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This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration
The story of one family’s journey north during the Great Migration starts with a little girl in South Carolina who finds a rope under a tree one summer. She has no idea the rope will become part of her family’s history. But for three generations, that rope is passed down, used for everything from jump rope games to tying suitcases onto a car for the big move north to New York City, and even for a family reunion where that first little girl is now a grandmother.
Newbery Honor–winning author Jacqueline Woodson and Coretta Scott King Award–winning illustrator James Ransome use the rope to frame a thoughtful and moving story as readers follow the little girl’s journey. During the time of the Great Migration, millions of African American families relocated from the South, seeking better opportunities. With grace and poignancy, Woodson’s lilting storytelling and Ransome’s masterful oil paintings of country and city life tell a rich story of a family adapting to change as they hold on to the past and embrace the future.
Newbery Honor–winning author Jacqueline Woodson and Coretta Scott King Award–winning illustrator James Ransome use the rope to frame a thoughtful and moving story as readers follow the little girl’s journey. During the time of the Great Migration, millions of African American families relocated from the South, seeking better opportunities. With grace and poignancy, Woodson’s lilting storytelling and Ransome’s masterful oil paintings of country and city life tell a rich story of a family adapting to change as they hold on to the past and embrace the future.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 29, 2013
19 people are currently reading
1698 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Woodson
82 books9,094 followersI used to say I’d be a teacher or a lawyer or a hairdresser when I grew up but even as I said these things, I knew what made me happiest was writing.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 455 reviews
February 22, 2017
This is a really cute, simple story about generations and times changing. It talked about how her ancestors came to America and made a life for the rest of the generations. And it is told through a rope and all the different purposes of the rope through the years. This was a very creative book.
July 19, 2017
I loved how the author used a rope to share the story of one family and how they changed over the year.
April 28, 2021
Woodson's fine book concerns one family's experience as part of the Great Migration, a movement that involved millions of African Americans who moved from the rural South to cities further North during the early 1900s to the mid-seventies. Here we meet the author's grandmother, and travel with her from South Carolina to New York City where her father hopes there will be better opportunities. Tying it all together is a rope - used as a jump rope, a clothesline, as a luggage tie-down, and more - we watch the family members grow, and age, and have children of their own.
The lovely artwork by James Ransome is heartwarming and evocative.
The lovely artwork by James Ransome is heartwarming and evocative.
September 7, 2016
Beautiful story. My family is spread between S. Carolina and New York and the great migration definitely played a role. I was so thrilled to see a picture book that was geared towards such an important moment in history.
September 17, 2013
Based on Woodson’s own family, this is the story of how one piece of rope serves as a symbol for the changes that came during the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural south to northern cities. One little girl tells the story of how her grandparents moved to New York City, using the rope to tie their things to the top of the car. The rope was used to tie up the drying flowers from their window boxes that reminded them of home. It was used by the little girl’s mother to tug her toys and play jump rope. It tied her mother’s belongings to another car when she went off to college. Then it was used for more jump rope with the little girl and in the end to support the banner for their family reunion. In the end, it was returned to the original grandmother in exchange for a new rope to jump with.
Woodson adheres to a strict structure in this book that really makes it feel like folklore, connecting it verbally to other histories, other migrations, other families. Each page begins with “This is the rope…” and then moves on to tell the next thing that the rope was used for in this changing family. Turning the pages, readers can see the time change and the opportunities progress.
Ransome’s illustrations are lovely. His paintings capture light and its movement as well as the family as they change. Most of them catch those fleeting moments of life, each connected by the symbol of rope. The result is a rich and warm series of memories.
Beautifully written and illustrated, this book captures a period of time not seen in most picture books and a story of one family’s history. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
Woodson adheres to a strict structure in this book that really makes it feel like folklore, connecting it verbally to other histories, other migrations, other families. Each page begins with “This is the rope…” and then moves on to tell the next thing that the rope was used for in this changing family. Turning the pages, readers can see the time change and the opportunities progress.
Ransome’s illustrations are lovely. His paintings capture light and its movement as well as the family as they change. Most of them catch those fleeting moments of life, each connected by the symbol of rope. The result is a rich and warm series of memories.
