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94th out of 259 books
—
345 voters
A Friendship For Today
From highly acclaimed, award-winning author Patricia McKissack comes a powerful, poignant, and timely tale of segregation, family, and one surprising friendship.
The year is 1954, the place is Missouri, and twelve-year-old Rosemary Patterson is about to make history. She is one of the first African American students to enter the white school in her town. Headstrong, smart R...more
The year is 1954, the place is Missouri, and twelve-year-old Rosemary Patterson is about to make history. She is one of the first African American students to enter the white school in her town. Headstrong, smart R...more
Hardcover, 240 pages
Published
January 1st 2007
by Scholastic Press
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What I didn't like about this book: I don't think I got as much out of this book as I could've. It was a light alternative read as I was waiting for a book to come out of 'on hold'. I felt that at the end *spoiler* (view spoiler) I also felt that she didn't explore the relationship with J.J as much as she could've. It just seemed like she was: I AM FRIENDS WITH JJ END OF STORY. Especially since all they seem...more
Rosemary Patterson is excited when she learns that she’ll be attending a new school in the fall. It’s 1954 and the Kirkland Board of Education has just announced that all of the schools will be integrated. But the experience is not quite what Rosemary expected. She’s one of the only black students in 6th grade (her best friend J.J. comes down with polio and misses out on the whole year), and at first, none of the other kids want anything to do with her. It’s particularly difficult for Rosemary,...more
Bright student, dreamer and the fastest runner in her grade, Rosemary Patterson finds her life in upheaval when the Supreme Court rules that school segregation is unconstitutional. Rosemary and her best friend J.J. plan to attend Robertson elementary school. Over the summer, though, J.J. is stricken with polio and Rosemary is thrust into a new situation that she thinks she has to tackle on her own. Luckily, she has the support of kind store owner Mr. Bob who is a former Tuskegee airman; her no-n...more
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This is a quick, interesting read about a school system in Missouri integrating in 1954. Rosemary, a smart, funny fifth grade class president at her black school has to deal with being the only African-American student in her newly integrated school. We witness Rosemary's struggles with prejudice in the classroom (in the form of Katherine, whose father is ironically an attorney who helps with civil rights cases), in the school system (while teacher and principal are wonderful, the placement offi...more
Jul 12, 2009
Regina
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Regina by:
2010 Children's Sequoyah Masterlist
Shelves:
kids-books,
books-i-ve-reviewed
Looking at the cover, you'd never guess that Friendship for Today is historical fiction. It looks contemporary, and that might help to get more kids (girls?) to read it. They will be glad they did. This book is set in Kirkland, MO, during the 1954-1955 school year, when Rosemary Patterson finds herself at a brand-new school, in the first year of integration, as the only African-American student in her 6th grade class. Her best friend J.J. should have been in her class, but he was stricken with p...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
gr 5-8
1954 Missouri. When 12 year old Rosemary starts sixth grade it is at a new integrated school instead of her old elementary school. The adults in her community are excited about the integration having fought for it for years, but Rosemary isn't so sure. Of the two integrated schools, only a handful of her classmates are being sent to Adams Elementary School. Rosemary and her best friend JJ will be the only two African American students in the sixth grade. When JJ contracts polio, Rosemary m...more
1954 Missouri. When 12 year old Rosemary starts sixth grade it is at a new integrated school instead of her old elementary school. The adults in her community are excited about the integration having fought for it for years, but Rosemary isn't so sure. Of the two integrated schools, only a handful of her classmates are being sent to Adams Elementary School. Rosemary and her best friend JJ will be the only two African American students in the sixth grade. When JJ contracts polio, Rosemary m...more
gr 5-8
1954 Missouri. When 12 year old Rosemary starts sixth grade it is at a new integrated school instead of her old elementary school. The adults in her community are excited about the integration having fought for it for years, but Rosemary isn't so sure. Of the two integrated schools, only a handful of her classmates are being sent to Adams Elementary School. Rosemary and her best friend JJ will be the only two African American students in the sixth grade. When JJ contracts polio, Rosemary m...more
1954 Missouri. When 12 year old Rosemary starts sixth grade it is at a new integrated school instead of her old elementary school. The adults in her community are excited about the integration having fought for it for years, but Rosemary isn't so sure. Of the two integrated schools, only a handful of her classmates are being sent to Adams Elementary School. Rosemary and her best friend JJ will be the only two African American students in the sixth grade. When JJ contracts polio, Rosemary m...more
Rosemary is going to start school at a school that use to be an ' all white' school. She is really nervous and some what scared to start this school. the good thing about it, is that she will not be going to this school alone. Her best friend is going to attend this school with her, until they found out that her friend got diagnosed with polio. Rosemary has to face the school alone, being the only and the first African American student it the whole town to join a school that use to be and all wh...more
Must stop sitting at Children's Room desk crying over books! Went to pieces totally upon discovery that the part about the cat was true.
