Journeys: Displacement and Persona Poetry
Freedom over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
VLOG:
This week the three books I read had themes about displacement, identity, hopes/dreams, and Freedom. Watch my vlog below to hear about how these themes are represented in these stories and to hear about persona poems. The pictures in these books are absolutely breathtaking and help to make these stories come to life.
Persona Poem based off of Freedom Over Me:
I am strong and brave
I live on the Fairchild plantation in South Carolina with my husband Abena and daughter Akua
I wonder what the future will hold for me and my family
I hear Mrs. Fairchilds discussing our sale
I see Abena worried about whether or not we'll be able to stay together
I want to be back with my family in Africa
I'm as human and equal as Mrs. Fairchilds and other slave owners
I am strong and brave
I question whether this is right
I feel hopeful yet fearful about my future
I taste the wonderful cooking done by my friend Peggy
I worry my daughter will never be free
I excel in making beautiful baskets
I understand we may all never be a slave family together again
I am strong, brave, hopeful and creative
I say I love you to Abena, hopefully not for the last time
I believe I deserve to be paid for my work and to live away from this plantation
I dream my daughter will be able to escape form this horrible life and into freedom
I try to stay brave and positive during these uncertain times
I hope someone will come along to help us escape
I was once a free girl in Africa
But now I am a slave fighting for my freedom
I am strong and brave
My name is Charlotte and I am a slave
Persona Poem based off of Malala:Activist for Girls education:
I am courageous and strong
I live in Swat Valley, Pakistan where the snow never melts off of Mount Elum and the birds love to talk.
I wonder why I am seen as less than the boys in my town
I hear the bombs dropping all around me
I see my father scared that he will be hurt for trying to educate girls
I want to not be fearful for trying to earn a education
Im as brave as a roaring lion
I am courageous, strong, hardworking and strong willed
I question why the Taliban are so violent towards us
I feel frustrated when they try to tell me I am unworthy of an education
I taste the sweetest honey found only in my grandfathers mountain village
I worry someone will discover that I am behind the blog about girls and education on the BBC website
I excel at standing up for those who have been silenced
I understand that I could get hurt for speaking up against the Taliban but it doesn't phase me
I am courageous, strong, hardworking, string willed, a fighter and an advocate
I say I deserve the same rights as boys
I believe that what the Taliban is doing is wrong
I dream of a world that allows girls to get an education
I try to keep my family safe while standing up for girls rights
I hope everyone will realize how much value girls have besides in the home
I was once hesitant to speak out about education
But now I am proud to stand up for what I believe in
I am courageous and strong
My name is Malala and I am an advocate for education
Artwork:
When reading these stories I felt like there was a strong theme of Freedom. In Freedom over Me the slaves in the story long to be free. Some even speak of returning to their home in Africa. In Dreamers the mom wants freedom for a better life for her and her baby in America. In Malala, Malala wants freedom in education. With my artwork I put the word Freedom as the main word because of the theme and all the words I wrote around it represent the three different books. Red words correspond with Freedom over Me, Green is Dreamers and Purple is Malala.
Meet the Authors:
Raphaële Frier was born in Lyon in 1970, where she never lived. She spent her childhood in Bordeaux and her adolescence in the Paris region. After her Parisian years, where she studied psychology, education sciences and held her first teaching positions, she moved to Marseille where she continues to teach and of course to write.
Aurélia Fronty is the illustrator of Malala: Activist for Girls' Education.
Website: http://www.aureliafronty.com/
Ashley Bryan is the auhtor/illustrator of Freedom Over Me. Ashley was born in 1923 in New York. He is the second oldest child out of six children. At the age of 16 he applied to art schools and got a full ride to Cooper Union School of Art and Engineering in New York City. From 1943-1946 Ashley served in WWII in the segregated 502nd Port Battalion. In 1950 he graduated from Columbia University From 1988-2000 he published ten books and is still illustrating today.
Yuyi Morales is the author/illustrator of Dreamers. She was born in Xalapa, Mexico. She was a very active child and even tried to be an acrobat before becoming an artist. Yuyi is an amazing artist and I encourage everyone to check out her books and her beautiful art works.
Comments