Otoor's Read/February

Title: RUTH AND THE GREEN BOOK

Author: Ramsey, Calvin A.

Otoor’s Read 

This story combines fiction and real events that happened in 1950, it showed discrimination of that period, and how African American suffered through what was called (Jim Crow).

The story events about Ruth, a small girl lived with her parent in Chicago, they were so happy to visit grandma in Alabama by their beautiful green car, after Ruth mother prepared food for their trip and advised Ruth to take her brown bear with her for company. Her father told a lot stories about Alabama, they were laughing then after taking their food they needed to fill up gas and going to restroom and that was so surprise for them when the worker in the gas station forbid them,so they went into the wood other thing made them so sad that no one allowed them to inter restaurant or stay in hotel.

The girl felt homesick and she hugged her bear close all-day, when they crossed into Tennessee they went to friend’s house his name Eddy was so happy to see them his wife Alice cooked them meal and spent night with them.

Ruth was worried when she heard Eddy told her father about dangerous thing might happened when he said (Jim crow), the girl asked her father about Jim crow, her father explained that (Jim crow) was a bunch of ugly laws forbidding blacks and whites from mixing in any way .The girl asked many questions but her ma told her its better to look for an Esso station that Eddy told them about.

The girl spotted it and sang out to her father to stop, Esso ,station was near the Georgia border, After her father filled the car up ,asked the worker if he knew any place they could sleep in for the night.

The worker showed them small green and said” This book was started by a postman, Mr. Victor H. Green, to help black people travelling”.

It listed place in lots of states where they could be welcomed to sleep, eat, shop and they can get any other information. Ruth’s father bought copy for seventy five cents. Before reaching grandmas house, they looked in the green book and picked out places that said welcome to black people.

That was a big house with many rooms, and they saw many businessmen. Ruth also met a little boy how was travelling with his mom. He was scared because he had left his home. Ruth gave him her brown bear and told his mother about the green book trying to help them to show that good people all over the country and how the green book was so useful for them.

 Reference:

http://abagond.wordpress.com/2010/08/17/the-green-book/

Librarian's Comment:

It's the librarian's personal believe that greatness and influential accomplishments come from Great Minds, great people whose commitment, talents, and efforts are made, discovered, and delivered by hardship and challenges. Difficult times actually serve those great people as wakeup calls and invite them to bring out their potentials and compassionate passions to make a big difference in human's history. Those great people are capable of making a risk and challenge into an opportunity and making themself a catalyst for change.

I am so honored to hear and listen to Otoor's book review. Otoor is our new member.

Welcome to the Renner Reading Family, Otoor.