LET ME PLAY - Informational

Bibliography:

Blumenthal, Karen. 2005. LET ME PLAY. New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers. 0-689-85957-0.

Plot Summary:

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white person.  Myra Bradwell was the first female lawyer and appealed one of the first sexual discrimination law suits to the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. Representative Edith Green fought hard to get the Equal Pay Act and Title IX bill’s passed.  It is woman such as these that have helped paved the way for how woman are treated, how educated woman choose to be and the rights woman have that are equal to that of a man’s.  Let Me Play is a compilation of amazing stories of woman and men who have helped make sure that future generations of woman have the same opportunities as men.  These are the people who helped fight for woman's rights so they could play softball, take accelerated math and science classes, and go to law school and medical school.  It is stories such as these that future generations of girls and boys need to hear so they can realize the impact they can make on society. 

Critical Analysis: 

U.S. Representative Mrs. Edith Green was nicknamed by some as Mrs. Green: “Wicked Witch of the West.”  She was liked by some and disliked by many.  She used her southern charm to get the support of her male U.S. Representatives as well as President John F. Kennedy, but she also worked very hard and for many years to get bills passed that she was so incredibly passionate about.  It took 8 years for Congress to pass Mrs. Green’s Equal Pay Act in 1963.  This is the story of a woman who didn’t let anyone stand in her way; she never wavered in her belief that men and woman should be equal.  Mrs. Edith Green is a woman who should be a hero, mentor and role model for children and adults, her story is retold by Karen Blumenthal in such a passionate way that Mrs. Green would be proud. 

Even though Mrs. Edith Green’s bill was signed by President Richard Nixon on June 23, 1972 it wasn’t until late June 1974 that the rules for Title IX were actually laid out.  The new requirements for Athletics were the hot topic, it came down to males and females having equal opportunity in competitive sports but schools did not have to put as much money towards woman’s sports as men’s.  Females were entitled to the “same quality of locker rooms, coaching, travel and equipment as males were.”   The public had an opportunity to weigh in on the new changes and nearly ten thousand comments from the public flooded in.  More revisions had to be made and during all of this Mrs. Edith Green retired after twenty years in congress.  She had reached her goal of having this bill passed but who would have ever imagined there would be such upheaval in the small details of it. 

When it comes to understanding government, the passing of bills and how long it takes for the bills to actually go into effect is hard for many to understand much less children.  Karen Blumenthal does an amazing job of explaining the process, who is involved and how long the process takes.  This is not an easy feat to accomplish when writing a children’s book but she does it beautifully.  I think for many adults, like myself, who don’t have an advanced understanding of everything comes together a book such as this once can really help us understand too.  The book is written in a way that doesn’t speak down to children, it does incorporates pictures with the text as well as short stories of other woman who were making an impact as Title IX was being passed.  A very impressive book to say the least!

Two years were spent scouring archives, academic works and newspapers.  Time was spent tracking down participants and start athletes to help recreate what occurred during this volatile time.  These are all things that Karen Blumenthal did as she was preparing for the creation of Let Me Play.  This is all information that gives a reader that extra confidence that what the reader is actually reading is accurate and well researched information.  Karen Blumenthal put a tremendous amount of time and effort into the preparation for this book and you can tell as it's being read. 

 

 

Review Excerpts and Awards:

 ALA Amelia Bloomer Project

ALA Best Books for Young Adults

ALA Notable Children’s Books

Gr. 6-9. As in Six Days in October (2002), a compelling overview of the 1929 stock market crash and a financial primer, Wall Street Journal editor Blumenthal uses specific facts and fascinating personal stories to give readers a wide view of history. Here, the author looks at American women's evolving rights by focusing on the history and future of Title IX, which bans sex discrimination in U.S. education. Profiles of groundbreaking female athletes and legislators deftly alternate with highlights of the women's movement, from the early twentieth century through today. The dull paper stock diminishes the many black-and-white photos, but the images are still gripping, and relevant political cartoons and fact boxes add further interest. Few books cover the last few decades of American women's history with such clarity and detail, and this comprehensive title draws attention to the hard-won battles, the struggles that remain, and the chilling possibility that rights, if not fiercely protected, can easily be lost. Gillian Engberg Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved- Booklist

Connections:

·         There are many famous people listed in this book briefly.    How many children have heard the brief line, Rosa Parks did not give up her seat on a bus for a white person, was arrested because of her actions but it received National News coverage and was a major turning point in the Civil Rights Movement?  Well there is a lot more to the story than this and more to who Rosa Parks was and this would be a great opportunity for children to delve deeper into who these people were, why they stood their ground and what ultimately happened to them.  A teacher could start off by sharing a story per day of this book, incorporating it into a history lesson and then having each child choose someone to research further to get even a better understanding of how civil rights and woman’s rights have changed over the years.

·         For a younger group there are many civil rights poems and picture books that deal with woman’s rights and civil rights.  Sharing an age appropriate poem or picture book and then following it up with a story for Let Me Play which might be a bit accelerated for the group but a great opportunity for a teacher to interpret what is being said and then opening up a discussion of how the children would feel if someone told them they couldn’t take a science class or play a sport.  This would bring the impact of what occurred during this time period back to a level of which they would be able to identify with.