Pink and Say details a friendship that ends shortly after two young boys who meet after a battle in the Civil War. Pink, a young white farmer, and Say, an African American soldier, take refuge in the home of Say's mother. Both boys have different views of returning to war - Pink is determined to return to his unit while Say only agrees to return in order to keep Say's mother out of harm's way. Tragically, Say's mother is killed by marauders and both boys are captured by confederates. Pink is hung and Say survives after being confined in a jail in very harsh conditions. Say survives the story and memory of Pink lives on in his words after being passed down form generation to generation, all the way down to Patricia Polacco, who is Say's great-granddaughter.
This story completely caught me by surprise at the end but I knew going into this book that there would be a personal connection to Polacco's life. Unlike Polacco's great-grandfather, Pink, Say did not have living relatives to pass his life story down generation to generation. Each time this story is read, his story is told and his memory is kept alive. The powerful message at the end of the book gave me goosebumps and caused my eyes to fill with tears:
"This book serves as a written memory of Pinkus Aylee since there are no living descendents to do this for him. When you read this, before you put this book down, say his name out loud and vow to remember him always."
And I responded, "Pinkus I will remember you."
This story completely caught me by surprise at the end but I knew going into this book that there would be a personal connection to Polacco's life. Unlike Polacco's great-grandfather, Pink, Say did not have living relatives to pass his life story down generation to generation. Each time this story is read, his story is told and his memory is kept alive. The powerful message at the end of the book gave me goosebumps and caused my eyes to fill with tears:
"This book serves as a written memory of Pinkus Aylee since there are no living descendents to do this for him. When you read this, before you put this book down, say his name out loud and vow to remember him always."
And I responded, "Pinkus I will remember you."
I too enjoy reading stories from author's that reflect experiences from their own lives. It's as if we create a close bond with them when we read their stories! I think this is a great story to share with young readers as they are learning about the Civil War and am excited to hear about how your students respond and connect their background kowledge to this story.
ReplyDeleteI just love Polacco’s stories- I have not read this one yet , but after reading your review I am adding it to my must-read list! I got chills when I read the part where you said, "Pinkus I will remember you."
ReplyDeleteThis story reminded me of The Memory String by Eve Bunting – it is also a story about losing loved ones and finding a special way to remember that person. They are similar stories with perhaps different target audiences – some of the themes in Pink and Say might be better suited for upper elementary, while The Memory String may be more translatable to a younger crowd.
What a beautiful story!
More on The Memory String - http://www.amazon.com/Memory-String-Eve-Bunting/dp/0395861462