.

Ms. Taylor's depiction of the casual racism and racial violence of the time are difficult to read. Over the years, there have been attempts to ban the book due to the language and the violence. In 2004, it was on the top ten of most challenged books of the year. However, the book is historically accurate and contains some harsh truths.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry became the first book of the Logan Family Saga. She wrote four sequels and three prequels. The original cover art was done by Jerry Pinkney. A new edition was published for the book's fortieth anniversary featuring a new cover by Kadir Nelson and an introduction written by Jacqueline Woodson.