Read the following article:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/18/463488364/amid-controversy-scholastic-pulls-picture-book-about-washingtons-slave
Answer the following questions related to the article:
1. Describe the controversy that has arisen over this children's book.
2. Who are the main characters in the book?
3. Cite the comparisons that the article makes between A Fine Dessert and A Birthday Cake for George Washington.
4. Which two people, quoted in the article, provide a defense for the book? Summarize their defense.
5. What details given in the article qualify these two people to defend the book?
6. Why does Demetria D'Oyley dismiss these defenses?
7. In your opinion, should Scholastic have pulled the book? Why or why not?
Casey Coggins 1st
ReplyDelete1. The controversy around this book is that it has lessoned the severity of slavery, making the false appearance that slavery was not as bad and that being enslaved was, in a way, a fun job.
2. The main characters in the book are Hercules, George Washington's slave/chef, and Hercules's daughter Delia.
3. Both books are about happy slaves making desserts. Both books have also received vast amounts of criticism for making slavery appear to be what it was not. The difference between them is that "A Fine Dessert" was created by white people and "A Birthday Cake for George Washington" was created by a diverse group.
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram defended the book. Pinkney states that even though Hercules was enslaved (though not "all the way") he still had pride and joy in his job as a chef, and his daughter, though enslaved, also found pride and enjoyment amidst slavery. Ganeshram, the author, states that she was simply giving an account of history and that some slaves did have enjoyable positions and found pride in what they do. She further says that, yes, slavery was terrible, but if that is the only thing remembered from the era, then we run the risk of erasing important details in history pointing to talented people, such as Hercules.
5. Ganeshram is qualified to defend the book because she is the one who wrote the book. Pinkney is also qualified to defend the book because she edited the book. Both of these people know the details of this book and are both black.
6. Demetria D'Oyley dismisses the defenses because, although they both state that Hercules was proud concerning his job, they failed to mention how Hercules escaped from Mount Vernon, thus, implying that his life was not as good as the book makes it appear. She also says that Hercules could not have found happiness or pride by working under force.
7. I do not think that Scholastic should have pulled the book because, in reality, there were good slave owners. Yes, there were some bad slave owners, but that does not mean that the people who treated slaves well should be erased. If that was the case, we would have never heard of Frederick Douglass and the many other slaves who were able to make a difference because they were treated properly. Besides, we all know that if history like that were to be erased, we would turn into the people of Oceania. This country needs to stop being so politically correct and we should be able to know both sides of slavery. Just look at Gone With the Wind: it shows the ugly side of slavery with the cruel overseer but there is also Pork and Mammy who, even after freedom, chose to stay with their masters because they loved them so much. And that's one of the greatest novels of all time!!!
1. The controversy is that the book falsely depicts the history of slavery.
ReplyDelete2.Hercules and Delia, his daughter.
3. The comparison is that the book, A Fine Dessert, had that same concept but was made by all white creativity team, while A Birthday Cake for George Washington was made by a diverse group.
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney, who is African American, came to the books defense by stating that Hercules was proud of his position in the Washington home and lived a life of near freedom. His daughter, Delia, was aware of being enslaved but was proud and happy of her fathers achievement.Ramin Ganeshram, the author of the book who is of Iranian-Trinidadian descent, came in the books defense also stating that Slaves who were in higher/ prestigious positions often are happy and make use of the positions. In addition, she states that we should focus on the slaves who had talent.
5.Andrea Davis Pinkney is the writer, illustrator, and editor of the book and she is also African American. Ramin Ganeshram is the author of the book.
6. She dismisses the defenses because in the book they left out that Hercules escaped and that being held in bondage with your daughter isn't happiness, it's survival.
7. I think Scholastic should have pulled the book because it's downplaying the horrors of slavery and the reality of it also. If parents want to talk about slavery with their kids, there are better options than this book. The book is offensive and feels as if it is erasing history.
Teriana Moore
Taylor Burge
ReplyDelete1. The controversy that has arisen over this children's book talks about slavery. Critics of the book have stated that the book lies about the true horrors of slavery to children because the books pictures show only happy and smiling slaves. The writers of this book have been accused of whitewashing the history of slavery.
2. The main characters of this book are Hurcules and his daughter Delia.
3. The article makes the comparison that both books are about slaves making sweet treats.
4. Andrea davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram, the editor and aotuhor of the book, were cited in defense of the book. Ganeshram argument proposed that the slaves in high ranking positions were in fact proud of their accomplishments. Pinkney stated that Hercules was a well known man who was very popular and that he was probably Americas first celebrity chef.
5. These two people qualify with although Hercules was close to being free he still knew in his heart that he was not truly free.
6. Demetria D'Oyley states that the book forgot to mention that Hurcules the slave escaped from mount Vernon. She also staes that slaving over a hot stove was not anything to take pride in.
7. I don't think that Scholastic should have pulled the book because it seems to me that the creative team behind the book had no malicious intent. The creators of the book are a group of a completely diverse religions and ethnical backgrounds. I also think that if someone thinks that the group is whitewashing history, they simply wont buy the book. There is no need to go around throwing fits and getting childrens books thrown off the shelves simply because you don't understand the meaning of what this group of people were trying to convey.
Frankie Malveo
ReplyDelete1. Describe the controversy that has arisen over this children's book.
The book is a about a slave and chef to the first president of the USA named Hercules and his daughter.
2. Who are the main characters in the book?
Hercules and his daughter Delia.
3. Cite the comparisons that the article makes between A Fine Dessert and A Birthday Cake for George Washington.
Both of the books show "happy" slaves on almost every page.
4. Which two people, quoted in the article, provide a defense for the book? Summarize their defense. Pinkney and Ganeshram wrote the book and tried to defend it by saying that "some" slaves had higher roles and were happy with their jobs.
