Overview
Main description
Bring history to life with compelling stories,
sweeping scope, and a welcoming sense of diversity
- Historical fiction helps students connect to their middle school
social studies classes
- Reading skill instruction and cross-curricular connections improve
comprehension of historical fiction
- Strong multicultural flavor reflects the rich tapestry of our shared
American heritages
Jamestown's American Portraits, a saga of American families and friends,
traces the history of America from the founding of Jamestown to the Civil
Rights Movement. This is a unique, enriching series designed to teach
reading strategies appropriate for historical novels used in middle school
reading, language arts, or social studies classes.
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Reading Level 5-8
- Interest Level 6-8
Table of contents
It is August 1963, and 13-year-old Clayton Banks is a month away from starting high school. If life were simply about playing baseball, Clayton's life would be perfect. But the Civil Rights Movement is changing the world around him, and Clayton not only wants to understand it, he wants to participate. His brother, John-Two, home from college, exposes Clayton to the movement's ideals of nonviolence as well as the reality of violence directed at its workers. John-Two's militancy is a catalyst for Clayton to discover what he believes in. The young men's father, a respected dentist, thinks the movement is full of troublemakers, which will only lead to hard times for blacks. Clayton must decide if he wants to defy his father or follow the urgings of his own beliefs.
