Pink and Say

Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and Say. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Brief Annotation: A tale of friendship and remembrance, this historical fiction book takes place during the civil war and tells the story of two soldiers, separated from their companies who fine each other. Although one is white and the other black, the experience brings them together, as close as family. This bond is not broken even when misfortune physically separates the two.

Genre: Picturebook, Historical Fiction

Grade Level: 3-6

Readers who will like this: students interested in the civil war, readers captivated by authentic dialogue, children who enjoy stories of friendship.

Response/Rating (1-4): *** This book immerses students in the language of the civil war period and raises important issues of race, war, language, geography, politics, etc.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: Have you ever wanted to quit something?

Reading Strategies Connection: Anticipation Guide (Yopp & Yopp, 18-20). An anticipation guide provides students with a series of statements to consider and requires them to agree or disagree as well as to provide some rationale in writing. The answers to the guide can be reviewed by the teacher in order to evaluate student attitudes and knowledge, and can also be examined by students after reading the book as a way of comparing opinions before and after reading. For Pink and Say, some statements to include in an anticipation guide might be “The civil war was fought by companies of soldiers made up of adult men,” or “All the soldiers fighting on either side of the civil war were enthusiastic about serving their cause” or “Both Blacks and Whites fought in the civil war.”