Rosemary's got a lot going on in her life. Her best friend has polio, now she has to start in an integrated school without him and be the only black child in the class, her parents' marriage is crumbling, and the cat is dying! Can she survive?
McKissick's portrayal of a 6th grader is pretty authentic. She wants to lash back when she's harassed. She thinks unkind...more
Rosemary's got a lot going on in her life. Her best friend has polio, now she has to start in an integrated school without him and be the only black child in the class, her parents' marriage is crumbling, and the cat is dying! Can she survive?
McKissick's portrayal of a 6th grader is pretty authentic. She wants to lash back when she's harassed. She thinks unkind...more
SUMMARY: Rosemary is a colored girl and when she finds out that her best friend has polio she is very scared.
PASSAGE-PAGE 169-PARAGRAPH 5:
"Let me explain. Grace and i had a friendship for today....
But out friendship is for always. Even though you are a boy, you are my best friend forever. Okay?"
"If you insist," he says, smiling.
REASON: I choose this passage because it explains the title. This was my favorite part in the book because i really liked how Rosemary said that she had a good friendship...more
PASSAGE-PAGE 169-PARAGRAPH 5:
"Let me explain. Grace and i had a friendship for today....
But out friendship is for always. Even though you are a boy, you are my best friend forever. Okay?"
"If you insist," he says, smiling.
REASON: I choose this passage because it explains the title. This was my favorite part in the book because i really liked how Rosemary said that she had a good friendship...more
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Jul 31, 2010
Jill
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Jill by:
Caudill 2011 list
Shelves:
civil-rights
I actually liked this more than I thought I would.
It's about a girl who was one of the first students to go to an integrated school in Missouri. I think the author did a good job of capturing the feeling of the time - although there were probably MANY more outspoken racist people than she depicted in the book. The author also did a great job of making the book historically accurate, which I appreciated. The side story of her parents' divorce was fine. Not totally necessary, but it didn't take a...more
It's about a girl who was one of the first students to go to an integrated school in Missouri. I think the author did a good job of capturing the feeling of the time - although there were probably MANY more outspoken racist people than she depicted in the book. The author also did a great job of making the book historically accurate, which I appreciated. The side story of her parents' divorce was fine. Not totally necessary, but it didn't take a...more
What I primarily liked about this book (aside from the father getting his just desserts at the end) was the nature of the friendship Rosemary and Grace shared. The title is immensely significant here. What they have is a "friendship for today". Not one that would last a hundred years or a million miles. It was born out of hardship and convenience and it's nice and all, but at the end of the book you can see that Rosemary doesn't set much store by it. I think this might serve as an excellent disc...more
generally a often told tale in "serious" children's literature, this is the tale of Rosemary Patterson, a black girl in 1954-1955 Missouri who becomes the only black student in her class as the schools obey the integration order of the Supreme Court. Slowly, Rosemary forges an unlikely friendship with Grace Hamilton, the "poor white trash" child of a ferociously prejudiced family. Both new girls, ostracized by the popular group, somehow find each other. McKissack says in the afterword that this...more
This novel (hence why I only have 2 postings rather than 4 postings) is about a girl during the 1950's who attended a school that was ordered to desegregate. She's very worried because she must now be separated from her best friends. I thought this book was very well written and would be enjoyable for 4th-6th or 7th graders. I think this book does a good job on social issues but it also could be integrated into some history as well. This would be a good book for teachers to collaborate on across...more
Patricia McKissak’s A Friendship for Today is set in Missouri in 1954. The Supreme Court orders that all schools be desegregated based on the landmark decision in Brown vs. Board of Education. Twelve-year-old Rosemary Patterson is an African American girl who must desegregate Robertson all by herself. McKissack artfully tells the story of a young girl who has an incredible responsibility placed upon her shoulders: to change history.
Along with historical events, this book deals with several rela...more
Along with historical events, this book deals with several rela...more
I started this book last week just because it had worked its way to the top of my pile, but it was very appropriate for Martin Luther King Day. It's set during the time of school integration and is told through the eyes of one your African American girl. I read one part aloud to my 6th graders -- about how the teacher pretended to like the students with blue eyes better than the children with brown or green eyes to prove the point of how we should not be judged by our physical attributes but by...more
McKissack draws from her memories of her experience as the first African-American in an integrated elementary school to tell a fictional tale of Rosemary Patterson, a young black girl whose world is radically altered when the all-black school closes in 1954 and she enrolls in 6th grade at a brand-new school. Shortly before school begins Rosemary's best friend J.J. beats her fair and square in a foot race, and Rosemary discovers she does not like to lose. But she loses much more than a race when...more
Nov 17, 2012
Jennifer Wardrip
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
trt-posted-reviews,
trt-gold-star-award-winner
Reviewed by Mechele R. Dillard for TeensReadToo.com
On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States made a historic ruling in the case of Brown v. Board of Education: Segregation of public schools was declared unconstitutional. And, like so many others, the life of twelve-year-old Rosemary Patterson was forever changed.