Beautifully written and illustrated, this book captures a period of time not seen in most picture books and a story of one family’s history. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
September 30, 2013
This story follows a piece of rope's journey with a family as they move from South Carolina to New York City during the Great Migration of many African American families in the 20th century and how a piece of rope becomes the red thread running through a family and binding them together for three generations.
This is the Rope is narrated by an unknown little girl (perhaps Woodson as a child), whose grandmother finds a length of rope under a tree in South Carolina and at first, uses it as a jump rope. Later, as a young married woman with a daughter of her own, the rope is used to tie her family's belongings to the top of their car as they make their journey from South Carolina to New York City.
The city is noisy and crowded, but the rope is again put to use. First, to dry the flowers grown in a window box. later as a clothesline to dry diapers. And when the narrator's mother is old enough, the rope is tied around a pull toy for her. Then, it becomes a jump rope again, when her mother makes friends with the other kids on the block. But, the rope disappears for 10 years after her mother's brothers used it for a game.
But the rope was found and once again, used to tie belongings to the top of the car when the narrator's mother goes to college.
Later, the narrator's father teaches her how to make a knot with the rope and when her mother becomes a turner, the rope is once more a jump rope, coming full circle. But the rope still has one final task when it is used to hang the banner in the park announcing the family's reunion.
After its long journey and varied uses over time, the rope gets old and threadbare and so it is returned to the grandmother - a reminder of her past and how far the family has come since she jumped rope under a sweet smelling pine tree in South Carolina. And so, a new rope was given to the narrator - a new rope for new uses and new memories.
I have read This Is the Rope several times now and each time it has brought tears to my eyes. It never ceases to amaze me how well Woodson can tell a story using such sparse language, and once again, she has given us a beautifully written, eloquent book.
The story is enriched by the stunningly beautiful oil paint illustrations of the very talented James Ransome. Ransome gives a sense a country and rural life in his choice of orange and yellows predominantly for the South Carolina illustrations, but using bolder colors for the city infusing the illustrations with the sense of hustle and bustle, buildings and crowded streets.
This Is the Rope really struck a cord with me and I am sure that it will probably resonate with almost everyone who reads it, simple because so many have a treasured object like the rope that connects and recalls our family's past.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
This is the Rope is narrated by an unknown little girl (perhaps Woodson as a child), whose grandmother finds a length of rope under a tree in South Carolina and at first, uses it as a jump rope. Later, as a young married woman with a daughter of her own, the rope is used to tie her family's belongings to the top of their car as they make their journey from South Carolina to New York City.
The city is noisy and crowded, but the rope is again put to use. First, to dry the flowers grown in a window box. later as a clothesline to dry diapers. And when the narrator's mother is old enough, the rope is tied around a pull toy for her. Then, it becomes a jump rope again, when her mother makes friends with the other kids on the block. But, the rope disappears for 10 years after her mother's brothers used it for a game.
But the rope was found and once again, used to tie belongings to the top of the car when the narrator's mother goes to college.
Later, the narrator's father teaches her how to make a knot with the rope and when her mother becomes a turner, the rope is once more a jump rope, coming full circle. But the rope still has one final task when it is used to hang the banner in the park announcing the family's reunion.
After its long journey and varied uses over time, the rope gets old and threadbare and so it is returned to the grandmother - a reminder of her past and how far the family has come since she jumped rope under a sweet smelling pine tree in South Carolina. And so, a new rope was given to the narrator - a new rope for new uses and new memories.
I have read This Is the Rope several times now and each time it has brought tears to my eyes. It never ceases to amaze me how well Woodson can tell a story using such sparse language, and once again, she has given us a beautifully written, eloquent book.
The story is enriched by the stunningly beautiful oil paint illustrations of the very talented James Ransome. Ransome gives a sense a country and rural life in his choice of orange and yellows predominantly for the South Carolina illustrations, but using bolder colors for the city infusing the illustrations with the sense of hustle and bustle, buildings and crowded streets.
This Is the Rope really struck a cord with me and I am sure that it will probably resonate with almost everyone who reads it, simple because so many have a treasured object like the rope that connects and recalls our family's past.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
February 22, 2016
Using a simple, strong item of rope, the author creates a story of hope, of love and reflection.
