The setting was a fictional town but I believe that is a combination of a couple of towns. I could see these things happening in the area even much later in history. Like most characters who faces these issues, he dealt with them in pride. English class to me was born. (Literary Essentials: African American Literature). Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. I have to read it using a magnifying glass. Please try again. by Fawcett Books. On her deathbed, Sarah sees Minnesota... Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this The Learning Tree study guide and get instant access to the following: You'll also get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and 300,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Sofia Valdez Future Prez/ Hc $18.99. The Learning Tree is a fictional study of a black family in a small Kansas town in the 1920s. Great storytelling centered around a Black farming family in Kansas. Although you did not see racial issues a much in small town America it was there and this is a good reflection of how things were. The plot really seemed all over the place and the story is just not one that appeals to my age group. I was very young when I read the book but it had a lasting affect on me. But really it only depended on who the teacher was. Hailed by critics and readers alike. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Be the first to ask a question about The Learning Tree. Perhaps she might even have liked Chauncey. This is a coming of age story for Newt Winger, a young black teen, in the 1920s. Throughout the narrative, Newt experiences racial prejudice. We’d love your help. Newt, who had been working for Kiner, secretly observes the killing, but he remains silent, concerned about what might happen if he reveals that a black man had murdered a white in Cherokee Flats. We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary as a family-owned, neighborhood toy store. For a small town, there sure were a lot of things that happened --especially violent things. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Gordon Parks is an incredible story teller. Newt fears death and worries that interracial violence might destroy the black community. WELCOME! ), Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2017. I would recommend you to read this novel if you would like to find out what his decision was. . Wonderful book and I think it should be read by all kids in junior high or high school. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Refresh and try again. But a lot of the things that Newt went through trying to accept what life was all about and what death was all about was something I could totally relate to, Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2019. My book club member chose this book for February and all the club members loved it. Although death plays an ever-present role, The Learning Tree is also about growing up in small-town America in the early part of the twentieth century. "Gordon Parks has made a real world...with characters as lusty, humorous, tragic and impelling as those of Faulkner, Williams or Steinbeck". Lots of time has passed since our Junior High English class, and I've forgotten all about the plot. Fantastic read, a touching and at times heartbreaking human study of Newt and his family living with all of the challenges a black family might encounter in Kansas in the 1920s. There were many sections of the book that angered me, but I realize it was the sign of the times, for when this was written. I feel this was a good book to read. Definitely worth the read. And here it is many years later and I was able to find that teacher and thank him for that story. No matter if you go or stay, think of Cherokee Flats . It truly personifies what happened back in those days. * Vividly narrated action, this is a realistic, troubling, coming-of-age story filled with believable young characters and a classic cast of adults representing the human moral spectrum. Something went wrong. I wasn't dead bored reading it, as I was with Grapes of Wrath, but I did not like the story, and the part of the story that was somewhat decent, the relationship of Arcella and Newt, was left unresolved. I first read "The Learning Tree" in a college Literature for Adolescents class twenty years ago and recently reread it for a book discussion group. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Gordon Parks was a groundbreaking American photographer, musician, poet, novelist, journalist, activist and film director. If you've never seen his photography, I encourage you to do so. Unable to add item to List. There's a problem loading this menu right now. The sexual encounter between Newt and Big Mabel happens... eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Noisy Farm $14.99. This book has been banned in some schools due to extensive use of the n-word, as well as some other language inappropriate to a school setting. Mr. If you read this in high school, as I did, you may not remember everything by the time it's half a lifetime later... but that opening where Newt gets some barn sex during a thunderstorm from an older teenager.... Goddamn. Marcus, Booker’s son, blames Newt for his father’s death and vows revenge. Newt is also an unfortunate witness to a murder, and must grapple with the decision to come forward, fearing the explosion of already-simmering racial tension. He has to choose between coming clean or hiding in the dark because a man is being framed for the crime. He has to choose between coming clean or hiding in the dark because a man is being framed for the crime. The joy we get from helping you find the perfect toy, book or gift never gets old. The book chronicles two years of Newt's life in which he is forced to mature. Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2018, It was always hard to get my attention when I was a young girl in high school. In my opinion, a pretty good book. Some of the main themes explored in The Learning Tree include growing up and coming of age, death, and the African American experience. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. (On an aside, this book just shows how out of touch many college profs are with what literature we can actually teach in the public schools! In my opinion, it's a really brilliant book. But the book taught me something about life. His fear culminates in the murder of Jake Kiner, a white farmer, by Booker Savage, Marcus’s father, who then places the murder weapon in the hands of a drunken white man, Silas Newall. Still. The story of a young black kid in the 1920's, based on a true story. This book has been banned in some schools due to extensive use of the n-word, as we. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Some experiences transcend racial boundaries. Like most mothers, Sarah encourages Newt’s academic pursuits. Please try again. The Learning Tree is a fictional study of a black family in a small Kansas town in the 1920s. It was a good read. First, this was a re-read. Parks was an underrated writer of superb quality. Lots of life's lessons to be learned in this book! Newt’s first love is Arcella Jefferson, and she is to be the only love of his life. It changed my life, Going in on a classic, a definitive African American novel that actually turned into the first motion picture directed by an African American: the incomparable Gordon Parks-hmm can’t believe I have never read this one and had to be led to this one by the library volunteer recommended reading list as this is a kind of parallel to the infamous Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird…and sigh sadly I have never read or heard of this story as I would have loved to have gotten these amazing life lessons e. Going in on a classic, a definitive African American novel that actually turned into the first motion picture directed by an African American: the incomparable Gordon Parks-hmm can’t believe I have never read this one and had to be led to this one by the library volunteer recommended reading list as this is a kind of parallel to the infamous Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird…and sigh sadly I have never read or heard of this story as I would have loved to have gotten these amazing life lessons early… so wow fourteen year old little Newt Winger goes through a lot and deals with some pretty powerful things **spoilers **raising some powerful questions…he questions his religion, loses his virginity and his first love, works with the circus and has an extremely poignant fighting scene I truly enjoyed it reminded me somehow of Invisible Man battle royale scene which is something for me to be such a memorable fight scene..Newt also witnesses a murder, evades a bully and and loses his mother so his story hits hard and deep just got alittle dense at parts...so I will talk alittle about the story as there really isn’t a bold plot just a boy growing up in Kansas around the 1920s with his family and friends, there are some great stories in between and then the main event when Newt’s integrity and morals are put in question and the book teaches you about yourself..What would you do if something you saw and no one else did could save someone and damage an entire community?