Day of Tears (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Title) by Julius Lester

Day of Tears (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Title) Reviews

• 
  Jeff Lindsey

  This was a difficult book to read. Not because it was poorly written, because the writing is fantastic. It was difficult to read because of how angry it made me, and how that emotional level was kept at a fever pitch through the entire book. It was exhausting to read with that kind of internal churning. I kept asking myself how it was possible that we, as a species, can do these sort of things to one another. How we can justify the wholesale subjugation of another ace to the point that it seems a normal part of daily life, and something that is our right to do. That we are doing them a favor by kidnapping and enslaving them. That tearing apart families in the name of profit or expedience is just fine. Looking into that specter of the not all that distant past is horrific and chilling.
  
  It was also moving, and inspiring. Not matter how broken as a people a group can be, individuals will always rise in the name of love and of freedom and join together with those who would see all people free,see all people equal. That not matter the hate, the ignorance, and the violence the tyrannical vomit forth, there will be those to stand against that vile tide and refuse to be swept away, to be swept under.
  
  As angry as it made me, it also gave me hope. It is well worth the read, not only as a fictional account of a true event, but as an unflinching look into the dual sides of human nature.
• 
  Bobby's Reading (Bobby Hannafey)

  A POWERFUL BOOK that truly angered me, but taught me an important lesson! Based on the auction of slaves in March 1859 (also known as “The Weeping Time”), Lester crafts an historical piece of work that everyone should read! Only 171 pages, and it’s worth the education and the freedom that African Americans have now today! A must read!
• 
  Hamisoitil

  Le 2 et 3 mars 1859 a eu lieu la plus grande vente aux enchères d'esclaves de l'histoire américaine, en Georgie et c'est à travers cette tragédie que l'auteur, Julius Lester vient mélanger histoire et fiction. Ce livre est donc basé sur des faits réels plus ou moins romancé puisque là, Les larmes noires visent un jeune publique.
  Quand je commence à lire ce petit roman, je suis assez déstabilisée car l'auteur a un style bien particulier. C'est au fil des pages que je me suis laissée bercer par les protagonistes, dont cette jeune esclave de douze ans, Emma, qui grandi avec Sarah et Frances, les filles du Maître. Mais depuis le départ de leur mère totalement opposée à la traite des esclaves donc en désaccord avec son mari, les deux sœurs sont ingérables. Sarah est très, très proche d'Emma au point de la considérer comme une soeur. Quant à Frances, elle rêve de reprendre la plantation de son père plus grande. Le monde s''écroule quand le père décide de vendre quelques esclaves de sa plantation pour rembourser ses dettes de jeu, et ça sera bien pire quand il décide également de vendre Emma.
  Du coup, différents personnages clés (vendeurs d'esclaves, les esclaves, le maître, les enfants....) interviennent comme une sorte de témoignage dans l'histoire.
  
  
  Bien que ce livre soit romancé, l'histoire est douloureuse et certains mots choisis sont assez percutants voire affligeants.
  
  On se demande pourquoi tout ça ? De quel droit ?? Pourquoi considérer l'autre, donc ce qui n'est pas blanc pour une sous espèce ; même un animal était mieux traité qu'un noir à cette époque. Les larmes noires a été une lecture assez troublante parfois éprouvante, car ce n'est pas un sujet que l'on aborde souvent dans les livres sur la ségrégation. Par exemple, au moment de la vente, on pouvait payer au prix fort une famille d'esclaves ou une jeune-fille en très bonne santé, très fertile, dans le but d'engendrer des futurs esclaves. Chaque esclave à son prix et cela part du plus petit prix au plus exorbitant.
  
