NEW SHOES

Description

Ella Mae is used to wearing her cousin’s hand-me-down shoes–but when her latest pair is already too tight, she’s thrilled at the chance to get new shoes.

But at the shoe store, Ella Mae and her mother have to wait until there are no white customers to serve first. She doesn’t get to try anything on, either–her mother traces her feet onto a sheet of paper, and the salesman brings them a pair he thinks will fit.

Disappointed by her treatment, Ella Mae and her cousin Charlotte hatch a plan to help others in their community find better-fitting shoes without humiliation.

Eric Velasquez’ realistic oil paintings bring life to this story of a young girl’s determination in the face of injustice. The book includes an author’s note from Susan Lynn Meyer, discussing the historical context of the story and how the Civil Rights Movement worked to abolish unfair laws like the ones Ella Mae encounters.

A 2016 NAACP Image Award Nominee, and a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award winner.

When her brothers hand-me-down shoes dont fit, it is time for Ella Mae to get new ones. She is ecstatic, but when she and her mother arrive at Mr. Johnsons shoe store, her happiness quickly turns to dejection. Ella Mae is forced to wait when a white customer arrives after her and is served first. Ella Mae is unable even to try on the shoes because of her skin color. Determined to fight back, Ella Mae and her friend Charlotte work tirelessly to collect and restore old shoes, wiping, washing, and polishing them to perfection. The girls then have their very own shoe sale, giving the other African American members of their community a place to buy shoes where they can be treated fairly and “try on all the shoes they want.” Set in the South during the time of segregation, this stunning picture book brings the civil rights era to life for contemporary readers.
Holiday House
Juvenile Fiction
Historical
Edition: General, Juvenile Fiction
Keywords: Historical