Grade 6-8-These titles powerfully illustrate the origins of the African-American experience. Darkness delivers a compelling account of the "Great Migration" from the South to the North, which, in turn, gave birth to the Harlem Renaissance. The journeys of two individuals alive at this time-entertainer Bricktop Smith, who moved from West Virginia to Chicago in her youth, and Joe Jones, who left Charleston for New York City after World War I-are interwoven to personalize the text. Black-and-white photos and quotes greatly enhance the narrative, though their actual placement occasionally interrupts the chronicle's flow. Chains follows the history of African Americans from their capture in Africa to emancipation after the Civil War. Firsthand accounts, black-and-white photos and reproductions, and excerpts from newspapers and speeches dramatically convey the horrors of slavery.