  Le départ d'Emma va énormément bouleverser Sarah au point de ressentir que de la haine envers son père et ce, jusqu'à sa mort.
  Libre. Mais c'est quoi être libre ? Qu'est ce qu'il y a l'autre côté de la rive. Alors, il faut subir pour le moment les humiliations, les coups de fouet etc jusqu'à l'Abolition de l'esclavage ; tandis que d'autres préfèrent ne pas se prendre la tête. Il est clair que ce n'était pas du tout évident d'être noir et libre à cette époque.
  Pour ma part, c'est une très bonne lecture avec une écriture fluide et agréable que je recommande à tout le monde, surtout à la jeunesse. Lire pour mieux comprendre.
• 
  Ch_beverlyatwood

  Title: Day of Tears
  Author: Julius Lester
  Illustrator: None
  Publisher: Jump at the Sun, Hyperion Books for Children
  Year originally published: 2005
  Translator (if applicable): None
  Approximate Interest Level/Reading Level: 9 to 13 years
  Format (picture book, audio book, book read online, chapter book/novel, graphic novel): Young Adult Chapter Book
  Rating system: 5 Stars - *****
  Brief summary: This interesting book written in dialogue tells about the largest slave auction ever held. The points of view are from the slaves, owners, family members and others. The unusual format of dialog shares so well the thoughts, emotions and motivation of each of the characters. It is a captivating story that is written in the language of the day that authenticates its story line. It captures the mood of the time in history well.
  
  Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was easy to read because of the dialog format. The banter between characters along with the recorded thoughts of the characters made me feel so connected to the story. I think that older elementary students would get a lot from this book. The story can be looked at for different points. For example one can compare how the different slaves felt about their role in life, some were content with slavery and saw it as the only option, whereas others yearned for freedom. The argument as to whether selling human beings is ethical can also be discussed. I am planning to read other books by Julius Lester, since my interest has been peaked by "Day of Tears."
  
• 
  Audra

  One hundred sixty years ago in 1859, the largest slave auction in American history happened in Atlanta, Georgia. Why? Well, to settle gambling debts, of course *insert a VERY hard eyeroll here*. There was a torrential rainstorm the entire two days of the auction and it became known as the day of weeping. Yes, this event actually took place.
  
  This book is a work of fiction that imagines what the enslaved who were sold off must have felt like. I could not help but fight back the tears knowing that this event took place and that so many families were ripped apart and sold like the chattel white people thought they were.
  
  Such a moving book. This is written for young adults. If you want to give your child an inkling into what it was like to live enslaved, this is a perfect book to begin that conversation. It will stay with me forever.
• 
  Lesley

  takes place at a slave auction! So sad part of history!
• 
  Frédéric

  This morning my 11 yo daughter did her homework for next week. Among other things she had to read chapter 2 to 4 of Julius Lester’s Day of tears which she wanted to read to me aloud.
  When she was finished, I was astonished by what I’d heard and immediately took the book and read it this afternoon.
  
  And what a great book it is. Through flashbacks, flashforwards and the pov of different characters, the reader goes through the biggest slave auction ever and with it through the horror of slavery; the separation of families, the lack of consideration of these mundane “Masters” for their slaves, the extraordinary courage of some, the silent resilience of others, the abnegation of others still.
  
  Sobering and moving but not tearful, written with an extraordinary decency this book should be read by every kid sometime between 5th and 7th grade. And by their parents too! (c'mon! it's 140 pages, not a phone book)
  I know my daughter feels the shifting POVs a bit weird sometimes but being in 5th grade and not a compulsive reader like her daddy she still has to discover the various styles of narrations. She also lacks the historical context but hopefully her teacher will contextualize the action. She likes it so far anyway, I just hope the rest of the story will move her and help her realize what horrible crime slavery was – and still is in some places. I’m confident she will.
  
  I know I will personally thank her teacher for choosing Day of tears to study in class.
  
• 
  Ella Oulman

  This book was so good. It talked about how this persons slaves were sold but he didn't mean to he just needed the money. Some of them have know him since he was little. There is 2 sides to every story, The master doesn't want to sell his slaves but his slaves see him different now. He sells a girl named Emma and through the book we see her story and how she escapes from slavery and learns how to read. She gets a husband and they have children. They run to Canada because they find out that there old master is there. They live the rest of there lives there. She finds out that her husband died in the war. She moves on and tells her grandchildren the whole story to past it on. She tells her grandchildren that everytime it has rained hard something bad is about to happen. She got sold when it rained hard. She escaped slavery but was closed to dying when it rained hard and when her husband died it rained hard. She says that these are gods tears feeling sorry for her. This book had a good lesson on it doesn't matter what skin color you are you can still feel empathy for a person.
• 
  Autumn Calahan

  This unique reading experience, incorporating dialogue, stage direction, and present/future narration into the storytelling, brings multiple perspectives into this one real and terrible day in the history of American slavery. This book takes place during "The Weeping Time," the day Pierce Butler, a slave owner and bad gambler from Georgia, sells his "assets" to pay his massive amount of gambling debt- over 400 of his slaves.
  
