Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  Young Dovey follows her grandmother and other neighborhood women into the dark woods to pick berries before dawn.  Her grandmother reassures her when she’s scared of the dark, and before long everyone is filling their pails with berries.  Suddenly, Grandma stops and tells Dovey to look.  The sky turns from black to pink to gold, and as the new day begins, they head back home again.  Includes a four-page author’s note and additional information about civil rights leader Dovey Mae Johnson Roundtree and her grandmother Rachel Millis Bryant Graham; photos; a timeline; and a bibliography.  40 pages; grades K-6.

Pros:  This would make a great mentor text for personal narratives, complete with the beautiful illustrations that show the changing light as the night gradually gives way to daytime.  The extensive back matter makes this an excellent research resource that could be used well into middle school.

Cons:  The back matter is quite long, written in a single-spaced small font; while I appreciated all the information, it would have been nice to have something more accessible for the story’s audience.