The incredible images of Ransome and the poetically written words of Woodson reflect a heritage rich in beauty and strong in love.
Known as the great migration, during the time span of 1900-1970, approximately six million African Americans left the southern parts of America, traveling to the north in the hope of better, more just life with more opportunity.
The rope is used to affix to a tree to enable a child to swing high in the sky.
Years later, the rope is also used to tie objects to the family vehicle as it travels up north. This same rope is used to hang baby clothes,
to pull a duck toy,to offer as an object to play hopscotch with neighbors that are new, and, then again, later to be used again to tie objects in the trunk of a car that will carry the grown child to college, and to use to string a sign during a picnic, proudly proclaiming "We Are All Family!"
Everything that Woodson writes is stellar!
The incredible images of Ransome and the poetically written words of Woodson reflect a heritage rich in beauty and strong in love.
Known as the great migration, during the time span of 1900-1970, approximately six million African Americans left the southern parts of America, traveling to the north in the hope of better, more just life with more opportunity.
The rope is used to affix to a tree to enable a child to swing high in the sky.
Years later, the rope is also used to tie objects to the family vehicle as it travels up north. This same rope is used to hang baby clothes,
to pull a duck toy,to offer as an object to play hopscotch with neighbors that are new, and, then again, later to be used again to tie objects in the trunk of a car that will carry the grown child to college, and to use to string a sign during a picnic, proudly proclaiming "We Are All Family!"
Everything that Woodson writes is stellar!
September 7, 2013
Summary: A jump rope becomes a representation of an African-American's family journey through time. For three generations the rope was used for jump roping, hanging clothes, and securing luggage to the roof of a car.
Curriculum Connection: This is a great book for storytelling. After reading, children can discuss the characters, setting, pictures and events. They can retell the story in their own words. The storyline is a great way to help them understand structure, sequence and the history of the Great Migration.
Personal Reaction: Although this book tells the story of how a jump rope represents an African-American's family journey through time , I love that children of all races can still relate by thinking an object that is also symbolic of their family's history.
Critique: (a.) James Ransome illustrations and use of oil paintings are inviting and visually appealing. The richness of color and sharp images tell the story without you having to read the words on the page.
(b.) The images are vivid and inviting, but Ransome's choice of color is sometimes questionable. On the cover, he shows an African-American young girl jump roping with a yellow sky and white clouds. The yellow color does have a serene effect, but I think a blue or orange background with white clouds would have been more realistic and just as appealing.
(c.) The picture of a Prince poster on the wall and Michael Jackson albums scattered on the bed are indicative of a teenager room and 1980's time period. I especially love how Ransom shows great contrast in his pictures of South Carolina (south) and Brooklyn (north). Ransome shows rich rural landscape when representing South Carolina and busy, populous images of the family’s new stone-and-concrete neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Intended Audience: Kindergarten-Grade 3
Genre: Picture Book/Historical Fiction
Curriculum Connection: This is a great book for storytelling. After reading, children can discuss the characters, setting, pictures and events. They can retell the story in their own words. The storyline is a great way to help them understand structure, sequence and the history of the Great Migration.
Personal Reaction: Although this book tells the story of how a jump rope represents an African-American's family journey through time , I love that children of all races can still relate by thinking an object that is also symbolic of their family's history.
Critique: (a.) James Ransome illustrations and use of oil paintings are inviting and visually appealing. The richness of color and sharp images tell the story without you having to read the words on the page.
(b.) The images are vivid and inviting, but Ransome's choice of color is sometimes questionable. On the cover, he shows an African-American young girl jump roping with a yellow sky and white clouds. The yellow color does have a serene effect, but I think a blue or orange background with white clouds would have been more realistic and just as appealing.
