Daisy and the Doll

Jessie Daisy Turner, an eight year old child in the late 1800s, lives with her parents and twelve siblings on a beautiful Vermont farm surrounded by daisies. Her father had settled in Vermont after he escaped from slavery in Virginia and joined the Union Army. Daisy is one of the only children of color in her classroom, and she is both embarrassed and angry when the teacher, in assigning poems to read and props to hold for a school program, singles Daisy out by giving her a doll with a black face. That moment was the first time someone had treated Daisy differently due to her skin color, and Daisy had trouble making sense of this experience. Ultimately, Daisy is able to use her courage and her talent as a poet to show her teacher, classmates, and the community the importance of speaking out about race and racial equality. Based on a true story, Daisy and the Doll provides readers with an important reminder of the hurtful feelings associated with discrimination, even if the person responsible for the treatment may not have intended to be cruel. Although the book focuses on race, the astute reader will also notice an interesting discussion point related to gender, given that the teacher assigned dolls only to the girls.

THIS IS A FANTASTIC BOOK. I COLLECT ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH BLACK DOLLS, WHICH WAS HOW I STUMBLED UPON THIS JEWEL. BUY IT. READ IT. APPRECIATE IT. ************

This is a fantastic book and should be a part of every fourth and fifth grade classroom. The story gives a soul stirring look at life for a minority in the late 1800's in such a way that children can relate to the emotions experienced and actions taken. The story shows how even a child can respond to challenge prejudice and unfair bias in a mature way. It would also be a great introduction to a unit on poetry.