Pappy's Handkerchief (Tales of Young Americans)

Gr 2-4 In Oklahoma in the late 1880s and '90s, would-be settlers were offered free land if they staked a claim on a designated day and agreed to farm it for five years, after which they owned it outright. Narrated by young Moses, this story follows a black family from Baltimore who risk everything and suffer many tribulations in order to get to the Oklahoma territory line. When the older members of the family are incapacitated for various reasons, it falls to Moses to retrieve the family's fortunes and race to stake the claim with his grandfather's handkerchief tied to a pole. This history of a unique and interesting part of the settling of the West is illustrated in beautiful paintings of warm, soft browns, yellows, and blues that complement the narrative, together creating a fascinating look at the past. It's a handsome, oversize volume that is certainly worthy of consideration by most collections to enhance a unit on Western history and an understanding of an important facet of African-American history, as well. "Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.