Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron

CONTROVERSIAL BOOK

I found this book to be very interesting and fun to read because of the style of the story. The story is told in the way an African American family talks to each other and has a very loose and rhythmic feeling to it. For example, one of the lines in the book is the following: "It's your hhair, Brenda, take the cake yep. And come back and get the plate. Don't 'cha know." The story itself is about a little girl, Brenda, and her unbelievably "nappy hair." The story also deals with issues of slavery and reflects on the way "mothers and fathers were sold for a nickel and a dime." The illustrations complement the story perfectly, as they have a very original and loose look to them and appear to be done in chalk. I would think this book would be considered controversial because it deals with isses of slavery and the story is written in slang. However, I found the book to be very fun to read an would certainly reccomend it for 4th or 5th graders.