Bibliographic data
Myers, Walter Dean. Harlem. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. ISBN 0590543407
Brief plot summary
Walter Dean Myers provides readers with a glimpse of what it’s like to be in Harlem
Critical analysis
Walter Dean Myers is well known for his chapter books and young adult novels, but not so much for his poetry. Myers traces the history of Harlem and describes the people of Harlem. He writes in free-verse format while his son, Christopher uses ink and gouache over torn paper, creating a beautiful collage for the artwork throughout the book.
Myers, Walter Dean. Harlem. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. ISBN 0590543407
Brief plot summary
Walter Dean Myers provides readers with a glimpse of what it’s like to be in Harlem
Critical analysis
Walter Dean Myers is well known for his chapter books and young adult novels, but not so much for his poetry. Myers traces the history of Harlem and describes the people of Harlem. He writes in free-verse format while his son, Christopher uses ink and gouache over torn paper, creating a beautiful collage for the artwork throughout the book.
An excerpt from page 4:
Harlem was a promise
Of a better life, of a place where a man didn’t
Harlem was a promise
Of a better life, of a place where a man didn’t
Have to know his place
Simply because he was
Black
The pictures by Christopher Myers are rich in color. The pictures are either in two page spreads or one picture on each page. He depicts the many colors of African Americans, from the light browns to the deep dark blacks. There are pictures of women braiding each other’s hair, playing instruments, playing in the streets, sitting in church,
I happened upon a website that had a snippet of an audio file of one of the poems. This was such a great thing to hear! It’s one thing to read the poems to yourself silently, but to hear it read aloud brought a deeper feeling to the poem. Myers relays both the triumph and despair of African Americans and the hardships that they still face in Harlem.
Find the audio version - it will be worth it to find this book on cd format.
Review excerpt
School Library Journal
A visually striking, oversized picture book. Walter Dean Myers's songlike poem relates the story of a group of people who settled in New York City, hoping to improve their lots in life, only to discover that racism could still keep them from achieving success.
Booklist
The two Myerses--author and artist, father and son--celebrate Harlem, which they perceive both as a city and a "promise of a better life," in quite different but wonderfully complementary ways. The author views Harlem--where he grew up--as a symbol of African American aspiration; the artist shares a more concrete city composed of "colors loud enough to be heard."
Connections
Coretta Scott King Award
Caldecott Honor
Read other books by Myers
The pictures by Christopher Myers are rich in color. The pictures are either in two page spreads or one picture on each page. He depicts the many colors of African Americans, from the light browns to the deep dark blacks. There are pictures of women braiding each other’s hair, playing instruments, playing in the streets, sitting in church,
I happened upon a website that had a snippet of an audio file of one of the poems. This was such a great thing to hear! It’s one thing to read the poems to yourself silently, but to hear it read aloud brought a deeper feeling to the poem. Myers relays both the triumph and despair of African Americans and the hardships that they still face in Harlem.
Find the audio version - it will be worth it to find this book on cd format.
Review excerpt
School Library Journal
A visually striking, oversized picture book. Walter Dean Myers's songlike poem relates the story of a group of people who settled in New York City, hoping to improve their lots in life, only to discover that racism could still keep them from achieving success.
Booklist
The two Myerses--author and artist, father and son--celebrate Harlem, which they perceive both as a city and a "promise of a better life," in quite different but wonderfully complementary ways. The author views Harlem--where he grew up--as a symbol of African American aspiration; the artist shares a more concrete city composed of "colors loud enough to be heard."
Connections
Coretta Scott King Award
Caldecott Honor
Read other books by Myers
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