(c.) The picture of a Prince poster on the wall and Michael Jackson albums scattered on the bed are indicative of a teenager room and 1980's time period. I especially love how Ransom shows great contrast in his pictures of South Carolina (south) and Brooklyn (north). Ransome shows rich rural landscape when representing South Carolina and busy, populous images of the family’s new stone-and-concrete neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Intended Audience: Kindergarten-Grade 3
Genre: Picture Book/Historical Fiction
Read
June 16, 20151. The connection I made this this story is a text-to-self connection. In this story, an old rope becomes a symbol of family history, which is passed down through three generations. My connection with this is that I have always been very close with my family and I have received some family treasures passed down from my ancestors. Those treasures may not mean anything to anyone else who would see them, just like the rope in the story, but to me, they are truly special.
2. This story fits the description of being culturally specific about African American culture. This story represents the African American families that migrated north in the early 1900s during the Great Migration. They were seeking better jobs and better treatment. The storyline of the book is interesting because it shows how a simple object--a rope-- was from when the girl's grandparents moved north and how it was handed down in the family. To me, it is representative of the hope for something better. The family moved north because they wanted something better for themselves and their family, as well as their future family. This story has historical and cultural significance.
3. Six Questions:
-Who were the main characters in This Is the Rope?
-Retell what happened in the story.
-How is the little girl in the story similar to you?
-What is the relationship between the family and the rope?
-Would it be better if the little girl had kept the rope instead of giving it back to her Grandma in the end? Why?
-How would you rewrite the story from the Grandma's point of view?
2. This story fits the description of being culturally specific about African American culture. This story represents the African American families that migrated north in the early 1900s during the Great Migration. They were seeking better jobs and better treatment. The storyline of the book is interesting because it shows how a simple object--a rope-- was from when the girl's grandparents moved north and how it was handed down in the family. To me, it is representative of the hope for something better. The family moved north because they wanted something better for themselves and their family, as well as their future family. This story has historical and cultural significance.
3. Six Questions:
-Who were the main characters in This Is the Rope?
-Retell what happened in the story.
-How is the little girl in the story similar to you?
-What is the relationship between the family and the rope?
-Would it be better if the little girl had kept the rope instead of giving it back to her Grandma in the end? Why?
-How would you rewrite the story from the Grandma's point of view?
July 30, 2015
A beautifully written and illustrated generational story based on Woodson's own family history.
June 22, 2018
This is a GoodRead! Cute tale.
September 20, 2014
Jacqueline Woodson took an ordinary piece of rope and transformed it into a symbol for change. This rope was found underneath a tree in South Carolina, by the narrator’s grandmother. This rope represented change and hope for this family of African Americans and over six million others during the Great Migration of the 1900’s. During the Great Migration, African Americans were moving north to find a better life for their families. The rope was used to tie luggage to the roof of a car during a move from South Carolina to New York City. From there it was used to dry flowers, to hang clothes to dry in the breeze, as a jump rope, and many other things. In the end, the frayed and tattered rope was the one that the narrator traded in for a new one from her grandmother, so the rope went full circle.
This rope is part of a family’s history. I believe this rope was probably used for unspeakable things before it was found underneath the tree by the narrator’s grandmother. What a transformation!! This rope helped this African American family to move to a place in this country where they were accepted, instead of shunned. This rope was part of the wonderful life they built in New York.
This book could be used in a segregation/desegregation history unit for third grade up to sixth grade. The teacher could brainstorm ideas with the children about other things that could be done with the rope. To connect the children to the book at a deeper level a teacher could have her children share things that have been a part of their family for generations, either by verbally sharing during class or by writing about the items in their journals.
This rope is part of a family’s history. I believe this rope was probably used for unspeakable things before it was found underneath the tree by the narrator’s grandmother. What a transformation!! This rope helped this African American family to move to a place in this country where they were accepted, instead of shunned. This rope was part of the wonderful life they built in New York.
This book could be used in a segregation/desegregation history unit for third grade up to sixth grade. The teacher could brainstorm ideas with the children about other things that could be done with the rope. To connect the children to the book at a deeper level a teacher could have her children share things that have been a part of their family for generations, either by verbally sharing during class or by writing about the items in their journals.
April 21, 2014
This is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration
Text to Self: I related to this story because just like the rope in it, I have a vase that was my grandmother’s and then my mother’s and is now mine. It represents my family’s history and my grandmother’s life as a military wife who lived all over the world. She gave it to me when I got engaged to my fiancée who is in the Air Force like my grandfather was. The rope in the story was passed down and held special sentimental value in much the same way.