  This novella gives dignity to the slaves that were sold, including real logs of who was sold for what price, as well as the multiple views in the story from slaves, slave owners, the auctioneer, and even the daughters of Mr. Butler (one who follows in her father's footsteps and the other who hates her father for owning slaves). Each character is dynamic and stands on their own, creating this patchwork of narratives that come together as a beautiful blanket of experiences surrounding this tragic event. I highly recommend reading this book- it was also a short read!
• 
  Elena

  This book is a historical retelling in dialogue and flashback of an event in American history that came to be known as The Weeping Time, one of the biggest slave auctions in history. This book is eye opening, and heart shattering. . .the atrocity of it all.
  I am so glad I read it though it was a difficult read subject wise but a fast read in general- the way it was written it took me only a few hours to complete it.
  The author's note at the end is very important too.
• 
  Melanie

  This book was fantastic-- need to reread. Literature!
• 
  L11_Ryanne Szydlik

  Heartfelt, tragic, eye-opening, and fast paced. Day of Tears, by Julius Lester, is a beautifully written story about an incredibly ugly time in American History. The story is written through the perspective of all the characters, mainly Emma the main link between most of the characters. Lester does this in such an effective way that there is no confusion when switching characters, but instead it builds more interest and understanding for the reader.
  
  Through switching characters, the reader will learn about the story of many slaves and slave owners during the years of slavery in the South. The reader will see how hard life was hard for both white and black people. The true ugliness of people is shown; but it is balanced with the true love between the two races. The reader will also see the causes and effects of the choices that people make in life.
  
  Due to content and language in this book, I would say that this book is appropriate for high school to adult readers. There was language used that felt very offensive. Even when deep within its pages, there were moments of abrupt language.
  
  The book will leave your cheeks glistening at the end. It is worth reading!
• 
  Kelly Thomas

  I stumbled onto this book quite accidentally. It's not a long read but it sure as hell is a tough one. I've never gotten used to the idea that human beings can own other human beings, and this is a story about one of the biggest slave auctions in American history. The slaves were treated well and as such, held in high regard because the "property" was in excellent condition and that meant they would command the highest prices. They were sold because the plantation owner was addicted to gambling and yet completely inept at it.
  
  Humans should never be considered property, ever. The desire for freedom pushed the main character and several others she encountered to risk EVERYTHING for freedom and thankfully succeeded, but she should never have been in that position in the first place.
  
  Read it. It tells a part of American history that gets a great deal less recognition and acknowledgement than it should.
• 
  Christine Jensen

  Approximate Interest Level/Reading Level: Junior High/High School
  
  Format: Audio Book (Recorded Books, Unabridged)
  
  Awards: ALSC Notable Recording (2007), Coretta Scott King Award Winner (2006)
  
  Response: The novel is read by several narrators, both male and female, in dialects that accurately fit the characters of the story. The readers performance is dynamic, conveying the emotions and feelings of the characters in a way that truly brings them to life. The content of the novel itself also evokes an emotional response as the characters give insight into their inner feelings about participating in and/or witnessing one of the largest slave auctions in American history. In both performance and content, this book is powerful.
• 
  CH_Kathleen

  I truly enjoyed reading Day of Tears. I could not put the book down. This book is based off true historical happenings of the largest slave auction held in the United States. It is interesting because it is written with each character's perspective. Emma a young slave is sold away from her family into another plantation in Kentucky. This story depicts the feeling's Emma's family and other slaves had at this time and also the feelings and thoughts of slave owners at this time. This book is wonderful reading for the Junior High level and above and is written as a playwright, so it could be acted out in a classroom. I think many students at the upper grade level could relate to this emotionally and gain more insight to this part of the American history.
• 
  Kai, *Caution* Together we stand, together we fall

  I loved the emotion portrayed!!! I also liked that the book was written in dialogue. There wasn't really a main character, but it did follow Emma around a lot. I would 100% recommend this to anyone who wants a good cry towards the middle of the book and someone who likes a lot of different emotions. This book had me crying, smiling and frustrated at times.
• 
  Phil J

  Can you handle the inner thoughts of a slave auctioneer?
  
