This is the Rope

Recommended Ages: 5-8

Written by Jacqueline Woodson. Illustrated by James Ransome.

During the Great Migration, millions of African American families left the South in search of better opportunities. This story follows one family’s journey north, beginning with a young girl in South Carolina who discovers a rope beneath a tree one summer. Unbeknownst to her, this rope will become a symbol of her family’s history. For three generations, the rope is passed down, used for everything from jump rope games to securing suitcases for the move to New York City, and even to celebrate a family reunion where the little girl has grown into a grandmother.