With the Might of Angels: The Diary of Dawnie Rae Johnson, Hadley, Virginia, 1954 (Dear America) by Andrea Davis Pinkney

With the Might of Angels: The Diary of Dawnie Rae Johnson, Hadley, Virginia, 1954 (Dear America) Reviews

• 
  Hannah

  Now I want to go back and reread some of the Dear America books from when I was a kid, because this one is pretty great. That's probably because of the author, but then again, maybe they were all this good? Like, I could see some great classroom uses for this one, not to mention it just being a great read for everybody.
• 
  Dolores

  This is an engaging book that does a good job of explaining racial integration in schools to preteen readers. I have young children myself and am involved in the school system, and would mark this book appropriate for 4th and 5th graders, maybe 3rd graders depending on their maturity. The book describes darker moments of integration in a digestible way for the intended age group. Four stars.
• 
  Meredith

  This is one of the most memorable and impactful Dear Americas I have ever read!
  
  I meant to start and read it the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but I became sick. No matter! I've finished it during Black History Month and am inspired to continue reading books by Black authors in celebration of this month.
  
  Author Andrea Pinkney does an outstanding job weaving Civil Rights Movement history, and some of her personal experiences as the only Black student attending an all-white elementary school, into the semi-fictional tale of Dawnie Rae Johnson. Not only is her research of and passion for this movement evident on every page, she is also a master storyteller who tenderly constructs each character and detail of Dawnie's story.
  
  I believe my favorite part of With the Might of Angels is Dawnie's friendship with other characters: Gertie, Yolanda, her brother, affectionately nicknamed Goober, even her mother and father. All of these supporting characters seemed just as real as Dawnie because of the beautiful moments of friendship portrayed.
• 
  QNPoohBear

  During the 1953-1954 school year, Dawnie is a normal 12 year old African-American girl living in the small town of Hadley in Virginia. Her town is strictly divided along color lines. She's forbidden by her parents to go to Ivorytown the white section of town but that doesn't stop her from dreaming about the brand new school there. Dawnie dreams of becoming a doctor and she knows that the stinky, falling down school and ancient tattered textbooks of her school won't help her achieve her dream. Dawnie keeps her dreams to herself, writing them down in her precious diary, a birthday gift from her autistic younger brother. Dawnie finishes 6th grade at the top of her class and spends the summer jumping on her Pogo stick and playing baseball but come fall, her life changes forever when the Supreme Court decides schools must be integrated. Dawnie has passed the competency exam proving she's smart enough to compete with the white kids so her parents give her permission to integrate. Dawnie hopes to share this experience with her best friend Yolanda and another child from their class, but only Dawnie's parents approve of integration. The decision to attend an all-white school causes a lot of stress for both Dawnie and her family. They meet with opposition from both the white and black communities. A young minister from Alabama visits Dawnie's church and encourages non-violent resistance and Dawnie learns that she can write down all her rage and hatred in her diary while studying hard to stay on top. Finally, she finds an unexpected ally and they challenge each other to pull through.
  
  This is a remarkable story of a fictional girl based on real life people and events that took place not that long ago. It's really eye opening to read the comments coming from the white community regarding their ignorant assumptions about African-Americans. Even more surprising was the opinions of many of the members of Dawnie's community who didn't believe in integration. It's really hard to believe this story takes place less than 100 years after the Civil War and just over 50 years ago. The writing is lively and entertaining as well as thought provoking. The author includes many historic events that occurred during this time as well as the usual historical note and information about her own life which inspired the novel This book is a must read for all ages.
• 
  Chris

  Take a seat front and center to learn about the beginning of integration/desegregation in Virginia in 1954. I listened to this wonderful, inspired story which was incredibly enhanced by the reading of Channie Waites. Although the Dear America series is not ABOUT real people, I've got to guess they're based on real people, particularly in this case. Fascinating, disgruntling, ridiculous, unbelievable - the idea that people should be divided because of the color of their skin. My granddaughter listened to the first two discs with me and was mesmerized. I'm positive she never had a clue about segregation. This was an outstanding story, taking the reader inside the head of a young African-American girl who had to break those difficult, scary, almost-impossible boundaries set up by white people throughout history in our country. Highly recommended.
• 
  Sarah