Rosemary doesn't really care for the idea of her school being closed just because of the decision. "If white people want to go to school with us so much, seems to me all t...more
On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States made a historic ruling in the case of Brown v. Board of Education: Segregation of public schools was declared unconstitutional. And, like so many others, the life of twelve-year-old Rosemary Patterson was forever changed.
Rosemary doesn't really care for the idea of her school being closed just because of the decision. "If white people want to go to school with us so much, seems to me all t...more
It's the last day of school, 1954, and Rosemary has just learned that next year she'll be going to a brand new integrated school. She's a little nervous about it, but everyone keeps telling her now nice this new school will be and how it's a great opportunity. Rosemary's sure she can handle it as long as her best friend J.J. is by her side. But then just before school starts, J.J. is stricken with polio and Rosemary learns that she'll be going to this new school by herself, the only black kid in...more
There were moments of real insight that I loved. I especially love the part when some of the "white" kids stick up for Rosemary, but then she realizes that their support has a cost--her friend's embarassment. Some really great life lessons that obviously were crucial to the author's development as a person were depicted, since in her note at the end, she says it's primarily autobiographical. I agree with Kelle that I didn't care for the coverage on adultery.
While Rosemary attended an all-black elementary school, she is now one of only a handful of black students chosen to be a part of the first integrated school in her town, and she is the only black girl in her 6th grade class. She proves herself to be strong, both academically and emotionally, as she excels in her studies and opens herself up to making new friends despite preconceived notions of bigotry held by some of her classmates. Many characters defy stereotypes, and this novel is uplifting...more
A look at integration in the St. Louis area.
Rosemary is not entirely sure why all the adults in her life are so excited about integration. All she knows is that she will be the only black kid in all of 6th grade at her new school. Plus, she has to sit by Grace the Tasteless, the white girl from the next street over that torments her all the time.
At school, Rosemary finds out that Grace is also an outcast, because she's "poor white trash" and an uneasy friendship blooms.
McKissak is a wonderful (...more
Rosemary is not entirely sure why all the adults in her life are so excited about integration. All she knows is that she will be the only black kid in all of 6th grade at her new school. Plus, she has to sit by Grace the Tasteless, the white girl from the next street over that torments her all the time.
At school, Rosemary finds out that Grace is also an outcast, because she's "poor white trash" and an uneasy friendship blooms.
McKissak is a wonderful (...more
It's 1954, and 10-year old Rosemary is entering an integrated school for the first time in her life. As the only African-American in her class, she has to deal with prejudice on her own. That is, until she discovers that her "poor white trash" classmate Grace gets picked on, too.
The story is based on McKissack's own experiences and one of the characters - Rags the cat - has not been fictionalized.
The story is based on McKissack's own experiences and one of the characters - Rags the cat - has not been fictionalized.
6th grade...it's tough for everyone. For Rosemary it's particularly tough since she's the only black child in her class. This is the beginning of integration in her city and Rosemary must learn how to deal with her new classmates while at the same time changes at home.
A great story of the time (1954-55) without being too brutal. Should be read in all classrooms.
2009-2010 Iowa Children's Choice Award
A great story of the time (1954-55) without being too brutal. Should be read in all classrooms.
2009-2010 Iowa Children's Choice Award
Loosely based on the author's childhood experiences in Kirkland, Missouri, A Friendship for Today is the story about a time in American history when changes were slow, but mighty. Rosemary Patterson is the only African-American student in her sixth-grade class, yet she finds both bigotry and tolerance in her classmates. But, most amazingly of all, she finds friendship in a classmate named Grace, whose family is the most bigoted of all.
Complicating matters is that Rosemary's best friend, J.J. ha...more
Complicating matters is that Rosemary's best friend, J.J. ha...more
J This black eyed Susan nominee crams in a lot of 1950's history but in a well written, fascinating way. Eleven year old Rosemary will be attending a new school built for both whites and blacks in 1954 Missouri. This book takes on segregation, polio, adults having affairs, divorce, a runover but not dead cat, etc. It's based somewhat on the author's own experiences.
I read this for a book discussion. Takes place in the 50's, written from the perspective of a 5th grade girl. Tells her story of going through the integration of the local schools. Touches on the racism that they children felt through their parents and how the kids were often better able to work through racism than the adults. Well written, great characters.
Rosemarry is making history. She enrolls into what was an all-white school. She was prepared to face the challenges of being a black student along with her friend. One day it all changes for Rosemarry. Her friend is diagnosed with polio and she has to face school alone. This would be a great book for a class to read about life-changing situations.
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