Would You Take a Chance?

Author: Eileen Lucas
Illustrator: Kimanne Smith
Title: Prudence Crandall; Teacher for Equal Rights
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 2001
Genre: Biography
Pages: 48
Reading Level (Lexile): 570L

This book has not received any awards. I found this book in the children’s biography section of my local library.

Plot Summary: Although this book is a biography, it reads like a story of Prudence’s struggle in Connecticut. In the 1830’s, Prudence opened a school in Canterbury, CT. It was a successful school and many parents thought Prudence was a great teacher. Sarah Harris was a friend of one of the students and wanted to come to the school. Prudence accepted her, despite her skin color. The town went crazy. Prudence continued to do what she thought right, and eventually opened a school for African American Girls. The townspeople continued to display their anger and hate towards Prudence and the girls. Prudence was arrested for breaking the law and faced several trials. She eventually was forced to close the school.

This book relates to my theme because Prudence showed her love towards her students no matter what color their skin was. She never gave up, despite the hateful acts that the townspeople did to her. She stood up for what she believed in. Her special relationship with Sarah Harris is what she was proud of. She knew Sarah had the right to go to school just like anyone else.

This biography was unlike any other I had read before. I hadn’t really heard of Prudence Crandall before. It was interesting to read about what Connecticut was like in the 1830’s and how African Americans were mistreated in the North as well as the South. Her spirit is that of a true teacher, one that believes in their students and their right to learn.

Prudence Crandall is an “On My Own” Biography, one that is written with easier terms for students to understand. Students in grades 1-3 would be able to read this biography. Other features I liked were the author’s note and afterword section. These provide more information. As a teacher, this is great for building background knowledge on Prudence, as students are probably not familiar with her. I think this biography would great to be used with children in grades 4 and 5 as well. It could be paired with social studies and learning about that time period in our country’s history. Students could use this book to research her life, among any other sources they could find on the internet. The colorful illustrations also add to the story and would allow students to picture the time period and clothes people wore.