This Is the Rope

Based on the author's own family history, This is The Rope is a historical fiction text telling the story of a family's journey during The Great Migration. The story begins in South Carolina with a little girl who finds a rope under a tree. The rope becomes part of the family's history as it is passed down to each generation, serving multiple purposes throughout their lives. 

There are several things that I really like about this book and they all serve as great reasons to have this book in a classroom library. The first is that this book is a multicultural book that deals with the time of the Great Migration, when African American families were moving north for better opportunities. Not only is this an important part of history, but African American students may be able to relate their family history to this book. Additionally, students that are not from an African American background may learn to better understand the history and African American students in their classroom.

I also think that this is a great book to use as a mentor text when working with students on their own writing. The author, Jacqueline Woodson, uses a lot of repetition in this book, creating a pattern throughout the story that is easy to follow and predictable. I think that students could learn from this and would be able to use it in a unique way independently. 

This Is The Rope 

By: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrated by: James Ransome 
Published in 2013