  Better than what I imagined a Dear America book would be like, which I guess I've just kind of grouped into an American Girls-like light historical category for reasons I don't really have. Pinkney's installment addresses school integration in the 1950s head-on, but it all just feels a little too pat. Dawnie's winsome voice might be characteristic of the era, but it and the diary-entry format grated on me after a while.
• 
  Caroline

  I love Dear America books and this is an excellent one about the struggle Black children faced when integrating, from all sides of their communities. There's some dated language in this book but I think it would be a good teaching opportunity for young readers to learn that some phrases get retired because we recognize the pain that they cause.
• 
  Ajhegstrom

  My 10yr old recommended this book to me. I am glad we could share it, it was a great conversation
• 
  Pumkin pie

  This book was super fun and exciting! I couldn't put it down! This was a great book about segregation, family and friends. I firmly recommend this book!
• 
  Elana

  This book was very interesting and sad, Dawnie Rae Is a very determined girl and is very straight forward.
• 
  ClaraBelle

  Wonderful book about a fictional but true story inspired girl’s journey from shunned to accepted in the desegregation of schools in the 1950s following the Brown v. Board of Education decision!
  Rating: 4 stars
  Warning: racial slurs, disrespectful treatment of Dawnie’s mentally disabled brother, and Dawnie is forced to potty in the bushes behind her school because whites don’t want a “monkey tail” using their inside bathrooms.
  Read: 8/24-9/7/20
• 
  Rebecca

  Dawnie Rae Johnston begins her diary on her twelth birthday in 1954, the day after the Supreme Court decision ending segregation in schools. Dawnie is one of the top students in her grade at her segregated school, but she wishes she could go to the white school in town, which is a much nicer building, with new books and supplies and even a baseball field. When Dawnie's parents decide to enroll her at the white school for the following school year, she is excited to be attending such a nice school. But many people in Hadley are racist, and her family suffers as a result. Her father loses his job, and many of the teachers and students are cruel to her.
  
  This was a difficult book for me to rate and review, because it was well-written and well-researched, but not to my personal tastes. I always feel bad trying to decide how to review a book when it's well-written but I just didn't enjoy it. And since the Dear America series is one of my favorite series, I had really hoped to enjoy this book, but it's a bad sign when it takes me over two weeks to finish a Dear America book. I would probably give it two stars for my personal enjoyment, but I added a third star for the excellent historical research.
  
  I think there were two main reasons why I didn't enjoy it very much. One, I couldn't relate to the main character at all. She was a tomboy who was obsessed with sports and loved baseball. I am the least athletic person on the planet, gym class was torture for me, and I just got bored and annoyed whenever she would write about sports or use some kind of sport-y metaphor (Which was really often). Two, after reading this book and a couple others, I've come to the conclusion I just don't like historical fiction set after World War II. It just seems too modern to me. If you are interested in the Civil Rights Movement or 1950s history in general, and this book sounds like something you would enjoy, don't let my review put you off reading it. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, and like I said it's well-written, it just didn't interest me.
• 
  Rochetta G

