Maggie's Amerikay

Set in New Orleans at the end of the 19th century, "Maggie's Amerikay" is a story of two American experiences: Africans and other forced into the country for slavery, and the Irish, immigrating because of English oppression and its cousin, Irish poverty. Although told from the Irish girl's perspective, it shows the reciprocal distrust of two communities, born and reinforced by their mutual poverty, competition, and similar marginal status. Maggie's father owns a pushcart shop, and vows that his daughter will never work in a factory: The way out is education. However, her mother considers this impractical, and wants Maggie working now. When Maggie's mother must stay home when her youngest daughter contracts Yellow Fever, it's clear that another wage earner is needed; Maggie goes to work in a cigar factory. Meanwhile, young Nathan, the grandson of a former slave, helps his family at their produce stand. He and his mom encounter Maggie and her father, and it's clear that both parties have been warned about the other. Music, in the form of a cornet that Maggie's father owns, eventually brings Maggie and Nathan together (although author Russell's attempt to make "Da's" gift to Nathan a surprise is initially difficult to follow). A grateful Nathan gets Maggie a better job, one that will use her schooling: Transcribing his grandfather's oral history about slavery. Filled with interesting facts about daily challenges of the poor, the book also deals with much larger themes: Following one's dreams vs. practicality; the importance of owning land, and, to some extent, the similarities and differences between African Americans and the immigrants. Maggie and Nathan share some experiences, but they also differ in ways not completely apparent to young narrator Maggie (e.g., Jim Crow laws, voting rights, etc.) Depending on the audience age, teachers and parents may want to introduce these topics. While generally capturing the times (even when showing the correct instruments used in ragtime groups), there is one annoying example of artistic license: Nathan's cornet playing elicits a feeling of freedom in Maggie, expressed in the very 20th century (Marlo Thomas, anyone?) phrase, "Free! Free! We choose who we will be!" Not only is this anachronistic, but it's overly optimistic for Maggie and Nathan, especially the latter (see the topics mentioned above). It's still an excellent book, especially its dual structure, the sometimes frank discussion of hardships, and Jim Burke's illustrations, large enough to show both background details and facial expressions. At firt I thought the pictures were too dark in tone, but Burke does this to convey tenement conditions. However, he shows us enough color, variety, and emotion to maintain interest. The book was honored as one of the New York Public Library's "One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing" in 2004.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, I decided that I should find some books on the city for kids who wanted to know more about it. So I searched... and I searched... and I came to the rather frightening conclusion that when it came to New Orleans picture books there are some by Fatima Shaik and that's about it. And there CERTAINLY weren't any historical picture books that involved The Big Easy. No sirree bob. Now a cursory glance at "Maggie's Amerikay" and you might be forgiven for jumping to the assumption that the book is yet another addition to the immigrants-come-to-New-York-via-Ellis-Island genre. Inside, however, you will be delighted to find that not only does it take place in New Orleans back in 1898, but it also puts the antipathy the immigrating Irish had for African-Americans and vice-versa into terms that a small child could understand. A rich warm book that talks about overcoming prejudices without rubbing your face in the message, Russell's book is an excellent addition to any library or personal collection with a yen for the historically accurate. It's 1898 and Maggie and her family have just moved from Ireland to New Orleans. Maggie would love to stay home from school and help the family by rolling cigars like the other girls, but her father insists that she should get an education. Now as a new immigrant, Maggie knows exactly who to like and who to dislike. She's been told to dislike black people since, "they take our work", but her father keeps on being nice to them. He even goes so far as to give a boy a free cornet, just because the kid yearns for it. When Maggie's little sister Bessie comes down with yellow fever, the family has to start making a lot more money fast to pay for the medical bills. After all, her mother will now have to stay home to tend to the sickly child. Bessie tries to work both in the cigar factory and go to school, but it's too much work for too little pay. Then, all of a sudden, the boy her father gave the cornet to (Nathan) offers Bessie a new kind of work. She'd be writing down the stories of an elderly former slave . At first, both the old man and the young girl view one another with mutual distrust. After a couple of his stories, however, they realize that though America has pitted black against Irish and Irish against black, the two groups have far more in common than they might have initially thought. At the back of the book, author Barbara Russell includes an Author's Note that talks about the history of the immigrants and the former slaves in New Orleans. The book itself, I should mention, makes several references to the birth of ragtime within its plot. Russell fleshes the history out a little more in her notes to explain how this in turn became the jazz we know today. The book adeptly weaves together different historical facts and elements without ever coming across as deeply depressing or forced. Considering how much information is crammed into this little 40 pag