"To know things, for us to know things, is bad for them. We get to wanting and when we get to wanting it's bad for them. They thinks we want w...
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reviews
Feb 25, 2009
Mr. Z
rated it: 
For such a short book, this story packs a powerful punch! Yes, in today's world, there is still racism and rampant unfairness as it relates to the color of one's skin. Many kids already know this based on their personal experiences and observations. While today's world still needs some fixing, this story will shock students into the even-uglier realities kids and adults of color faced during a time in which slavery was perfectly legal. This story tells one girl's nightmare of living on a slavery
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Jan 26, 2009
Irfan
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Night John is a very simple book which talks about the life of a slave Night John who affects the lives of others in the plantation that he is brought in. Specially the girl Sarny who starts reading and writing because of the affect that Night John has on her. This amazing is about the life of a slave Night John who is owned by Mr. Waller who is a very strict owner and beats his slaves for the most littlest things. This is told form the perspective of a young female slave who is just growing up
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Jan 19, 2012
Aika
rated it: 
The setting of Nightjohn takes place in the southern United States on a plantation. It is hot and humid; the soil is hard. The slaves sleep and eat in the quarters. Mammy helps make and serve food, makes clothes, cares for the young ones, and helps the hurt in the quarters. At night you can hear Mammy praying. There are four windows on the back wall which let in light. Slaves sleep on corn shuck pallets on the dirt floor. This tells me that slaves have a poor living condition, and that they hav
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Nov 23, 2011
VJ
rated it: 
I'm reading my bookshelves in preparation of the purge. Thought I'd begin with something small and picked up Nightjohn.
It has been my regular reading experience to find the best reading in smaller texts. Ayn Rand was at her best in Anthem. Both Animal Farm and 1984 are brief, yet pack a punch.
Sarny lives in slavery and is, therefore, forbidden the knowledge of reading and writing. Nightjohn possesses this taboo knowledge, and insists that others in servitude should possess i More...
It has been my regular reading experience to find the best reading in smaller texts. Ayn Rand was at her best in Anthem. Both Animal Farm and 1984 are brief, yet pack a punch.
Sarny lives in slavery and is, therefore, forbidden the knowledge of reading and writing. Nightjohn possesses this taboo knowledge, and insists that others in servitude should possess i More...
Aug 30, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
I read this book when I was in middle school and did not really understand it until I just finished it as a college sophomore. At first the wording was a little tricky to understand, but as I got more in depth into the book and started picking up on how Gary Paulsen was trying to write it, it all began to click.
It only took me 45 minutes to read, but I enjoyed every second of it. When I first began reading the book I though the main character was a little boy, but as I continued, I f More...
It only took me 45 minutes to read, but I enjoyed every second of it. When I first began reading the book I though the main character was a little boy, but as I continued, I f More...
Aug 28, 2011
Nichole
rated it:
I think that the book Nightjohn is a great book for kids to read for two reasons- First, they get a very clear (and sometimes even a bit graphic) description of what life was like living as a slave. Secondly, they also gain an understanding of what a gift it is to be able to read and how important it is, and also what sacrifices some people would make to be able to read.
In the book the main character is a young girl named Sarny living on the plantation of the terrible master Clel Waller. Sh More...
In the book the main character is a young girl named Sarny living on the plantation of the terrible master Clel Waller. Sh More...
Jul 18, 2011
Candice
rated it:
NightJohn by Gary Paulsen is about slavery before the Civil War. This story is told by Sarny who is a twelve year old brown girl who doesn’t know her birthing mother, but is raised by her mammy. Delie is the care taker of all the children in the Waller plantation and she is constantly taking care of those who get a slash of punishment from the master himself.
Whaler is a white inhuman master that is full of hatred and disgust. He works field workers to the bone and whips them to continue, he More...
Whaler is a white inhuman master that is full of hatred and disgust. He works field workers to the bone and whips them to continue, he More...
Jul 12, 2011
Ricardo
rated it:
Ricardo Bizarro
Historical Fiction
Paulsen, Gary. NightJohn. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.
1993.
