Goin' Someplace Special

Module 2

McKissack, Patricia C. 2001. Goin’ someplace special. Ill. By Jerry Pinkney. New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-689-81885-8

Summary:´’Tricia Ann is excited about setting off on her own to go “Someplace Special”. Along the way she meets a few obstacles that threaten to cloud her enthusiasm. Jim Crow laws prevent her from having a seat on the bus or sitting on a park bench. After being kicked out of the Southland Hotel she almost gives up until someone special reminds her of what her grandmother always told her “. . . just keep walking straight ahead – and you’ll make it.” She finally reaches her “someplace special: the public library, where everyone is welcome.

Critical Analysis: One key ingredient in this picture book is accurate factual information about African Americans in the south when Jim Crow laws were still in effect. ‘Tricia Ann is exposed to all of this on her bus ride, at the park, and nearly everywhere she goes.

One indication that this is a quality afro-centric book is that it has positive images. ‘Tricia Ann’s grandmother has instilled her with positive ideas about herself and this is reaffirmed by others in the community.

The book, while a children’s story, has themes that are deep. The effect of racism and legal discrimination are dominant, as well as the struggle for equality. We see how ‘Tricia Ann is hurt by this, but we also see how she is able to overcome it with the resilience that is common in the African American culture.

This book has definite cultural markers. The bus was an important mode of transportation for blacks during that time period. It was also a symbol of inequality because of Jim Crow laws. The dialect used in the story is also a cultural indicator. Dropping letters in words is common when African Americans are conversing with each other.

‘Tricia Ann lives with her grandmother. Grandparents raising grandchildren are common in this culture. Also, her name for her grandmother, “Mama Frances” is typical. The love of family is an African American cultural marker that is front and center in this book. Also, we notice the way all the African American characters stick together and support each other. This is an affirmation of ‘Tricia Ann, as well as to others in the culture and leaves a lasting impression.

The pencil and watercolor illustrations are created by Jerry Pinkney. ‘Tricia Ann is shown as a very pretty young girl in a brightly colored dress. It’s obvious that Pinkney is putting his culture on center stage. Many of the white characters are painted in monotones.

This story gives us a sense of hope felt by a beautiful young girl as she reaches a place where everyone is welcome: the library. This shows the commitment of the author to the theme of racial uplift and progress.

This book is recommended for ages 4-8.

Review Excerpts:
“Pinkney's (previously paired with McKissack for Mirandy and Brother Wind) luminescent watercolors evoke the '50s, from fashions to finned cars, and he captures every ounce of 'Tricia Ann's eagerness, humiliation and quiet triumph at the end.” (Publisher’s Weekly, Sept. 2001)

“'Tricia Ann's first solo trip out of her neighborhood reveals the segregation of 1950s' Nashville and the pride a young African-American girl takes in her heritage and her sense of self-worth. In an eye-opening journey, McKissack takes the child through an experience based upon her own personal history and the multiple indignities of the period.” (School Library Journal, 2001)

Connections: This book could be paired with other books about children in similar situations during the time of racial segregation. Some good choices would be White Socks Only by Evelyn Coleman and
Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins. Also, it could be combined with biographies of real individuals who were part of the struggle for equality such as Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks or Dr. Martin Luther King.