Books with author Colin Bootman

Six-year-old Sarah Marie, her mother, and her little sister travel down south to visit Grandmama in the summer of 1956. Grandmama makes every effort to shield her granddaughters from the prejudice that still plagues her town. But as Sarah Marie learns to read, she notices Grandmama’s town is filled with signs and rules that she’s never understood before. As Sarah Marie tries to make sense of the world around her, she’s left wondering if life in the South will ever change.

Bright and early one morining—even before the roosters crow—Colly shakes awake his big brother, Derrick. They have an important mission: to catch enough fish for their grandmother to cook for dinner. The brothers set off before dawn, but when they reach their secret fishing spot, things don't go quite as smoothly as they planned. Can Derrick and Colly still find a way to catch more fish than they can eat in a day?

The city of Harlem is overrun by rats. One day, a mysterious man appears with a steel pan drum, promising to rid the city of its problem...for a price. The mayor has no choice but to agree. The steel pan man plays the sweetest melody anyone has ever heard and dances the rats out of the city. But when the mayor refuses to keep his word, the steel pan man has no choice. He plays the mayor another tune for another purpose. This retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamelin is set during the Harlem Renaissance.

Six-year-old Sarah Marie, her mother, and her little sister travel down south to visit Grandmama in the summer of 1956. Grandmama makes every effort to shield her granddaughters from the prejudice that still plagues her town. But as Sarah Marie learns to read, she notices Grandmama’s town is filled with signs and rules that she’s never understood before. As Sarah Marie tries to make sense of the world around her, she’s left wondering if life in the South will ever change.