Pages 92
Awards: Indiana Young Hoosier Award; Texas Lone Star Reading List; Maine Student
Book Master List; ALA Best Books for Young Adults.
Summary:
NightJohn by Gary Paulsen is about a a young girls experience with a black slave named
Nightjohn. The setting is in the antebellum south, Nightjohn teaches a small slave girl
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Historical Fiction
Paulsen, Gary. NightJohn. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.
1993.
Pages 92
Awards: Indiana Young Hoosier Award; Texas Lone Star Reading List; Maine Student
Book Master List; ALA Best Books for Young Adults.
Summary:
NightJohn by Gary Paulsen is about a a young girls experience with a black slave named
Nightjohn. The setting is in the antebellum south, Nightjohn teaches a small slave girl
More...
Mar 25, 2011
Tido
rated it:
Sarny is born into slavery and separated from her mother at an early age. She's raised by Dealey who promises early on that nuthin too bad will happen to her young charge. Clel Waller who owns the plantation, is a cruel man, who sees the slaves only in terms of their monetary value. Life on the plantation changes when Clel buys Nightjohn a hulk of a man, with scars across his back from the whip. Branded as a troublemaker, Nightjohn has trouble earning the trust of the other slaves.
I More...
I More...
Mar 23, 2011
_Nightjohn_ by Gary Paulsen (1993)
Below is a copy of my post about this book at my group:
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Sometimes I see a movie and learn later that it was adapted from a book. For example, last night I streamed the movie, "Nightjohn" (1996), from Netflix and now I see that is was adapted from Gary Paulsen's young adult book, Nightjohn.
At the book's Amazon page, Publishers Weekly says:
=============================== More...
Below is a copy of my post about this book at my group:
--------------------------------------------
Sometimes I see a movie and learn later that it was adapted from a book. For example, last night I streamed the movie, "Nightjohn" (1996), from Netflix and now I see that is was adapted from Gary Paulsen's young adult book, Nightjohn.
At the book's Amazon page, Publishers Weekly says:
=============================== More...
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Feb 01, 2011
Zackery
rated it:
NightJohn is a very powerful, and very inciteful chapter book for children. It is not a positive, happy story with a fairy tale ending but rather the telling of a true story form a young slave girl's perspective during the slave age. The book is very graphic and very descriptive in its nature, but this is understandable when considering the topic at hand. It is difficult for me to even imaigine a time where people could be prosecuted and tortured for the simple "crimes" of learning how
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Jan 23, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
When I began this book, it was the first time I ever read a book that I had zero knowledge of. I had no idea what it was about as I began to read it so it was all a complete surprise. This book was one I picked at random from a list of books for the childrens' lit class I am taking.
This book was at times difficult for me to read, because of the wording used, it is written from the viewpoint of a poorly educated slave child and uses a lot of words that I am culturally unfamiliar with. More...
This book was at times difficult for me to read, because of the wording used, it is written from the viewpoint of a poorly educated slave child and uses a lot of words that I am culturally unfamiliar with. More...
Nov 11, 2010
Jenna
rated it:
This is not typical Gary Paulsen. However, that might not be fair since he has written hundreds of books and I have only read a handful. But, if you are expecting the typical boy-thrown-in-the-wilderness-survival-story-high-adventure, this is not it. This was a very short, but VERY powerful novel. Paulsen read countless slave narratives and combined the stories and experiences into this story of a young slave girl who falls in love with letters before she even knows what they are. One day a new
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Oct 08, 2010
Diane
rated it:
This is one of those marvelous children's books that makes for an astonishing read as an adult. Our narrator is a 12-year-old slave girl who doesn't say much, but she sees a lot. She wants to learn but her mammy says the brutal master will chop off her thumbs if any slaves learn to read and write.
One day, the master brings home a new slave named John. The girl befriends him and he starts teaching her the alphabet. John says he once escaped to the North and had learned to read and write More...
One day, the master brings home a new slave named John. The girl befriends him and he starts teaching her the alphabet. John says he once escaped to the North and had learned to read and write More...
Jul 11, 2010
Marie
rated it:
Snapshot: Sarny is a curious, 12-year old slave bound to Waller plantation. John is new to the plantation; he arrives naked, beaten and, like a horse, harnessed to a buggy. Sarny befriends John when he promises reading lessons in exchange for tobacco. He has experienced freedom in the North, but risks his life to come back to the South to start a night school and teach his people how to read and write.
“Hook”: This book is straightforward and easy to read. It’s also only 92 pages a More...
“Hook”: This book is straightforward and easy to read. It’s also only 92 pages a More...
Jul 11, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Snapshot: Nightjohn is a story about a slave named John and a twelve year old girl named Sarny. Nightjohn is an unusual slave for he knows how to read and he knows that they are bound by the words the white masters write on paper. One day John arrives to a new plantation and his new master tries to subdue him with no avail. Sarny observes this beautiful black man and immediately realizes that he is different. For a bit of tabacco John teaches Sarny how to read.
Hook: Nightjohn will i More...
Hook: Nightjohn will i More...
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Jun 17, 2010
Michael
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Sarny is twelve years old and is a slave on a plantation. She describes the horrors of living in her situation; however, she admits that she didn’t realize how terrible her situation really was. Sarny accepts her situation, and she accepts that the whites are their masters. They equate themselves with animals. She learns the meaning of freedom, but she doesn’t really care because she doesn’t understand what good it would do.
The master of the house purchases a new slave, and his n More...
The master of the house purchases a new slave, and his n More...
Mar 26, 2010
Emilee
rated it:
I took this review from http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~elbond/nig...
It was a horrifying look at the mistreatment of slaves. It opened my eyes and broke my heart.
Nightjohn is a story that is set in the south during the time of slavery. Based on an actual incident, Gary Paulsen tells about a young slave girl, Sarny, who it taught to read by another slave, Nightjohn. The book is very well written, complete with dialect that makes the book even more interesting to read. Nightjoh More...
It was a horrifying look at the mistreatment of slaves. It opened my eyes and broke my heart.
Nightjohn is a story that is set in the south during the time of slavery. Based on an actual incident, Gary Paulsen tells about a young slave girl, Sarny, who it taught to read by another slave, Nightjohn. The book is very well written, complete with dialect that makes the book even more interesting to read. Nightjoh More...
Jan 25, 2010
Terri
rated it:
This was a reread for me. I was looking for something I could use in my booktalks with students that would demonstrate the importance of reading - it brings us knowledge, and knowledge is POWER! This book is a testament to the transformative power of reading and how others have gone before us (women, people of color, the poor) to secure for us the right to an education.
In "Nightjohn," twelve year old Sarny, a slave on the Waller plantation, tells of learning to read and its More...
In "Nightjohn," twelve year old Sarny, a slave on the Waller plantation, tells of learning to read and its More...
Dec 10, 2009
Charla
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 17, 2009
Emily
rated it:
Historical fiction/narrative based on a true story/
Nightjohn is about a 12 year-old girl, Sarny, who is a Slave on a plantation in the South. She has no blood family and lives among other slaves on the Waller plantation. One day a new slave, John, is brought in. While John appears to have nothing he comes to the plantation with the ability to read and write. Sarny has a powerful desire to learn and John begins to teach her. Paulsen isn't shy about showcasing the hard and often painfu More...
Nightjohn is about a 12 year-old girl, Sarny, who is a Slave on a plantation in the South. She has no blood family and lives among other slaves on the Waller plantation. One day a new slave, John, is brought in. While John appears to have nothing he comes to the plantation with the ability to read and write. Sarny has a powerful desire to learn and John begins to teach her. Paulsen isn't shy about showcasing the hard and often painfu More...
Jun 14, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
This tells a powerfully simply story about a young slave girl who meets John, another slave who risks his life to teach others how to read. As she begins to learn the letters from him, her whole world is turned upside down. She starts to feel a hope that she might be able to transcend the awful things she sees each day through this education. This education, however, is challenged by many. Their master is a very cruel man who refuses to allow any of his slaves to learn how to read or write.