1.List all of the people who owned the rope throughout the story. (Knowledge)
2.Summarize the events of this story in your own words. (Comprehension)
3.Organize a timeline of the events in this story that shows the journey of the rope over time. (Application)
4.Analyze the importance of the rope in the story. What does it stand for? Why did the author choose to highlight that particular item? (Analysis)
5.Make a prediction about what will happen to the rope when the little girl grows up. How will it be used? (Synthesis)
6.Choose one instance from the story that you believe represents the rope’s significance best and be prepared to defend your answer. (Evaluation)
(2013, July). School Library Journal. http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID...
Text to Self: I related to this story because just like the rope in it, I have a vase that was my grandmother’s and then my mother’s and is now mine. It represents my family’s history and my grandmother’s life as a military wife who lived all over the world. She gave it to me when I got engaged to my fiancée who is in the Air Force like my grandfather was. The rope in the story was passed down and held special sentimental value in much the same way.
1.List all of the people who owned the rope throughout the story. (Knowledge)
2.Summarize the events of this story in your own words. (Comprehension)
3.Organize a timeline of the events in this story that shows the journey of the rope over time. (Application)
4.Analyze the importance of the rope in the story. What does it stand for? Why did the author choose to highlight that particular item? (Analysis)
5.Make a prediction about what will happen to the rope when the little girl grows up. How will it be used? (Synthesis)
6.Choose one instance from the story that you believe represents the rope’s significance best and be prepared to defend your answer. (Evaluation)
(2013, July). School Library Journal. http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID...
Read
June 18, 20151. Text to text: This book reminds me of The Memory String because it describes treasured items that are passed down in Laura's family and describes her family passed down from generation to generation. In this book, a little girl discusses a rope that her grandmother had found when she was little, then passed down to her mother, and then her as she grew older. It describes this family's air loom that is important to their family's culture.
2. This text is culturally specific because it describes an African American child and her family in which they tell a story of a very important item in their family - a rope. This rope was passed down from generation to generation and shows how her family is tied together and bound by this one object that is so important to their family.
3. -Who are the main characters in the story?
-Explain why the author gave the book the title it has.
-How would you classify the importance of the rope?
-What is the theme of the story?
-Justify the little girl's narration of the rope in the story.
-What inferences can you make about why or how the rope is important to the little girl's family?
2. This text is culturally specific because it describes an African American child and her family in which they tell a story of a very important item in their family - a rope. This rope was passed down from generation to generation and shows how her family is tied together and bound by this one object that is so important to their family.
3. -Who are the main characters in the story?
-Explain why the author gave the book the title it has.
-How would you classify the importance of the rope?
-What is the theme of the story?
-Justify the little girl's narration of the rope in the story.
-What inferences can you make about why or how the rope is important to the little girl's family?
September 30, 2013
Sometimes the most insignificant items can turn out to have great importance as they follow us along our life journeys. This picture book from gifted storyteller Jacqueline Woodson tells the story of a rope that the narrator's grandmother used to skip when she was a girl in South Carolina. The rope comes in handy when her grown-up grandmother and her grandfather join others who are migrating north for better opportunities. As the family grows and changes, with some members leaving and others returning, the rope that reminds them of home down South remains with them, a fraying bit that symbolizes where they've been and where they might be going. An Author's Note explains that the story is based on her family's migration--one family among the 6 million African Americans who left the South behind--during the 1900s, and that the rope symbolizes the family's hope that things would be better. I like the story with its pitch-perfect words and luminous, family-filled illustrations more with every reading.
September 24, 2017
This is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration is another beautiful historical fiction tale of African American heroism by Jacqueline Woodson. In this multi generational fictional memoir a simple length of rope links grandmother, mother and daughter to their roots and helps them find the strength to face new futures. Woodson has an amazing ability to give a complicated story a simplicity that K-3 children will understand and appreciate without loosing the poignancy such a story deserves.