  What inspiration! This book was a breath of fresh air. This book begins one month before the Supreme Court ruling in the case of brown vs. the Board of Education. Dawnie Rae Johnson was twelve year old at the time. She learns she will be the only black attending an all-white school. She lived with two hard working parents; her mother had her own business of which she did laundry for town’s people. She had formulated her own pressing starch. Her father worked for the local dairy store until they found out it was his daughter that was attending an all-white school. From what the story tells, her brother had autism. They described him as being in his own beautiful world. Dawnie is a fun loving girl who loves baseball. Her idol Jackie Robinson. Although Dawnie is excited about the new school she experiences what she calls the anxiety monster. As with most historical fiction stories during that time, she experienced being mistreated (racism) by not only the students and teachers at her new school, but also those who known all her life to be her friends. Her family did received help for the NAACP and the local church. They even welcomed Dr. Martin Luther King to their church and he helped form a boycott of the local dairy store that was not in support of lifting segregation. To me this story was about an intelligent girl who shown nothing but bravery and determination. Despite the odds she pressed forward to show all the non-believers that she was just a worthy as other children to receive a meaningful education. The story was told through mainly diary entries and letters to certain people. In such difficult times, Dawnie found a way to channel her mixed emotions through writing. In the end, success she was an honor roll student and the bravery she showed paved the way for other just like her. The book was short novel book and therefore had o artistic elements. This book is recommended for intermediate readers due to its mature, relatable content.
• 
  Sana Maria Soufi

  With The Might of Angels
  Non Fiction
  336 Pages
  Finished on 12/15/12
  
  This true story is about the young, bright, African American girl, Dawnie Rae Johnson. Her friends and "special" brother, Goober make up most of her life. Segregation rules her life. Dawnie is skilled enough to attend Prettyman Elementary, the best all white school in her town. Not everyone is thrilled that Dawnie is attending Prettyman. People jeer at her and make fun of her. Dawnie keeps her head up and stays and excels at Prettyman Elmentary. Every detail is told from Dawnie's point of view in her diary.
  
  I thought this book was simply astonishing. Not only does this girl live during the most shameful period of American history, but her life goes down hill at the age of eleven. She works hard to realize her dream of becoming a doctor. I find that truly inspirational. I could relate to this book in the sense that her little brother, Goober, was Autistic, just like my own little brother. With all the problems she faced she managed to be a great student, friend, daughter, and sister. Her actions are what make her a true hero.
• 
  Kelsey Hanson

  This is another book that makes me appreciate how easy it was for me to get publication. The amount of hatred and racism that early black students had to face is astounding. Not only was it extremely challenging for them to integrate but once there they still felt enormous amounts of petty cruelty and prejudice. This character has a lot of spunk and is generally likeable but some of her dialogue doesn't always seem natural for a girl of her age even for the time period.
• 
  Sarah

  My main issue with this book is how slow it is really. It's slow. There are so many extra entries in here, which does make it read more like a true diary, but it eats up you time and resolve as a read.
  
  The racism issue this entire book is based upon is pretty low key and not a prominent as one would think it would be. Dawnie spends an exorbitant amount of time talking about baseball and her pogo stick...as well as how much she hates her fancy shoes and her store bought dress that doesn't fit. I get hating fancy, uncomfortable shoes and dresses, but it absorbs a lot of space overall. Also makes the cover pages of every edition rather humorous because she is dressed right up!
  
  But the racism, well they talk about the police having to protect her on her first day of school and a day or two after that, the fact her principal does his best to ignore her even when she's the only one in the room, and how most of her teachers are out to make her life harder...But these things are almost backseat issues that get grayed out by her constant obsession with wanting to be the bell ringer at school (the thought never enters her mind they might not let her), her love of her baseball idol, her love of baseball, her practicing baseball, her brother, her mother's successful business, complaining about her clothes, and her pogo stick obsession.
  
  Even the fact that her father lost his job due to her going to the 'white' school seems... diminished(?) by the fact that they are boycotting a particular farmer's product as a result. It's not a "my daddy lost his job because of me and we are boycotting milk products to remind the white folk we have some power via consumerism," so much as a "everyone is mad at me and thinks I'm uppity because I got to the white school and they have to boycott milk products now because of it" kind of feel.
  
  Yes her brother gets beaten up once, yes the terrible trio pick on her, yes they got eggs thrown at them once (at least I think it was eggs, I was pretty bored by that point), but the why is ALMOST always "they think I'm uppity because I go to the white school." It's never "they are trying to keep me in my 'place' because I'm black." The only other real racial issues of the time that are even remotely talked about is the fact that black people couldn't try on clothing in stores, didn't get the same return policy, and couldn't drink out of the white people's water fountain. All of these are mentioned once and then that's it.
  