  Spoiler tags for ethnic slurs:
  

  slave-seller I don't have much respect for a man who wants to cry over some niggers. Man like that don't deserve to own slaves. Why does he care what they think? If he sold some of his mules, he wouldn't care what the mule thought, because a mule can't think. Niggers ain't no different. And to tell the truth, I've seen some mules that had more sense.

  
  
  Julius Lester masterfully uses multiple perspectives and a historic slave auction to show many sides of slavery in the American South. Lester gives nearly all the characters enough humanity to make you see them as people- people turned against each other by an amoral system. It is a harrowing, riveting book.
  
  My only complaint is that the to focus characters for the beginning portion of the book, Will and Mattie, are too predictable. They think exactly what you would expect two household slaves to think at the outset of a massive auction. The book becomes much more complex when it introduces the conflicts of the white characters as they are forced into hypocrisy by the system, and the character of Emma who is gradually dragged deeper into the evil of the situation.
  
  Recommended for mature Middle School students. This book is too intense for some readers.
• 
  Tia

  Absolutely necessary reading for everyone. This book is haunting. The audio book is superb. The cast of narrators made the listening experience a phenomenal one. I'm pleased to own the audible and hardcover of this small, but mighty book.
  
  Emma and Sarah's bond was undeniable and unbreakable.
  
  We thank Missus Fanny and Mr. Henry for being kind whites.
  
  Ugh, this book will break your heart.
  
  I've read many slave narratives, but this tiny book includes so much information and heart.
  
  The Weeping Time and The Largest Slave Auction
  
  I will be researching the references from the back of the book for the remainder of the day
  
  Quick thoughts
• 
  Noninuna

  Based on historical details, Day of Tears focused on one particular day where the largest slave auction took place and the rain falls abnormally heavy. Following several characters (multiple POVs), the story is told like a play where it stated what the characters' feeling & say without the normal prose-paragraph structure. The story also follows those characters years later after the slave trade had been abolished showing what happened to them. I did learn something I didn't know, which is why I love reading so much!
• 
  Iris Alvino

  This was so beautifully told that I spent my day crying so much for these people. I could almost feel the heaviness of the “weeping day” myself and I can’t even imagine how anyone could look at another person and just see something to sell. History is so incredibly important to remember and be told so that we don’t ever repeat it. Looking at society now I can’t help feel that not enough people have stopped to really think about and feel the weight of what slavery has done to families and others. If they had then it wouldn’t be so divided as it still is today. It makes me proud to teach my children to have good hearts. This story will stay with me forever.
• 
  All Things Library

  First person narratives; Historical fiction; Injustice throughout history
  Grades 6 - 9
  
  Award Winner:
  ALA Notable Children's Books - Older Readers Category: 2006
  Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Older Readers Category: 2005
  Coretta Scott King Award (Authors)
  YALSA Best Books for Young Adults: 2006
  
  NoveList Link:
  
  https://search.ebscohost.com/login.as...
• 
  Kristine

  A fictional retelling of the largest slave auction is US history, written in dialogue. My daughter brought it home from school telling me she’d tried reading it during school but it made her cry and she couldn’t hide her tears. Love that she’s learning the power of literature to develop empathy. **winner of the Corbett’s Scott King award, 2006**
• 
  Jenny

  This historical fiction is based on the largest slave auction held. While a mix of historical fact and fiction, this novel powerfully portrayed the heartbreak, injustice and horror of slavery. I wept at several places. I listened to this on CD and really enjoyed the narration.
• 
  Melanie

  I imagine it is a Heartbreakingly accurate portrayal of life as a slave in the United States before the Civil War. A play format, with "characters" introduced before the first page. A fictionalized story based on the largest slave auction in history. Pierce Butler had inherited the plantation and enjoyed gambling. However, he was horrible at cards and had to either go to jail for his gambling debts or sell roughly 430 slaves. This story is the powerful account from a variety of persons impacted by that day.