Down on James Street

by Nicole McCandless, Byron Gramby (Illustrator)

The moon lit the riverbank as George and Dorothy each made their way to the teen dance hall. It's 1935, and sons and daughters of black and white workers in Pittsburgh look forward to having some fun dancing the Lindy Hop, until the police come in and break up the dance...with their bully clubs.

The teens all scatter, but Dorothy has a plan to save the dance. Is George ready to join the fight? Or will he play it safe and just go home to his family?

Down on James Street is based on a real historical incident in 1930's Pittsburgh. Today, young and old can take inspiration from this wonderful story of courage and solidarity, with gorgeous illustrations by Byron Gramby that summon up the style and the cool of that long-gone era.

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Jody Lydic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I donated it to the library at the school where I work in New York. The librarian was thrilled to get it as we just had an incident on the playground involving race. Every teacher wanted to read this book to their class so that they could start insightful age appropriate conversations with their students. The questions at the end of the book are good conversation starters. Even though the setting is back in the 1930s it has 2021 implications of what our society is facing today. What a great way to get kids to talk about what they think and feel.

[Amy Burr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that is necessary to start an important conversation with the little ones about race and friendship! These are the types of the stories we need to share with children and have needed for a long time.

The story of George and Dorothy sticks with you with the poetic/song-like quality of the words of the book. The author takes you right to the dance with George and Dorothy with her attention to detail. Also, bonus points for this story being based in Pittsburgh!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being set in the 1930s, this story transcends time and confronts some of the very real issues with racism, white privilege, and police brutality that we are still facing today. A great tool for parents and educators to start or continue these tough conversations and includes a discussion guide in the back to spark ideas.

[Stac · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! I love that there is a strong female lead character. The author does a great job bringing the reader back to the 1930's era of song and dance while sharing the struggles of racism and white privilege. The illustrations are wonderful! Great discussion questions are included to help kids and adults explore their feelings and thoughts about social justice issues.

[Bob Markovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book to tackle a very tough subject especially with children. The book will keep your young ones engaged while they learn. Highly recommend.

[Jody K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to address what can be a very difficult topic. It opens kids and parents alike up to discuss racism and what we can do to end it.

[Eric Lotke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the story, love the artwork. A good story with subtle life lessons between the lines.

[ASHLEY · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is a wonderful way to begin to introduce serious topics to kids