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Dec 08, 2010
Danielle
rated it:
Genre: Fiction, Slavery, Freedom
Though Nightjohn is short, it has a very powerful message. The story is told from the perspective of a 12-year old slave girl named Sarny who sees a lot but is rather quiet. One of her greatest desires is to learn how to read and write, but her Mammy warns her that the master will cut off her thumbs if she does. When the Master brings home a new slave named John, Sarny befriends him and he begins to teach her the alphabet, which he once learned as a free More...
Though Nightjohn is short, it has a very powerful message. The story is told from the perspective of a 12-year old slave girl named Sarny who sees a lot but is rather quiet. One of her greatest desires is to learn how to read and write, but her Mammy warns her that the master will cut off her thumbs if she does. When the Master brings home a new slave named John, Sarny befriends him and he begins to teach her the alphabet, which he once learned as a free More...
Apr 08, 2009
Matt
rated it:
I have heard about Nightjohn from many of my students who read it in middle school. Most of them really loved the book, and recommended it to me. I finally came across it in I Read It, but I Don't Get It, which I'm currently reading, so I thought it would be a good idea to read it before my book club meeting. This short, simply told novel is a powerful view of the horrors or slavery and the importance of education as a key to freedom. Yet, the main problem I have is that it seems as if Gary Paul
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Jan 16, 2012
Sonya
rated it:
Okay. I found this book in my library with some others that were never processed before the former librarian retired. After reading it, I'm guessing it might be because she wasn't sure it should be added to the collection at all.
It's told by a 12 year old slave girl named Sarny. A slave is brought to the plantation named John. John proceeds to teach Sarny to read and write. She's caught and her mother and John are both punished severely.
The book is short; not even 100 pages, but More...
It's told by a 12 year old slave girl named Sarny. A slave is brought to the plantation named John. John proceeds to teach Sarny to read and write. She's caught and her mother and John are both punished severely.
The book is short; not even 100 pages, but More...
Feb 08, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
The slavery population in our American history suffered tremendous abuse. The story NightJohn written by Gary Paulsen was based on a true story and actually happened during a dark and horrifying time in our American culture. Although Paulsen was vague on dates and details, he did a good job of letting us know that the story’s backdrop setting was far too common in the south during the time of slavery. The book was an easy read but compact with a lot of information and facts on how slaves were tr
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Oct 05, 2011
Tayler
rated it:
This is a very short (less than 100 pages) very young adult novel by Gary Paulson that only took me 45 minutes to read.
A twelve year old slave begins to learn the meaning of letters when NightJohn is brought to the plantation.
This short story has only a handful of events and it moves very fast. The characters are kind of flat and the plot isn't real deep, but it was still a good read.
However, as a history teaching major, I see this as a very good opportunity t More...
A twelve year old slave begins to learn the meaning of letters when NightJohn is brought to the plantation.
This short story has only a handful of events and it moves very fast. The characters are kind of flat and the plot isn't real deep, but it was still a good read.
However, as a history teaching major, I see this as a very good opportunity t More...
Jun 10, 2009
Tyree
rated it:
Night-john by Gary Paul-sen is a book about a boy name John who just became a slave. He meets a girl who has a job to chew Tobacco to spit on plants to kill bugs. John wants to trade letters with her job. I cant connect to this book very much because I'm not a slave. But i can connect to this book because i was willing to trade something i learned by myself for someone else's job. It wasn't the smartest move but i had fun trading and learning how to do someone's job. I recommend this book
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Sep 27, 2011
Angelina
rated it:
I am personally of the opinion that making something graphic doesn't necessarily make it better, but in this book, the graphic worked. Here it is: the only book about slavery I read was "Freedom Train" in like the third or fourth grade. It made slavery and escaping sound like a game, and I didn't really care much about it either way. "Nightjohn" had enough of the graphic in it to make me realize how incredibly awful slavery was. However, I would probably steer young reade
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Jan 16, 2009
Aziza
rated it:
Sarny a female slave at the Waller plantation first sees night john, when he is brought there with a rope around his neck. Gary Paulsen tells about a young slave girl, Sarny, who it taught to read by another slave, Night john. The book is very well written, complete with dialect that makes the book even more interesting to read. Night john has escaped to the North where he was taught to read, but he keeps coming back to the south to further educate the slaves of the plantations. Night john me
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