This is the Rope offers parents and educators a perfect opportunity to discuss this difficult topic. It could be in the form specifically about African American’s movement to the North or could be read as one of many stories of a people’s migration to safer lands. For younger children, the focus may be on family, and what binds families no matter their locations. Children could even talk about or draw a memento or activity their own family cherishes, or come up with words or pictures that might represent their family.
This is the Rope offers parents and educators a perfect opportunity to discuss this difficult topic. It could be in the form specifically about African American’s movement to the North or could be read as one of many stories of a people’s migration to safer lands. For younger children, the focus may be on family, and what binds families no matter their locations. Children could even talk about or draw a memento or activity their own family cherishes, or come up with words or pictures that might represent their family.
June 13, 2014
1.)Text to text: As I was reading this, I was reminded of several books by Patricia Palaco. It especially reminded me of the Keeping Quilt. The jump rope passed through generations and had different “jobs” in the family, just like the quilt (or parts of the quilt) did in Palaco’s book.
2.) Write six discussion questions using all six stages of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Remembering: List two ways the jumprope was used in the book.
Understanding: What is meant by back home, using throughout the book?
Applying: Why is the jumprope significant?
Analyzing: What motivates the grandmother and mother to save the rope?
Evaluating: What did you like best about This is the Rope?
Creating: Create an new ending for the story (one in which the narrator is an adult).
3.) An adapted book review citation:
(July 11, 2013). Horn Book Magazine. http://www.booksinprint.com.leo.lib.u...#
2.) Write six discussion questions using all six stages of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Remembering: List two ways the jumprope was used in the book.
Understanding: What is meant by back home, using throughout the book?
Applying: Why is the jumprope significant?
Analyzing: What motivates the grandmother and mother to save the rope?
Evaluating: What did you like best about This is the Rope?
Creating: Create an new ending for the story (one in which the narrator is an adult).
3.) An adapted book review citation:
(July 11, 2013). Horn Book Magazine. http://www.booksinprint.com.leo.lib.u...#
December 10, 2013
Woodson gives us a succinct history of one family's migration from the South to the North and their subsequent life in the North through several generations. The rope links the histories and events together as it lends itself to new uses (thus creating new memories). Illustrations are well done and showcase a number of period references (pop culture art on the walls from the 60s, cars changing, clothing changing, etc.).
All in all, a solid historical fiction picture book. The rhythm of the text was ever so slightly off to me, and the illustrations--while excellent--had one or two nagging inconsistencies (such as when the text mentions the mother waving, but she's not). Otherwise, this would be a 5* book for me.
All in all, a solid historical fiction picture book. The rhythm of the text was ever so slightly off to me, and the illustrations--while excellent--had one or two nagging inconsistencies (such as when the text mentions the mother waving, but she's not). Otherwise, this would be a 5* book for me.
February 14, 2014
Ransome’s rich oil paintings of country and city life combine with Woodson’s powerful storytelling to portray the story of a family as it grows and moves from North Carolina to Brooklyn. A rope, one that grandmother skips with, father ties luggage to the car roof with, mother hangs clothes on the line with, etc. is the common thread which ties the generations together, linking histories and events and creating new memories along the way. The family adapts to change as they hold on to the past and embrace the future. An inspiring read aloud which can encourage families to examine their own heirlooms. (K and up)
February 6, 2017
What is pleasant about Jacquline Woodson's historical fiction, is that she strays away from well-tred territory of slavery or civil rights, and veers from typical themes of resistance.
In this book, the narrative follows a piece of rope. The rope, as it turns out, has been handed dow for several generations in this family, and the story follows the rope as it was used in different contexts since the family's movement north during the Great Migration.
Woodson is, as always, able to say a lot with a little, and the rope stands as a symbol for both help within the black family structure, and the importance of heritage within the culture.
In this book, the narrative follows a piece of rope. The rope, as it turns out, has been handed dow for several generations in this family, and the story follows the rope as it was used in different contexts since the family's movement north during the Great Migration.
Woodson is, as always, able to say a lot with a little, and the rope stands as a symbol for both help within the black family structure, and the importance of heritage within the culture.
July 26, 2016
With an author like Jacqueline Woodson, I had very high expectations for this book.
Luckily, I was not disappointed.