  There is no talk about how the only black staff members at the school are the lunch ladies and the custodian. Or how her father finds it impossible to find another job in town because everyone knows it's his daughter who is going to the white school. Or how her mother's entire demeanor changes when she goes into a white owned clothing store. Just mentioned and dismissed.
  
  I also REALLY wanted to know what Dawnie said in her speech. If I have to read fictitious letters she wrote to random people, I should be allowed to get her to write down what she said in her made up speech. That annoyed me to no end. I could go on, but I'll stop. You get the point. Lots of larger an smaller issues that didn't win me over.
  
  What I did like was the fact that the author, to a degree, does demonstrate a small fraction of the harassment people must have endured pushing through with 'integration,' as they called it. Dawnie's parents get harassing phone calls to the point her dad dismantles the phone. A couple of milk bottles get smashed against their door. And just once, someone throws a dead animal in a pail of milk on their porch. Dawn gets verbally picked up by the white brothers until her new Jewish friend sort of puts a stop to it. I am sure much worse things happened in reality, but at least it's sort of mentioned.
  
  I also didn't mind how the author tried to be a bit more inclusive in her representation. Dawnie's brother is special needs. I don't recalled it ever saying exactly what he is diagnosed as, maybe it wasn't a thing with a name in the 50s? But Dawnie talks about his rocking, going into his own world, his repetitive parroting back of certain words and phrases, and his obsessive love of peanuts which sounds like maybe he's on the autism spectrum to some degree. Is there something else there? Quite possibly. Goober is a big part of Dawnie's life, which is nice to see as she tries to look out for him and they obviously love each other.
  
  The author also squeezes in a few visits from Martin Luther King to Dawnie's church which is where and how the milk boycott is thought of and sustained. But what my rating ultimately came down to was, did it impacted me in anyway and did it teach me anything? And the answer is no.
  
  Conclusion
  
  With the Might of Angels is pretty weak and meek when held next to similar books about integration tensions, politics, and practices in the 1950's. It really waters down the abuse those people had to endure and how hard the struggle must have been.
  
  It also doesn't hold a candle to the impactful nature of Dear America: Hear My Sorrow that I read just before this one, so I feel like it's always getting bashed a bit due to me drawing comparisons between the two books. I was hoping Might of Angels would have the same amount of struggle written into the pages of the diary, but it, unfortunately, isn't even in the same weight class.
  
  Actual rating: 2.25-2.5. It's hard to decide.
  
• 
  hannah renee.

  One of the better Dear America books I've read in a while... Though the last time I read a good one was when I was younger, a time when I was not as good a judge of books (or less critical maybe; it's one of the two ;) )
• 
  ⚘ Itz Irina the Bibliophile ⚘

  Really touching my heart
• 
  Bethany

  Scholastic is bringing us new editions of the Dear America series and I couldn't be happier. I loved this series growing up and I'm happy to see that kids will still be reading it. Dear America series brings us important history topics that we should learn from. They take us into the shoes of others who didn't have the easiest time in life, but they grew stronger and paved the way to our future because of it.
  
  WITH THE MIGHT OF ANGELS is in diary format and focuses on Dawn Rae Johnson who becomes the first African-American to attend a school that was previously all white people. This is a huge step in history that brings us to the integration we have today, but for Dawn Rae Johnson, it wasn't easy. She tries to be brave, especially when her school attendance has a domino effect on others. Her dad loses his job and her brother is bullied.
  
  Dawn Rae Johnson teaches us that change doesn't come easy, but it's worth it. She also teaches us that justice will always prevail. I love the bravery she shows and Dawn Rae Johnson is someone to be inspired by. No matter how difficult things become, she knows in her heart that what she's doing is right. Dawn Rae Johnson is someone children can relate to and learn from.
  
  
  Final Verdict: I recommend this to fans of the Dear America Series, stories about sensitive topics like racism and segregation, and historical fiction.
  
