Jennifer Snoek-Brown
SLIS 5960.001
Multicultural Literature Activity
Young Adult Book:
Ø Myers, Walter Dean. 145th Street: Short Stories. New York: Delacorte Press, 2000. 151 pp. Reading Level: YA
About the Book:
This is a short
story collection of ten stories about modern life in Harlem on the 145th
block. Most of the stories are narrated by a teenage character, which gives the
stories a casual but realistic tone. All of the stories deal with family, the
sense of history, and the daily interactions with violence, drugs, love, and
hardships. The themes of the stories can be summed up by what one character
states, “This is 145th Street … hurt happens here just like
everywhere else. Sometimes you can deal with it, sometimes you just got to get
some help” (149). Some of the stories are upbeat, as in “Big Joe’s Funeral,” in
which Big Joe throws a funeral while he’s alive so he can enjoy it, while other
stories are serious like “Monkeyman,” about a boy who stands up to the Tigros
gang. The collection paints a vibrant and realistic picture of a primarily
African-American community. Myers does not talk down to teens in this
collection of stories; the realities are sometimes harsh but always potent. ALA
Notable (2001), nominated for Boston Globe-Horn Book Award (2000), nominated
for three state children’s choice awards in 2002 (Vermont, Maine, and
Kentucky).
About the Author:
Walter Dean Myers
was born in West Virginia but grew up in Harlem, which is the setting for many
of his books. His mother had died when he was three years old, and his father
gave his son to foster parents because he was very poor. Myers has said that
his foster parents were wonderful, supporting people who influenced his love of
reading. He dropped out of school (because of behavioral problems and a speech
difficulty) and joined the army but later received a BA from Empire State
College. Myers began to write and won a contest held by the Council on
Interracial Books for Children. That winning entry became his first novel, Where
Does the Day Go? Myers has three sons, including Christopher, a
noted author and illustrator who has collaborated with his father. Myers has won almost every major award,
including five Coretta Scott King Awards and two Newbery Honors. Myers received
the first Michael L. Printz Award (2000) and was also recognized with the
Margaret A. Edwards Award (1994) for lifetime achievement of writing for young
adults. Myers currently lives in New Jersey with his wife.
Before Reading Activity:
Pass out copies of
the handout below to each student. Have the students “interview” others in
order to find out who has done each item, which correspond with the actions of
the characters in the stories.
After reading, go
back over the sentences as a group and discuss which character(s) in the
stories has done each item.
This activity
engages the students to interact with the other students and provides clues to
the characters and actions in the stories.
After Reading Activity:
Internet
Activity:
Use the handout
below and have the students, either by themselves or in pairs, research the web
site and fill in the worksheet. The web site is an exhibition about the
African-American history of Harlem during the early twentieth century. In many
of the stories, there are mentions of historical events and famous people
associated with Harlem, and in “A Story in Three Parts,” Miss Patt specifically
mentions Harlem during the 1920’s.
This exercise
builds on the bits of history in the stories and provides a glimpse of culture
that helped create the modern setting of Harlem presented in the collection.
Find Someone Who…
Who in your class
has something in common with the characters in 145th Street: Short Stories? You must find a different person for each line.
1. Has written a love sonnet or a poem to
someone special.
________________________________________________________________________
2. Has made potato salad.
________________________________________________________________________
3. Has gone to a block or neighborhood party.
________________________________________________________________________
4. Has vivid dreams.
________________________________________________________________________
5. Has played basketball (or another sport) for
the school team.
________________________________________________________________________
6. Has an allergy.
________________________________________________________________________
7. Has helped a friend out in a fight or
disagreement.
________________________________________________________________________
8. Has seen or talked to a cop in his/her
neighborhood.
________________________________________________________________________
9. Has given someone a present because of a
good deed that person did.
________________________________________________________________________
10. Has had a streak of bad or good luck.
________________________________________________________________________
Internet Activity
Use this web site
to research people and events of the Harlem community in the early twentieth
century.
Schomburg
Exhibition: Harlem, 1900-1940, An African-American Community, http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/
a. Aaron Douglas d. Langston
Hughes g. Jack Johnson
b. Marcus Mosiah Garvey e. Zora Neale Hurston h.
Madame C. J. Walker
c. Fletcher Henderson f. Charles S.
Johnson i. Ethel Waters
1. _____ Author of several novels, an
autobiography, short stories, and plays who researched and helped preserve
African-American culture and traditions.
2. _____ Vaudeville performer and singer who
performed in Carnegie Hall in 1938 and starred in several films.
3. _____ A Jamaican immigrant who founded
the Universal Negro Improvement Association
4. _____ Founded the literary magazine Opportunity and became the first African-American president of Fisk University.
5. _____ The first African-American heavyweight
boxing champion whose career lasted 47 years (with only three knockouts).
6. _____ The first self-made female
millionaire in America, who created a line of hair-care products and cosmetics
for African-American women.
7. _____ Famous and influential painter who
painted a series of murals for the New York Public Library in the 1930’s.
8. _____ Known as the poet laureate of
Harlem, whose poetry reflected blues and jazz rhythms
9. _____ The first jazz musician to organize
a big band and who greatly influenced swing music
List 3 other
people, groups, and/or events you researched on the web site and found
interesting or inspiring. Provide relevant details of achievements or events.
1. ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________