Full Bibliographic Data:
Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Publisher: Philomel Books
Place of Publication: New York, NY
Date of Publication: 2002
ISBN: 0-399-23726-7
Summary: Remember the Bridge is a series of deeply moving poems bookended with a preface piece, Remember the Bridge, and a review piece, I am the Bridge. These two pieces speak of the gripping and often grueling events which saw African-Americans from their motherland of Africa to slavery then out of slavery to a new identity as Americans, which is still evolving today. All of the works between these two bookends intimately detail each section of African-American history from multiple perspectives with varying degrees of depth.
Review: This phenomenal anthology, produced by Carole Weatherford Boston, serves as a bridge for the reader to walk through each moment in African-American history. From the “Motherland” to the Auction Block where a nursing mother is sold away from her child for a mere two hundred dollars, Boston seizes her audience with a gut twisting grip that refuses to let go until the whole story has been told. But not every step in this journey is solemn; Boston also manages to weave the joys, triumphs and praises of the African-American community throughout the fabric of their heartaches, struggles, and defeat. Musicians (i.e. Marian Anderson), athletes (i.e. Magic Johnson & Tiger Woods), and activists (i.e. Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) all come together in this collection as heroes of their time.
Various artists have provided illustrations and photographs which emphasize the stark reality African-Americans have known intimately for generations. The Baobab tree, or "the tree of life", is featured on the back and inside covers of this collection. Known for its many provisions, the Baobab tree possesses the same sustainable and tenacious qualities as those people who once inhabited its native land; therefore, in light of these notable similarities, this imagery makes perfect sense. The use of black and white photography conveys, appropriately, the dichotomy which has been the African-American existence for so long. Iambic tetrameter seems to be a favorite for Boston and allows her deep seeded subjects the ability to flow for readers of all ages.
Awards/Recognitions:
American Association of University Women Award for Juvenile Literature, 2002.
North Carolina Juvenile Literature Award
Teachers' Choices, International Reading Association
Notable Book, National Council for the Social Studies
Notable Book of the English Language Arts
Bank Street College Best Children's Books of 2003
Center for Children's Books Best Books of 2002
Poetry Pick, Voices of Youth Advocates
“The poems, simply written, would be appropriate for use in elementary school classes, yet their beauty and power would be instructive for a university-level History or English class” (Elzerman, Children’s Literature).
“This is a collection for every library” (Kirkus Reviews, 2001).
Related Materials:
The official Site of Carole Boston Weatherford: http://caroleweatherford.com/Home%20Page.htm
African-American poetry: http://frank.mtsu.edu/~vvesper/afampoet.htm
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