The Red Pencil

by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Author) Shane Evans (Illustrator)

The Red Pencil
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

"Amira, look at me," Muma insists.She collects both my hands in hers."The Janjaweed attack without warning.If ever they come-- run."

Finally, Amira is twelve. Old enough to wear a toob, old enough for new responsibilities. And maybe old enough to go to school in Nyala-- Amira's one true dream.

But life in her peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when the Janjaweed arrive. The terrifying attackers ravage the town and unleash unspeakable horrors. After she loses nearly everything, Amira needs to dig deep within herself to find the strength to make the long journey-- on foot-- to safety at a refugee camp. Her days are tough at the camp, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind-- and all kinds of possibilities.

New York Times bestselling and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Andrea Davis Pinkney's powerful verse and Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist Shane W. Evans's breathtaking illustrations combine to tell an inspiring tale of one girl's triumph against all odds.

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Starred Review
"A soulful story that captures the magic of possibility, even in difficult times. (author's note, illustrator's note, glossary) (Verse fiction. 8-12)"

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 5-7--Set during the early years of the Darfur conflict, this stunning collaboration between Coretta Scott King Award winners Pinkney and Evans tells a moving story of the scarring effects of war but also brings a message of hope and inspiration. Twelve-year-old Amira wishes to attend school, but her mother, "born into a flock of women/locked in a hut of tradition," does not support the girl's aspirations and expects her to only marry and bear children. In contrast, Amira's father praises her talents and gifts her with a special "turning-twelve twig" that she uses to sketch her dreams in the goz (sand). These dreams are brutally shattered when the Janjaweed militants invade and cut a swath of terror through her village. After enduring a heartbreaking loss, Amira and her family must rally their strength in order to make the treacherous journey to the Kalma refugee camp. There, the girl is given a red pencil; this simple gift reveals a world of endless possibilities and imbues the tween with a strong sense of agency. Amira's thoughts and drawings are vividly brought to life through Pinkney's lyrical verse and Evans's lucid line illustrations, which infuse the narrative with emotional intensity. An engaging author note provides background on the political situation in Sudan and explains the powerful motivations for telling this story. An essential purchase that pairs well with Sylvia Whitman's The Milk of Birds (S. & S., 2013).--Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Told in free verse and set in the South Darfur region of Sudan in 2003 and 2004, this potent novel from Pinkney (Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America) is built around the distinctive voice and drawings of 12-year-old narrator Amira. The first half of the novel examines Amira's life in her rural village, where she helps out with farm chores, wishes she could attend school, and has a close relationship with her father, Dando, who "sees what is possible in me." After Janjaweed militants invade, inflicting great loss, Amira flees to a refugee camp, where she expresses her creativity through art, after a teacher gives her the pencil of the title. Evans's (We March) loosely drawn and deeply affecting line illustrations heighten Amira's emotional reality; in one image, accompanying the poem "Shock," a simple figure surrounded by a violently scribbled border demonstrates Amira's despair: "My whole heart./ A sudden break./ My Bright, / turned black." Pinkney faces war's horrors head on, yet also conveys a sense of hope and promise. Ages 9-up. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Sept.)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Pinkney faces war's horrors head on, yet also conveys a sense of hope and promise."

Publishers Weekly
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of more than 20 books for children, including Bird in a Box and several collaborations with her husband Brian Pinkney, including Sit -In, Hand in Hand, and Martin & Mahalia. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, NY.

Shane W. Evans is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom, which won a Coretta Scott King award, and Nobody Gonna Turn Me Round, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. His website is ShaneEvans.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780316247801
Lexile Measure
620
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Little Brown and Company
Publication date
September 16, 2014
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039070 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Homelessness & Poverty
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
JUV039180 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Violence
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
JUV039120 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism
JUV016010 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Africa
JUV030010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Africa
Library of Congress categories
Refugees
Novels in verse
Blacks
Education
Sudan
Nene Award
Nominee 2016 - 2016
Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens
Recommended 2015 - 2015
Rhode Island Children's Book Awards
Nominee 2016 - 2016
Georgia Children's Book Award
Finalist 2017 - 2017

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