The "Story From the Great Migration" is preceded by an author's note and dedication that places the fictional text in its historical context, and gives it personal relevance. The illustrations by James Ransome are heartwarming, conveying everyday life through the family's generations. An honest look at individuals who stand for so many others. The title's rope is used to connect a family's past to the experiences of a girl today, surrounded by her family.
Luckily, I was not disappointed.
The "Story From the Great Migration" is preceded by an author's note and dedication that places the fictional text in its historical context, and gives it personal relevance. The illustrations by James Ransome are heartwarming, conveying everyday life through the family's generations. An honest look at individuals who stand for so many others. The title's rope is used to connect a family's past to the experiences of a girl today, surrounded by her family.
February 22, 2015
A beautiful book that shows a family's transition from the warmth of South Carolina to a big, bustling city in the North. By following a single piece of rope that is used for both practical and play purposes by different family members and seems to tie this family together, Woodson is able to depict generations of a single family through their everyday activities. Like _Brown Girl Dreaming_, this works celebrates a single girl through focusing on her family history in the big city. A sweet, brief read great for K-2.
December 27, 2016
More than the story, the clever refrain about a rope tying aspects of the girl's life together, or the illustrations, this book strikes because it makes real and recounts a period of history that was essentially hidden from me until very recently. It's impressive to think that there are kids who grow up aware that it matters as much that a large portion of the US population moved from one area to another to seek a better life --as much as kids grow up learning about the pilgrims, the trail of tears, the gold rush, and over significant historic events.
December 7, 2018
With so many excellent reviews of this book, I had to read it but when I was done I was disappointed. Were my expectations too high? I loved how Jacqueline Woodson used a piece of rope to draw the reader through time and through the generations. The illustrations by James Ransome were lovely and created most of the emotional connection to the story. But I felt no connection to the family because none of the characters were developed. No postscript was included to explain the Great Migration. In the end I felt like it was a nice concept but it lacked emotion and information.
February 3, 2014
♥♥♥ this book. Jacqueline Woodson dedicates this book "to the more than 6 million African Americans who left unjust conditions of the South for a better life in the North from the early 1900s until the 1970s."
It is a historical fiction piece that tells us how a little girl's jump rope travelled through generations of her family.
As parents, we owe it to ourselves to introduce this book to our children and grandchildren.
It is a historical fiction piece that tells us how a little girl's jump rope travelled through generations of her family.
As parents, we owe it to ourselves to introduce this book to our children and grandchildren.
September 19, 2013
The story of a family who travels North during the Great Migration. The stories of the 3 generations of family are woven together through the many uses for a rope. From jumping rope, to tying down belongings, to hanging up laundry the sturdy rope remains an essential household item.
An author's note reveals the inspiration for this tale and gives the story a deeper meaning and sense of identity for the characters. Oil illustrations. This book is a must read and among Woodson's best.
An author's note reveals the inspiration for this tale and gives the story a deeper meaning and sense of identity for the characters. Oil illustrations. This book is a must read and among Woodson's best.
September 5, 2013
Age: Kindergarten-3rd grade
Family: Inter-generational
Follow the life of a simple piece of rope along three generations of an African American family. I loved trying to find the rope in each gorgeous artwork. The text is perfect for younger kids but the story of the Great Migration can be elaborated on in older classrooms.
Family: Inter-generational
Follow the life of a simple piece of rope along three generations of an African American family. I loved trying to find the rope in each gorgeous artwork. The text is perfect for younger kids but the story of the Great Migration can be elaborated on in older classrooms.
January 6, 2017
The rope represents hope in all things. The same rope is used for many uses by several generations of one family. The great migration from the segregated south to the opportunities of the north saved this African American family. The illustrations are awe-inspiring. Excellent for all families to learn about this time in history.
February 10, 2017
A fabulous story that illustrates the migration of one African American family, who left the south and moved to the north. Scenes are "tied" together with this one [very sentimental] piece of rope. A wonderful story.
February 21, 2018
Jacqueline Woodson's incisive, poignant poetry always takes my breath away. I loved this seemingly simple picture book about a multi-generational family's journey from the unjust conditions of the South to the hope of a better life in the North, entwined by a little girl's jump rope. Lovely.
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