Loretta Little Looks Back; Three Voices Go Tell It by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Three monologues from three generations, spanning from 1927 to 1968, tell the story of living as a sharecropper under Jim Crow laws in the heart of Mississippi. The pain, the struggle and the cruelty perpetrated upon Black Americans is richly told with vivid, historically accurate detail, but sensitivity for middle school readers. Though aimed to a middle school audience, this story will resonate with ALL readers.

The first monologue is that of Loretta Little the youngest of three girls born into a loving sharecropping family, whose mother passed while still an infant. Raised by her father and two older sisters, her story is one of determination and will, despite the roadblocks placed by a culture that is determined to marginalize and maintain their superiority and control. Loretta, while working in the fields, hears the cry of a baby. Left in the fields, called a Night Deep baby, the child will become a part of the Little family, raised by Loretta and her sisters who name him Roland, in memory of their mother's maiden name.

The second monologue is that of Roland, called Roly for short. He is raised with love, but also the hardships of a sharecropper's life. He is tasked with cultivating the land that Loretta and her sisters scrimped and saved to buy. He meets, falls in love, and marries Tess, who brings Roly a daughter named Aggie. But the farm life isn't for Tess and she leaves for a better life up North. Aggie will be raised by her father and aunts. Roly is a gifted cultivator who's talents make the land and livestock prosperous, only to have those that do not want to see Blacks prosper, poison the land and livestock. Roly is a man of conviction but short on words. He doesn't want to disturb the rules set by whites as he has seen the consequences of doing so.

The third monologue is that of Aggie. Aggie is headstrong, and holds nothing back. She will not be controlled. She works her share on the farm, but she has higher aspirations. She seeks equality. She seeks to have America live up to its promises. At a local meeting to assist Blacks in exercising their right to vote, she immediately volunteers, bringing her Aunt Loretta with her. Roly is against their call to action but he cannot stop the headstrong women in his life. Loretta, Aggie and others are beaten and humiliated for trying to exercise this basic American right. Every roadblock possible is put in their way, but Aggie and Loretta will not be deterred.

The story is detailed and does not hold back on the atrocities suffered by Black Americans for exercising their civil rights. The reader should come away with a better understanding of the past and the reasons for the present. Important background information is provided as well as additional resources. The book will provide excellent background and understanding of an aspect of American history that is rarely taught. Another important work, and a necessity for all school libraries. 

Mark's Book Picks Score: 5

Reading Level: 5.2 • Interest Level: 4-7 (really for all) • AR Points: 6 • Lexile Level: NA • Publisher: Little, Brown & Co • Pages: 269 • Copyright: 2020 • ISBN: 978-0-316-53377-6 • Available in Perma-Bound Binding