Customer Reviews

Sienna's Scrapbook

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Already planning a summer of fun with friends and cousins, Sienna is disappointed when her plans are foiled by a family trip that includes black historical sites on a drive from Winston-Salem to North Carolina. The first stop is in New Haven, CT, to view a replica of the slave ship "Amistad". In 1839, slaves on the Amistad rebelled and took over the ship. Sienna is stunned to learn that four of the slaves were children, a fact that helps her relate to the impossible conditions the slaves endured on the small ship. The history of the Amistad awakens Sienna's curiosity about the rest of the trip and all she can learn of her heritage.

In New York City, Sienna learns about the Harlem Renaissance and the writers who so influenced a burgeoning colony of artists, writers and musicians: Langston Hughes, Nora Zeale Hurston, Augusta Savage and Jacob Lawrence. The family also samples some of New York's specialty restaurants, Krispy Kremes and Sylvia's, visits the home of Louis Armstrong and even attends Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater. The following day, in Philadelphia, Sienna sees a doll museum with her mother where there are more than three-hundred black dolls, most made in Germany (as "exotic dolls"- the name given to dark-skinned dolls). From there the family goes to Germantown and learns about the Underground Railroad. And so it goes, each state yielding unexpected historical treasures that teach Sienna of a proud heritage as lived in the regions they pass through, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, the Lincoln Memorial, Howard University, the Emancipation Statue, a Quaker plantation where runaway slaves hid.

Richly illustrated with drawings and photographs, the text reveals a young girl's awe at discovering a country where her history is everywhere, peopled by heroes, artists, musicians and ordinary people. In a creative and visually enticing format, the author brings a natural enthusiasm to each place Sienna visits with her family, this memorable summer the inspiration for the next "heritage trip". Filled with imagination and an interest in everything around her, history takes on another dimension, brought alive by people and places that fill the pages of Sienna's diary. Sienna's Scrapbook is beautifully thought out and executed, rendered with a subtle appreciation for the spirit of struggle that defines American history. Luan Gaines/2006.

A really great easy to read book for children. I really like how it uses real places (like the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum) to encourage children to want to learn even more. The format as a "scrapbook" is unique and kept the information in shorter doses so as not to overwhelm children. Great Book!

Sienna's Scrapbook is so well written.Thru the eyes of this young girl we see the memorable landmarks of african american history. A must read for young and old .