A Book By Julius Lester

The book that I chose to read by Julius Lester was John Henry. John Henry is based on a tall tale about John Henry, a boy who grew unbelievably tall as a child. He grew through the roof!

In the particular retelling, John Henry was working on a railroad with a crew of men. The men came to a mountain, and needed to get through. The solution was to use a steam machine, which required no man power. John Henry bet that he could beat the steam machine through the mountain. The race was to the middle of the mountain. John Henry easily beat the steam machine to the middle, and he even kept on going. When he reached the other side of the mountain, he died.

What I really like about this story is that it is a tall tale, or a story passed down through generations. I love teaching my students about how in the past, stories were handed down through families, and this is a great example to share with them.

Some other books written by Julius Lester include: Search for the New Land, Revolutionary Notes, Day of Tears, Black Cowboy, Black Folk Tales, Wild Horses, Long Journey Home, The Tales of Uncle Remus, Sam and the Tigers, and many more.