Belle Teal

by Ann M. Martin

In this novel set in the American South during the Civil Rights era, a white girl named Belle Teal gets involved with the integration movement at her school. To further complicate matters, Belle must also deal with the fact that her grandmother's memory is failing. Named one of the Best Children's Books 2001 by Publishers Weekly.

Editions of Belle Teal

	ISBN 9780439098236	Binding/Format Hardcover	Publisher Scholastic	Date 2001	Price $1.00	Used, Very Good
	ISBN 9781402519529	Binding/Format Audio Cassette	Publisher Recorded Books	Date 2003	Price $1.99	Good

Publisher Notes

Ten-year-old Belle Teal Harper, who lives with her mother and grandmother in a small rural town in the early 1960s, faces unexpected challenges as she begins the fifth grade, from her friend's troubled relationship with his father to her grandmother's slipping memory.

Media Reviews

"Martin writes with her usual accessibility, and the book effectively combined the ordinary details of everyday life with the larger issue of racism. Unfortunately, the plot is predictable...Still, this is an approachable piece of historical fiction that, despite its tendency toward wishful thinking, looks at the ugliness of racism without flinching."

Excerpt

I look up at the sky. I don't know if there is a god up there or not. Gran is sure her lord resides there, but I am still making up my mind. I know I get some comfort looking at the sky, though. So I gaze at the streaky clouds turning salmon pink as the sun drops low, and I tell myself to have strength and patience where Gran is concerned. While I am at it, I wish that a little strength and patience would flow into the minds of people who are making judgements about the colored students...
I write a few more sentences in my journal. Then I go inside and do my chores and get ready for my first day of fifth grade.

Synopses

Belle Teal Harper is from a poor family in the country and beginning fifth-grade is a challenge as her grandmother's memory is slipping away and her brother and father are fighting again.

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