By: Takeda LeGrand, Ed.D, EJD

The Little Flower Different Deserves Special Club book details the experiences of a young girl growing up in the segregated south amidst the turmoil of the Civil Rights Era. The heroine, Little Flower, finds herself navigating the maze of life recognizing inequality and leading the fight for change while dealing with the struggles of young teens. The story balances the commonalities of the human experience growing up transitioning from youth to adolescence and integrates historical context to show how the times and culture impact everyday life. The overall goal of the series is to instill a sense of pride in the heritage of minorities, encourage a sense of community and respect for all individuals, and empower young adults to be agents of positive change.

The Little Flower Different Deserves Special Club book, Reader Response Journal, and three Curriculum Development Guides comprise an educational series that affords educators with an array of opportunities to engage students in meaningful, authentic, discussion and activities. Students between the ages of 8-12 should be able to easily understand the reading and content while drawing diverse connections. The series has the ability to cross-curricular areas in English/Language Arts and Social Studies and draw parallels to current affairs. Efforts of school culture can also be addressed within this context in efforts to make schools an inclusive community. Likewise, within the lens of literature, the series has solid progression and storylines that lend itself to teacher a number of literary concepts and devices.

Many limit the purpose of education to content knowledge in core academic areas such as reading, mathematics, science, and social studies or exposure to the arts and technologies. Yet in order to produce well-rounded, productive, and competent citizens, educators must teach skills beyond academic content. This underlying curriculum helps students to develop morals, manners, civic and social consciousness, and the skills that promote emotional and mental wellbeing. Early in the series, the author introduces readers to a character that is developing those characteristics and throughout the series, learns how to apply an array of good character traits in different situations. Although she does not always understand how to respond appropriately, the dialogue and reflection that the author takes the characters through to arrive at what is appropriate models reflection and self-improvement at a level young readers can understand and learn similar strategies.

A central message of the series concerns empowerment. High emphasis is placed on theimportance of education in examples from the author’s life demonstrated through the actions of the main character’s family. This is furthermore reinforced through the church, a central hub of the character’s community, where awareness, equality, and responsibility are highlighted through historical accounts of prominent figures in the African American community. The message of education as a tool to empower and improve is clear. The series also seeks to provide young minority females with a sense of empowerment. Little Flower’s resiliency, tenacity, ambition and drive reflect a can do attitude and positive self-image.

Young readers will find the story of Little Flower appealing. Dealing with issues that young readers are experiencing in schools today such as bullying, finding and maintaining friends, peer pressure, balance of school and home, young readers should easily identify with the heroine as she begins her transition in life. Little Flower encourages young readers to not only find and embrace their own uniqueness as they face life’s challenges but also maintain a positive self- image.

– Mrs. Jonny L. Trotti, Retired School Librarian“I love Little Flower! I’m trying to remember If I’ve ever felt this strongly, this quickly about a character. She has taken me back to my fifth grade year.. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed just looking at Bailey Hines! ‘Funny how people just appreciate flowers and don’t care about size, shape, color or anything else about them. People care about that stuff though, when it comes to other people. “There on the second page Little Flower speaks the truth with insights that no ten year old should have to recognize. For me, she set the hook and I could hardly wait to find out how she handled this wisdom. The conversational tone of this first person narrative leaves me feeling that a friend has been periodically updating me on her life. The author has taught important life lessons in a style that is so appealing it takes a while to realize that is exactly what has happened. Closing the cover of the book leaves me wanting more.. Wonder where I could find Little Flower’s phone number?”