  This review can also be found on YABC:
  http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfic...
• 
  Peyton Tracy

  I am totally in love with Dawnie, the narrator of this diary. She is utterly charming, completely inexorable, and the feistiest character I have gotten to know in this series so far. I loved her love of baseball and challenged expectations for girls. I loved her family, that she had a brother with autism, that her dad learned a lesson about gender roles, her mom was the implacable breadwinner, and Dawnie busted her butt to be an honor roll student and Oh by the way, she integrated her Virginia high school?? I think that’s what I liked the most about this book, was that we expect a historic moment or role that a person fills to be all consuming - and don’t get me wrong, the challenges of being the first black student at an all-white school in 1954 was a huge part of the plot - but so was getting in fights with her brother, saving up for a pogo-stick, and resenting homework. It was such a complete portrait in a way I’m not sure I have seen in other Dear America’s? I loved this one, full stop.
• 
  Megan Riley

  With the Might of Angels: The Diary of Dawnie Rae Johnson, Hadley, Virginia, 1954 is another book in the Dear America series that is about the Civil Rights Movement. This historical fiction book is about a young girl named Dawnie in 1955 who attends a previously all white school after the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. In this book, we see the different struggles that Dawnie goes through at this new school. In this book, we also see the realities of racism during this time period. Dawnie receives a lot of backlash and we see the impact of it on her and her family. This book does a really good job at explaining racial integration in schools. I think this would be a really good book to read when talking about racial integration and the Civil Rights Movement with your students. The students could have small group and class discussions. This is a really good book to get students more engaged in their reading in general. This would be a good book for students in 3rd grade through 5th grade. I will definitely be adding this book to my classroom library!
• 
  Amanda

  I didn't expect a novel in a series like this to be as well-written as this book turned out to be! Not only does it expound on an important moment in our national history, but it does so in a way that wasn't preachy or condescending and that didn't get so bogged down in the historical details that we forgot the characters. Dawnie Rae Johnson is a delight to read, though. Her voice is believable and honest (kids don't always get along with their siblings, even if they love them!) and surprisingly funny during such a difficult time. She uses such fun colloquialisms. I loved the way Andrea Davis Pinkney addressed the hard things (including the possibly surprising lack of support of some within her own Black community) and had Dawnie dig deep to overcome hardships without coming across as some super-human child. She felt very real. She was very honest in facing challenges and in how things made her feel. And that makes her triumphs even more fun to celebrate.
• 
  Eliana Yuen

  This book is phenomenal! Beautifully crafted in a authentic, down to earth way that lets readers of all ages sympathize and relate to Dawnie Rae Johnson. This a a excellent choice for elementary and middle grade students learning about African American history and the the Civil Rights Movement. With the Might of Angels gives an accurate account of a Black girl growing up in a time of desegregation and much needed change in America. I also liked that the author brought a bit more visibility to those with special needs and neurological conditions. My little brother has a few neurological disorders and I thought it was a thoughtful touch on the author’s part. This is also just a fun book to read, that I found was interesting and engaging. I highly recommend this book.
• 
  Theresa Jehlik

  Pinkney explores school integration in a small Virginia community just months after the historic Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. Dawnie Rae Johnson and her parents make the life-changing decision to have her attend the all-white Prettyman Coburn High School in September 1954. Dawnie shares her first year of fear, terror, and, ultimately, triumph as the only Negro child in the school. Along the way she draws inspiration from her hero, Jackie Robinson, the school lunch ladies, and the school janitor. The author includes lots of supplemental material that explores a very turbulent chapter in American history.
• 
  Melanie Greene

  My 12 year old daughter finished this book and recommended it to me. I was surprised by her so I picked it and read it. It was a historical fictional book of the account of the first girl to integrate the school system in Hadley, Virginia. She is going to be starting the 7th grade in an all white school. She has a brother who is mentally challenged and a couple of close friends. What happens to her family and the towns reaction to her integrating are important plots of the story.
  
  As my daughter will also be starting 7th grade I'm sure that what attracted her to this. I did enjoy it and definitely recommend it for preteens.