Ellen's Broom

Author: Kelly Starling Lyons

Illustrator: Daniel Minter

Awards: Coretta Scott King

Grade Level: K-3rd

Summary: Ellen and her family were over joyed when slavery ended and all former slaves would now be able to be married in the eyes of the law. Ellen's mom goes to the family broom and explains to her children that it is a reminder to remember how things were. Her parents were only able to have a broom wedding and be married in God's eyes and their hearts. When her parents went to get married in the court house, the sisters went to pick flowers to turn the broom into the bouquet and even though broom jumping was apart of the past, they said that it will always be apart of who they are and Ellen can't wait to jump the broom herself one day. 

Evaluation: This book is very powerful and I can't wait to read it to my students. The culture is very rich as well as the traditions the family had. This book teaches to embrace who you are and not to be ashamed of your family's past. I would love to have this book apart of my classroom library one day.