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Night Golf
James loves sports, but he's too short for basketball and too small for football. Then he discovers golf. When he goes to the local golf course to learn more about the game, he finds out that only white players are admitted. He accepts a job as a caddy but fears he may never get the chance to play the game he loves. In this beautifully illustrated true-to-life story, another caddy tells James how to realize his by playing at night.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 28, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 12, 2017
Night Golf tells the story of James and his encounters with racism. James who wants to golf takes up a job as a caddy because only white people are allowed to golf at the town's only golf course. I think that this book could be used in your classroom to help talk about racism and how younger kids their age faced it as well and what they had to go through in order to simply play golf. I would use this book starting in a third or fourth-grade classroom.
February 25, 2015
Personal Reaction:
I enjoyed this book, however I do not think it would be good to start at a grade level below third. I think racism could be a difficult subject to teach students at a very young age. I also think that the book does not really beat around the bush at all, it goes straight to the point that african americans and whites are not thought to be equal which could be tough to throw on kids at such a young age as well. My favorite part was when James stood up to the man he was caddying for. The whole book I felt anger for him, and when he finally stood up to the man, I felt overjoyed that he 'one-upped' the other golfers with his skills. It brought a smile to my face.
Purpose:
This would be a good read-aloud for third or fourth graders.This book could be geared towards a couple different things. It could first serve as a history lesson involving segregation between african americans and whites back then. The african americans were not allowed to golf on the course, especially during daylight. However, they were able to be caddies. This goes to show how african americans were not treated as equals and were discriminated in everything they did. Another good lesson would be a moral lesson. The boy James stood up to the white golfer and showed him his skills, and before he knew it he was able to golf on the course as well. All of the white men wanted James to teach them his skills, and wondered how he learned so well. This goes to show that if you stand up for what you believe in, it can help make a change.
I enjoyed this book, however I do not think it would be good to start at a grade level below third. I think racism could be a difficult subject to teach students at a very young age. I also think that the book does not really beat around the bush at all, it goes straight to the point that african americans and whites are not thought to be equal which could be tough to throw on kids at such a young age as well. My favorite part was when James stood up to the man he was caddying for. The whole book I felt anger for him, and when he finally stood up to the man, I felt overjoyed that he 'one-upped' the other golfers with his skills. It brought a smile to my face.
Purpose:
This would be a good read-aloud for third or fourth graders.This book could be geared towards a couple different things. It could first serve as a history lesson involving segregation between african americans and whites back then. The african americans were not allowed to golf on the course, especially during daylight. However, they were able to be caddies. This goes to show how african americans were not treated as equals and were discriminated in everything they did. Another good lesson would be a moral lesson. The boy James stood up to the white golfer and showed him his skills, and before he knew it he was able to golf on the course as well. All of the white men wanted James to teach them his skills, and wondered how he learned so well. This goes to show that if you stand up for what you believe in, it can help make a change.
February 26, 2015
This book is a great introduction to a difficult topic such as racism. My personal reaction was I sympathized with the young boy who did not understand why he could not play golf when he wanted too. He had to beg for a job as a caddy at the gulf course, but then he found a man who showed him how to play gulf at night. This made me happy that the young boy was able to play golf, but it was not fair that he could only play at night. I enjoyed this book, however I would show it to older children around the age of fourth and fifth grade because of the complexity of the situation. Racism is a tough topic to cover, yet this book can delicately show it without being harsh on the issue. I would use this as a read aloud for curricular reasons, maybe while discussing slavery or while doing a civil rights unit.
April 19, 2010
James, a young African-American boy wishes to play golf at a time in American history when only white men played on golf courses. He convinces Charlie, an older caddie to let him be a caddie on the course. But, the whole time, he longs to hit the ball, see it soar, and make it to the next green. When Charlie senses James's longing for a chance to play the game, he tells him that there is, in fact, a way to play on the course. Charlie and James meet on the golf course when the moon is high and night is dark. They learn the nuances and ways of the game. Yet, when James's talent is put to the test, will nervousness be his worst enemy?
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews