The Parker Inheritance

This blog post will discuss the book The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson.

SPOILER ALERT: Do not look at this website until after you have read the book or my post either. http://varianjohnson.com/books/the-parker-inheritance/story-behind-parker-inheritance/

I would like to start off by saying this is probably one of my favorite books of all times. I couldn't put it down from the moment I started reading. Even though this book is at a late elementary school to early middle school reading level I was intrigued and engaged the whole way through.

"When Candice finds a letter in an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, she isn’t sure she should read it. It’s addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. But the letter describes a young woman. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle.

So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert’s history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter’s promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?"

***Summary provided by author Varian Johnson on his website

The Parker Inheritance will lead you on a journey through time and puzzles to discover the harsh reality of the stereotypes we put on people of color and those of a different sexuality. Johnson describes (on his website) about the stereotypes he had thrust upon him when he encountered a rude white cop who assumed he and his twin brother were drug dealers.

Throughout this book you will either relate with or come to realize the terrible things that African Americans have to go through on a daily basis. Whether it be through Tori, Brandon's sister, slowing down while driving when a cop passes, or (SPOILER ALERT) Reggie having to change his race to survive. This story has multiple perspectives and switches between current day and times throughout 1914-1999.

The Parker Inheritance besides being a captivating book, has numerous teaching opportunities. Some of which being:

• Slavery

• Brown vs. Board of Education

• Stereotypes

• Bais

• Perspective

• Martin Luther King Jr.

• Civil Rights Movement

• Bullying

• Friendship

• Divorce

• LGBTQ+

• Police brutality

• Interracial relationships

• Segregation

• "Separate but equal"

This book would make for a great read aloud or book club. I would have this book be read by February so we could have the month be dedicated to learning more about Black history since that is the month dedicated to it. Two people discussed in this book that would be great to start with for the discussion are Martin Luther King Jr. and Langston Hughes.

On pages 124 and 125 Candice found the poem I, too, sing America on James Parker's plaque in the memorial. In the book you find out that Siobhan says this to Reggie. This would be a great introduction to Langston Hughes and how his poetry influenced and impacted Harlem and the Civil Rights Movement. There is also a children's book that I included below with his poem and illustrated pictures to go along. I would use this as a read aloud to introduce the poem.

After reading this poem I would have students research a person who impacted the Civil Right's Movement and write a persona poem with Langston Hughes I, too, America as a mentor poem.

As I said before there are several teaching moments within this book but I would use this book primary for its perspective and topics on racial inequalities.

I, Too

By Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then. Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed— I, too, am America.

Resources on Langston Hughes:

• https://www.varsitytutors.com/englishteacher/hughes

• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/432908582917200189/?lp=true

• https://www.poetryarchive.org/lesson-plan/lesson-i-too-langston-hughes-0

****Visit my resource tab for a lesson plan made for 4th graders on the connection between this poem and Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech.

Resources for The Parker Inheritance:

• https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/2414747

• Book trailer presented by Varian Johnson, author of the Parker Inheritance.

This book was very heavily influenced by The Westing Game. I would have this book as a read aloud after reading this book because I want my students to be able to predict what is going to happen without having any preconceived notions.

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Main Points from the article Culturally Diverse Literature:

• "When I select literature, what criteria am I using? How am I including culturally diverse literature in my classroom?

• "What do I need to know and learn about all of my students in order to select and evaluate relevant and appropriate high-quality, culturally diverse literature?"

• "What informed decisions about culturally diverse literature do I need to make in order to help my students meet the common cores state standards for reading literature?"

• Diverse literature has a theme centered on race, ethnicity, culture, and/or different languages.

• Consider: Visual and verbal sensitivity ● Authenticity and accuracy ● Ideology when determining a quality book for your classroom.

Awards that have been created to express praise for their depiction of non-white cultural groups:

• The Coretta Scott King Award- recognizes authors and illustrators whose work portrays the experiences of African Americans.

• The Pura Belpre Award-given to books that celebrate the Latin cultural experience.

• The Tomas Riveria Mexican American Children's Book Award- honors good books about the lives of Mexican Americans.

• The American Indian Youth Literature Award- given for the best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians.

• The Asian Pacific American Award- created for outstanding books in this cultural group.

• The Arab American Book Award- presented for books that preserve and advance the understanding, knowledge, and resources of the Arab American community.

• The Schneider Family Book Award- given to a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for children and adolescent audiences.

• The Batchedler Award- for books originally published in countries outside of the US and translated to English.

• The Stonewall Book Award- honors books about LGBT identity.

"The reader's sense of truth in how a specific cultural experience has been represented within a book, particularly when the reader is an insider to the culture portrays in that book, is probably the most common understanding of cultural authenticity."

By this definition I would say that The Parkers Inheritance is an authentic book. As a white, straight, christian female elementary teacher I fear that I will not be able to fully determine if a book is culturally authentic. I want to make sure my students feel like they have access to a classroom library filled with diverse books where they can relate to characters or situations. I feel as if this book portrays African American's struggles throughout history and in the present. For example when Tori feels as if she needs to slow down when a cop passes her even though she isn't doing anything wrong. This book also does a good job of depicting the struggle of gender and the roles that have been forced upon us by society. For example when Brandon tells Candice in the beginning that he only reads boys books even though he loves books like Are you there God, it's me Margaret? Another thing this book talks about is divorce and sexuality as Candice's parents are divorced and her dad comes out as gay. Johnson does an amazing job of providing characters that pretty much everyone can relate to on some level whether it be gender, family problems, race, sexuality, school, friendship, bullying you name it.

I could go on and on about this book forever so if you have any questions or comments or even ideas on how to teach this book please feel free to email me!