Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Reader reviewed by Hannah V.

Roll of Thunder,Hear My Cry

By: Hannah Ventura

"Roll of Thunder,Hear My Cry" is a book reflecting segregation.Time are hard here.It's very sad for the people living here.
Chapter 1 is mostly about the reader meeting the main characters: The Logan children.It's their first day of school and they get new teachers and class mates.Normal,right? WRONG!Cassie, one of the Logans,Stands up for her brother,Little Man, in the next room because he doesn't like the book he recives. So they both end up getting wopped.Later on,Stacey's, the oldest logan,Best friend T.J., Decides to cheat on a huge test coming up.BUT, he decides to hand the answers over to Stacey, RIGHT before the teachers come to take up the test.Right then and there, POW! Stacey HATES T.J. now! Now T.J. is so mad, that he decides to join a group that gets into to much trouble. In the end it turns out that he gets in so much trouble he has to be hung! Uh oh! so many things happen in a few months.

This is a good book.I recommend this to many kids! Thanks for reading!   

 

Reader reviewed by Madison Phelan

This book is all about the struggles of the family called the Logans. The children go on their own adventures. This book shows many examples of racism and shows the differences in time periods.

I enjoyed this book because it had suspence, interesting characters and a very good use of imagery. This is a quality piece of literature and has even won a newbery award.

I recomend this book for people who enjoy historical fiction books and books with an assortment of different literary devices.

Reader reviewed by Peacechik

This has to be my favorite book in the world!
Before I read this book all i really kney about the civil rights movement was the stuff in the 50s and 60s, but this book reveals racism in the 1930s, and there's not a whole lotta books like that.

Cassie, a black girl in Mississippi, faces racism every day. And when her brother's friend TJ gets caught in a crime scheme involving two white boys, Cassie and her brothers risk their land, land they own which is rare for a black family. It's a bittersweet ending, but if you like historical fiction this book is for you.

PEAce

Reader reviewed by Brie

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry was a great book! I loved it a lot. It's about a family, the Logans, who are living in the deep south during the Civil Rights movement. They come across many obstacles because they are black. Stacey, the oldest brother, is friends with a white boy, Jeremy Simms, and that is a big problem back then. Then, there's the problem with thye night riders. And, Stacey's friend, T.J., is blamed for hurting a white man and woman, and is taken to jail innocent. He was blamed because he was black and often in trouble. This book is wonderful. It makes the story of the hate and torture that was put upon Blacks, and makes it a very intresting story that you won't want to put down.

Reader reviewed by Ashley Gwinner

After we reread the book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, I was impatient to watch the movie, since the book was outstanding. I think the movie could have had more important events and better description of the characters. The movie also didnt show the biggest theme, and cut out the important lines.
I think that the movie could have included more important events, and better description of the characters. When Cassie and Lillian Jean got in to a fight. Also in the beginning when mama got fired from being a teacher because she pasted paper inside the books. Cassie wasnt narrating that much in the movie but in the book.
The movie didnt show the biggest theme and cut out important lines. The movie cut out the poem Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Roll of Thunder means loud. Hear My Cry means to be heard. Which all together we should be equal. The movie didnt have important lines. For example when mama said, we going to pay for that one day.She said that when they passed over the bridge and Mr. Wallace let them over.
I thought that there were a lot of weak spots; therefore I would prefer the book.It gives the reader more details than the movie. It will help you understand the characters more if you read the book than just to the movie right away.

Reader reviewed by Manuela, Liberty Twp,OH

I just read the novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry with my Language Arts class. After we finished the novel, we watched the movie. My expectations did not reach a good level. I think the movie could have been better. For example, they skipped the exposition, rising action, problem, solution, and many themes!

For example, the climax was skipped about Cassie, Stacey, and many other important events. The movie also didnt mention the poem. The poem depicted important themes in the novel. It showed racism, segregation, slavery, and civil rights.

I feel like I didnt know the characters in the movie, but I knew them very well in the novel. I prefer reading the novel instead of watching the movie. The movie didnt seem to move the plot along therefore, I understood the novel more then the movie. Segregation is an important theme in the novel but in the movie, I dont think they showed much.

I was excited to watch the movie Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, but I was so disappointed that it didnt reach my expectations. The novel was more exciting to read and, it had many more important events. I recommend that you just read the novel.

Reader reviewed by Aileena

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

I did not enjoy the movie Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry as much as the novel. During the movie, Cassie is not as round as she is in the novel. There were also many important parts missing in the movie.

In the novel, Cassie is more round than she is in the movie.
Cassie is flat because I feel like she did not communicate with the audience that well. It seemed like there was a third person for the narrator, not Cassie.

Many important parts were missing in the movie. For example,
the fight between Cassie and Lillian Jean. Also, the main climax did not happen in the movie. During the movie, Cassies mother gets the letter unlike in the novel, when papa gets it. To me, the movie was very different from the book.

I did not enjoy the movie as much as the book because it skipped many events. The book to me was better and more understandable. I understood the characters more in the novel than the movie.

Reader reviewed by Paige - Liberty Twp, OH

I read the novel Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry with my class, then my teacher told the class we were going to watch the movie and I was so excited, until it happened. The movie wasnt the best thing ever, and it was very confusing because it switched from part to part and didnt go in order.


The movie didnt include all of the rising action and falling action. It totally skipped the exposition and went right to the rising action, in the book, near the climax. In addition, it did not show one of the best parts in the book where Cassie tricks Lillian Jean. I cant tell you all of the parts in the book, that werent shown on the movie, or that would ruin it for you.


In the movie, the poem wasnt shown and that was one of the most important parts. The poem was the introduction to the climax in the book. If the introduction to something isnt shown, that doesnt make it very important. In addition, my overall thoughts of the book to the movie are all the same; book is so much better then the movie.


I think that the people who made the movie should remake it because it needs to include some parts that where missing before. The book is very descriptive and enchanting with all of its rising action and falling action. I really think that you should read the book and skip the movie but, if you want to watch the movie, you can.

Reader reviewed by Emily

I felt like I didnt know the characters in the movie as well as I did in the book. Some of the main characters seemed like secondary characters. Christopher-John and Little Man were not big characters in the movie. The movie never had any of the talks Papa had with Stacey or Cassie. Those were important talks that defined the characters in the book. The night men never dressed up so viewers just thought they were an angry mob. The movie did not tell us important information from the book.


Also, the movie skipped around a lot. There were parts in the movie where I didnt even know what scene it was. They even skipped the important parts where they showed the theme. So what was the point? So, the movie was not organized, and didnt have a theme. It barely even showed the big climax. The movie was just a bunch of scenes from the book, all mixed up. Although some of the scenes were exciting, those scenes didnt show the importance of the scene. It was almost like the director didnt get the book. The movie was not showing the importance of the movie, and even if it did, it wouldnt show it clearly.

If you are thinking about reading the book or watching the movie, in my opinion, I would just read the book. The movie isnt worth your time. But the book, that is a whole other story. The book was great. I think you should read it.

Reader reviewed by Zac

In this book there is much to be learned from the lives of the children. Their rough journey from not understanding to understading is portrayed in an entertaining and somewhat comical way. Such topics as racism bring the very real reality of life long ago into the present. I thought this book was great; a true page-turner!