Mama’s Window

By Lynn Rubright, Patricia C. McKissack
Paperback: $13.95

After his mother dies, “Sugar” Martin is sent to live with his gruff uncle Free, a loner who makes his living fishing in a swamp in the Mississippi Delta in the early 1900s.

Description

As Sugar struggles to adjust to his new surroundings, the only bright spot in his life is watching the building of the new Sweet Kingdom Church, which will be adorned with a beautiful stained glass window his mother had scrimped and saved for.

One day Sugar discovers that the money for Mama’s window is being spent for the construction of the church itself. Devastated but unwilling to give up on his mother’s dream, Sugar finds affirmation and support where he least expects it.

With compelling characters and a rich sense of place, Mama’s Window is ultimately a moving story of hope, dreams, and finding a place to call home.

With an afterword by Patricia McKissack.

About the Creators

Lynn Rubright

Lynn Rubright is a professional storyteller who has taught many storytelling courses over the past twenty years. She is the recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Association and was awarded a regional EMMY for her work as a co-producer of the documentary "Oh Freedom After While: The Missouri Sharecropper Protest of 1939." While researching the life of Owen Whitfield for that film, Rubright came across a few details about his childhood, which ultimately served as the inspiration for Mama's Window. Rubright and her husband live in St. Louis, Missouri. To find out more about Lynn Rubright, visit her website: www.lynnrubright.com.

Patricia C. McKissack
Patricia C. McKissack

Patricia McKissack has won numerous awards for her children’s books, including the Coretta Scott King Author Award, Newbery Medal Honor, and Carter G. Woodson Book Award. Her friendship and professional relationship with Rubright date back thirty years, and she mentored Rubright through the many years Mama’s Window was in development.

Reviews

  • "Filled with rich atmospheric and period detail. . . What will affect readers most are Sugar's gradual, brave recovery from grief and the growing pride and love he shares with his new guardian."

    - Booklist
  • "A gentle, accessible story about the redemptive power of beauty, and the afterword will introduce students to a little-known figure from the early days of struggle for civil rights."

    - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
  • "A sweet tale of love, faith, and perseverance. A strong sense of time and place are evident in both the lovely imagery of the narration and in the cadence and syntax of the character's speech. An afterword by Patricia McKissack explains that the story is loosely based on events in the life of civil rights activist Owen Whitfield. Uplifting."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "This touching tale of a boy's commitment to his mother, underscored by the powerful understanding and closeness that develops between him and his uncle, makes this a great first purchase."

    - School Library Journal

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781600603358
  • Price $13.95
  • Publication Date May 01, 2002
  • Trim Size 8.5 × 5.5 in
  • Weight 0.3125 lbs
  • Page Count 96
  • Word Count 13229
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781584301608
  • Price $16.95
  • Publication Date Apr 01, 2013
  • Trim Size N/A
  • Weight 0.4375 lbs
  • Page Count 96
  • Word Count 13229
  • Interests

  • Imprint Lee & Low Books
  • Audience Middle Grade
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / People & Places / United States / African American
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / Historical / United States / 20th Century
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / Social Themes / Death, Grief, Bereavement
  • Themes African / African American / Black, Bullying, Childhood Experiences and Memories, Collaboration, Conflict resolution, Coping with Death, Courage, Disabilities, Dreams & Aspirations, Empathy / Compassion, Families, Fiction, Friendship, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Kindness / Caring, Mentors, Middle Grade, Mothers, Overcoming Obstacles, Persistence / Grit, Poverty, Pride, Protest, Respect / Citizenship, Responsibility, Self Control / Self Regulation
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 9 - 13
  • Grade Range Grades 4 - 8
  • Guided Reading T
  • ATOS Book Level 5.2
  • DRA 44
  • Interest Level Grades 4 - 8
  • Lexile Level 770
  • Reading Level 4
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

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