by Walter Dean Myers
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Product Description
Depicts the rich character of Harlem through poetry and illustrations in which the author and his son paint a picture that connects readers to the spirit of Harlem in music, art, literature, and everyday life.
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Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 All about Harlem, 2006-02-16
The book Harlem was about how black and whites didn't get along. In the story they was mostly on 125th street in Harlem, New York. The plot was that to celebrate their journey to Harlem, making a way for new a beginning in life. In their old town it was alot of racism, so they moved to Harlem and all their problems were resolved with the help of postive leaders.
I feeled that the book was a good book because it taught me things about Harlem and that the slaves moved from south to north just for freedom, and to get treated better.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
All about Harlem By; Montel Toon , 2006-02-16
The book Harlem was about how black and white people didn't get along in the past. They celebrated their journey to Harlem, and made a way for new a beginning in life. In their old town it was a lot of racism, so they moved to Harlem and all their problems were resolved with the help of postive leaders. The story was mostly based on 125th street in Harlem, New York.
I feel that the book was a good book because it taught me things about Harlem and how slaves moved from south to north just for freedom, and to get treated better.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
A wrench of heart from Goree Island / A wrench of heart from Goree Island, 2005-08-24
I have a problem. I'm a children's librarian at a moderately sized branch in Greenwich Village, New York City. I have a library assistant currently going to library school. Between the two of us, we're fairly good at covering almost all the topics and age group titles required of us. There is one notable exception to this, however. Poetry. Neither of us are particularly interested in it. By extension, neither of us know much about it. So when I set out to review all the great Caldecott Honor winners out there, I knew I'd be covering a lot of poetry gaps in my general children's knowledge. Living in New York, Walter Dean Myers', "Harlem" is an especially good book to know about. I live in Harlem. I have kids coming in needing books on different New York communities all the time. You'd think, therefore, that "Harlem" would be a kind of godsend. Unfortunately, it's Walter Dean Myers at his most sophisticated. Because of the adult nature of the poems, references, and illustrations in this book, I'm afraid I just can't recommend it to the swarming hoards of five to nine-year-olds that need picture books about the uptown area. For them, I'll be handing over Brian Collier's, "Uptown". For teens needing some Harlem beauty, "Harlem" is for them.
The book can be read as a bunch of little poems all talking about the history, magnificence, and glory of Harlem. It can also be read as a single continuing story that starts with a Great Migration from all over the world and ends on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard. We see people up and people down. We meet and view famous characters from history. We see Harlem residents' faith, their religion, and their everyday activities. Checkers players are viewed alongside pallbearers. Kids and hot asphalt and lines like, "A journey on the A train / That started on the banks of the Niger / And has not ended". The book is a celebration of a place by a man who was born and raised there, but does not live there today. Something to chew on, I suppose.
Kids will not get this book. Not all kids. A few will understand what it's saying, and a few who have it explained to them by talented teachers, will get it as well. By and large, however, this is a book meant for teens and adults. The kinds of people who might have read "Harlem Stomp" by Laban Carrick Hill and (as a result) now understand exactly what this book is referring to. You need a little background and history in Harlem to understand "Harlem". Myers is assuming that the casual reader is familiar enough with its past to nod sagely at such lines as, "A huddle of horns and a tinkle of glass, a note / Handed down from Marcus to Malcolm to a brother / Too bad and too cool to give his name". And while I appreciate Myers' assumption that I'm that intelligent, I can't help but wonder why this book is considered children's. Just because it has bright pretty pictures? Puh-leeze.
Not that the pictures are bad. They're nice, in a cut paper/artistic kinda way. But children won't gravitate towards them. They're far more likely to prefer Collier's candybar cutouts on the already mentioned "Uptown". Still, there's no denying the mastery behind these images. "Harlem" may garner some complaints but few will be centered on the art.
All in all, this is a perfectly nice book in search of an audience. Consider it recommended for anyone looking for contemporary Harlem poetry (especially if they're over the age of 9).
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Not for Little Kids, 2001-07-03
As a book for four to eight year olds, I give it a three. As an adult, I give it five stars for an average rating of four. If you`ve never been to Harlem, or even New York, never met an American of African descent, if you`re too young to have heard of the likes of the Cotton Club, the Apollo, people like Sugar Ray, Langston Hughes, Lady Day, or even Malcolm X, your mama has a heck of alot of explaining to do: too much for the brief span of attention only just long enough to look at the pictures and feel the music of the poem. In terms of just words, I suppose this fits in the 4-8 reading level. However, as a work, this is more likely to be understood and therefore appreciated by older people. My kids, five, and seven, were completely mystified by the poem, although they loved the beautiful compositions that make you wish you could touch them. Having lived in Washington Heights, I can explain some basic things to them, but not enough. The ability to understand and appreciate this book is beyond their capacity at this time.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
 A tremendous poem from a tremendous writer!, 2001-03-18
Walter Dean Myers is certainly better-known for his chapter books for children than for poetry. That being said, "Harlem" offers an insight into the place as well as the man. African-American culture has long had a close relationship with poetry and Myers cements that friendship. Kudos for a job well-done!For teachers, this is a must-read during African-American History Month in February (as well as any other time of the year).
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