Every four years we have a mock election in the lower school on the same day as the presidential election. As part of gathering resource materials for the teachers and students to use I put together an annotated bibliography of the books we have as part of our library collection. One book moved me deeply as it did the first time I read it when it was first published a year ago.
Granddaddy's Turn: a journey to the ballot box by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein is a very touching, historical story about our country's struggle for equal voting rights at the time of the Civil Rights Movement. Michael's life on the family farm alternates between hard, sweaty work and precious play time which always includes Granddaddy time and his wise sayings, especially one about having patience as you go about your life. When one morning Granddaddy appears in his best suit and it is not a church going day, Michael knows that something important is up. Grandma says, "It's our time, and you got to look your best!" Michael doesn't want to miss out on what's going to happen, even though he hasn't a clue about where they are going. Excitedly he joins his grandfather to document the big event with a photograph. Michael is taken by surprise when Granddaddy takes him to vote. "Nobody in my family had ever voted before...I never knew anyone who had voted before." When his grandfather finally gets his ballot, after being repeatedly cut in front of, Michael snaps a photo.
Granddaddy's Turn: a journey to the ballot box by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein is a very touching, historical story about our country's struggle for equal voting rights at the time of the Civil Rights Movement. Michael's life on the family farm alternates between hard, sweaty work and precious play time which always includes Granddaddy time and his wise sayings, especially one about having patience as you go about your life. When one morning Granddaddy appears in his best suit and it is not a church going day, Michael knows that something important is up. Grandma says, "It's our time, and you got to look your best!" Michael doesn't want to miss out on what's going to happen, even though he hasn't a clue about where they are going. Excitedly he joins his grandfather to document the big event with a photograph. Michael is taken by surprise when Granddaddy takes him to vote. "Nobody in my family had ever voted before...I never knew anyone who had voted before." When his grandfather finally gets his ballot, after being repeatedly cut in front of, Michael snaps a photo.
"The happiest day of his life," turns ugly very quickly when the polling officials administer a so-called literacy test. When Granddaddy leaves, with tears in his eyes, something Michael has never ever seen before, Michael says, "Don't worry, Granddaddy. I'll vote for you one day." And when we skip ahead in the picture book, we see Michael as a young man on line to vote, holding onto the photograph of his grandfather taken all those years earlier.
The story line is simple but ever so powerful. The illustrations, by James E. Ransome, have rich earthy tones and a rural, small town look to them. Taken together, this is one very tender book that brings forth an important message for this time, to never take voting for granted.
The story line is simple but ever so powerful. The illustrations, by James E. Ransome, have rich earthy tones and a rural, small town look to them. Taken together, this is one very tender book that brings forth an important message for this time, to never take voting for granted.
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