Copper Sun

Ragina Shearer
5653 Multicultural Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Book Review – African American

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Draper, Sharon M. 2006. COPPER SUN. Audio book performed by Taylor, Myra Lucretia. New York. ISBN 10:1-4281-2253-2

AUDIOBOOK
Unabridged 8 compact discs, 9 hours. The sound quality is excellent. There are no sound effects, background noises or multiple voices. There is simple a female narrator. She reads with such expression it is enough to keep the reader entranced and completely captivated. The audiobook keeps the reader mesmerized as he/she relaxes and listens. The reading of the book has the same effect perhaps taking a little longer with greater wear on the eyes. Young adult readers will be captivated as they are held in suspense in one trial after another.


2. PLOT SUMMARY
The story opens in a peaceful African setting with Amari and her younger brother Kwasi. Their lives are content and happy. White visitors come and are greeted warmly when suddenly they turn on the Africans killing most and capturing a few. Amari is among the captives her horrific journey begins as she is lead through the jungle and loaded onto a slave ship where she is raped repeatedly. When she reaches America she is sold as a gift for a 16 year old boy’s sexual pleasures. An indentured white girl is bought by the same family and the two become friends throughout their many trials. The story follows the girls on the plantation with horrific scenes of a slave child being used for alligator bait and other insensitivities they must witness and bear. Finally, the girls escape along with the small child and journey to freedom in a Spanish fort in Florida. Their friendship grows as they endure many hardships along their journey.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Draper’s story offers many cultural markers beginning with the African village, to the slave ship, to the life of a slave in America. The peaceful, beautiful and content life is revealed in Africa as Amari roams through her village revealing the cultural aspects. She and her younger bother are gathering the fruit for her family to eat, they gather coconut, papayas, pineapple and mango. As she enters the village she encounters the women spinning the yarn and recalls how only men were allowed to weave the yarn into beautiful cloth. She remembers happily the many stories told by the elders. Besa reflects their cultures’ respect and honor for the elders when he tells Amari he must announce the arrival of strangers.

Sadly the historical events that mark the slave trade culture are included as Amari is shackled with iron bands around her neck and ankles and chained together with the other captives. An older African lady at the first stop gave Amari hope by telling her to escape the present by holding on to memories of the past, and to find her strength from within.

Beliefs and memories play an important role in supplying Amari with strength to withstand the abuse. Her pure love dreams are shattered as she endures rape and abuse. The slave ships as well as the slave quarters and lifestyles are described accurately and authentically from her first person point of view.

The culture and lifestyle of the low socio-economic white people of the 17the century are revealed in the description of the life of Polly, the indentured servant and her family. While at the same time the authentic description of the wealthy white family and their values and attitudes toward slaves is revealed through the Derbyshire’s, the plantation owner.

Once on the plantation the black dialect is used by the negro slaves and their spirit of hope for a brighter covers their personalities.


4. REVIEW EXCERPT (S)
Coretta Scott King Award

Booklist starred: “But Draper builds the explosive tension to the last chapter, and the sheer power of the story, balanced between the overwhelmingly brutal facts of slavery and Amari's ferocious survivor's spirit, will leave readers breathless, even as they consider the story's larger questions about the infinite costs of slavery and how to reconcile history.”

Horn: “Kidnapped from her village at fifteen and subjected to the horrific Middle Passage, Amari is sold to a South Carolina planter, along with Polly, a white indentured servant.”

Kirkus Reciew: “Kidnapped from her village at fifteen and subjected to the horrific Middle Passage, Amari is sold to a South Carolina planter, along with Polly, a white indentured servant.”


5. CONNECTIONS
Sharon Draper inspires perseverance, pride in who you are, and tolerance for others. This is a fiction story based on true facts and places. The author includes many websites to refer to for historical reference. The author’s grandfather was born into slavery in 1860, and freed as a young child. The book was very well written, it keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat there are many unexpected twists. It would be an excellent resource to use during the study of American slavery in middle to upper grades.

Other inspiring books by Sharon M. Draper include:

Draper, Sharon M. DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN. ISBN 0-689-83080-7
Draper, Sharon M. THE BATTLE OF JERICHO. ISBN 0-689-84232-5

Another book with the related subject is:
Patron, Susan. THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCK. ISBN