5. What details given in the article qualify these two people to defend the book? They wrote the book themselves.
6. Why does Demetria D'Oyley dismiss these defenses? Baking a cake for a man whom has you and your child in bondage is not happiness or pride.
7. In your opinion, should Scholastic have pulled the book? Why or why not?
Scholastic is a business and it didn't matter how they personally felt about the book. What mattered was their image and what the majority of the public wanted. Which was definitely not this book. From a business standpoint Scholastic did the right thing by pulling the book. Also from a moral viewpoint they did the right thing. What if I wrote a book about a happy Japanese person in an internment camp, or happy jewish people in a Nazi death-camp, or happy American POW's.
Will Ernest
ReplyDelete1) The main controversy about the book is the "white washing" of history.
2)The main character is a slave named Hercules.
3)The main common thing that both articles contain is that both portray the real daily life of slaves.
4)Davis Pinky; He claims that Hercules had a good life. He ran the kitchen and expected perfection even out of his fellow slaves. He was "almost" free, he had everything but freedom.
Ramin Ganeshram; He claims that it is history. If we focus on just the horrors of slavery we forget those who had a "status" like chef Hercules and like anyone with "status" they use the perks that come with the "status".
5)Davis won the Coretta Scott King Award and Ramin is an author.
6)Because Hercules escaped she claims that it is survival, not pride.
7) Yes, because huge incidences can occur when things are miss represented. One example of that is Hitler; he charmed, manipulated, and miss represented people to obtain power.
1. Critics have been blasting "A Birthday Cake for George Washington" because it displays slaves as bring happy.
ReplyDelete2. Hercules and his daughter named Delia, two slaves.
3. While "A Fine Desert" was created by whites, "A Birthday Cake for George Washington" was created by a diverse group of people from many different backgrounds yet both "glamorized" slavery in the U.S.
4. Editor Andrea Davis Pinkney, said that Hercules was a well know Chef in the U.S. at the time. Author Ramin Ganeshram, stated that slaves were usually proud of any important positions they were given.
5. Andrea Pinkney is the editor and Ramin Ganesshram is the author of the book.
6. She said that the book conveniently left out that Hercules escaped from Mount Vernon, leaving Delia behind.
7. No; at that point children don't even grasp the concept of slavery, much less that slavery itself is considered to be evil. As far as the children our concerned, its a book about a man and her daughter happily making a cake for George Washington, our nation's first president.
(And it's questionable if they even know that little fact)
~Blake E. Lockridge
Taryn Dockery
ReplyDeletePeople are upset about the book because it “whitewashes slavery.” The main characters in the book are Hercules, a slave chef, and Delia, his daughter. A Fine Dessert was written by a team of white people, while A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written by a diverse colored group. Andrea Davis Pinkney defends the book by saying that some slaves enjoyed their work and Hercules, who might have been the first celebrity chef, was one of these slaves. Ramin Ganeshram says that slaves with positions of status were proud of their positions. Pinkney is an editor of the book, and Ganeshram is one of the authors, which gives them both the authority to defend the book. D’Oyley dismisses their defenses because the book does not mention how Hercules escaped from slavery. I think that scholastic should have pulled the book because it seems to sugarcoat history. We cannot change our history, and it needs to be written and talked about as it actually happened without sugarcoating it, but I do think some stories, like how some slaves were treated, are not appropriate for young kids to read in books because they will not understand.
Gabby Traywick
ReplyDeleteThe controversy over the book has happened because it is depicting slavery in a way that it was actually not. The main characters are Hercules and his daughter Delia bake George Washington a birthday cake. It says the books are different because one was written by an all white team and the other was written by a diverse group of people of color. Pinkney says that some slaves did enjoy their tasks and Ganeshram says it shows that slaves were proud of themselves when they received status positions. The article says the two were qualified to defend the book because of their background. Demetria D'Oyley dismissed these defenses because both did not mention how Hercules escaped Mount Vernon. I believe Scholastic was right in pulling the book because to the kids that read it, it would make it slavery seem like it wasn't a bad thing and not show the actual reality for many slaves.
Kailee Post
ReplyDelete1. It is criticized for white washing history.
2. Hercules, George Washington's slave, and his daughter, Delia.
3. A Fine Dessert is also about smiling slaves making desserts. It was published by a complete group of white people. A Birthday Cake for George Washington is also about smiling slaves making desserts, but was created by a diverse group of people. Davis Pinkney, an African-American woman and winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, was even an editor for the book.
4. Davis Pinkney (editor, winner of Coretta Scott King Award): The book is about Hercules being a strong slave who also does the impossible and makes George Washington a cake without sugar. His daughter is proud of her father. The book focuses on how 'almost-free' is not as sweet as being free.
Ramin Ganeshram (author, Iranian-Trinidadian descent): The book focuses on remarkable, talented, and resourceful slaves who would use any and every skill to their own advantage. History shows that some slaves received higher positions than others and had their "perks".
5. Both people took part in creating the book. Neither of these people are white and Pinkney is even a recognized African-American editor.
6. The book does not mention that Hercules did eventually escape Mount Vernon because happiness is not cooking the man holding you and your child against your will a cake.
7. Obviously the people who worked on the book are going to defend and support their work. Based on the information I received after reading the article, the book does seem to make slavery seem less harsh than the reality of it was. It was probably a good choice for Scholastic to pull the book. As a white person though, I don't feel like my opinion on this matters or should matter because I can't relate.
April McCool
ReplyDelete1. Criticism for whitewashing the history of slavery
2. Hercules and his daughter Delia
3. A Fine Dessert was published by a completely white creative time while A Birthday Cake for George Washington had a team that was a diverse group of people of color
4. •Andrea Davis Pinkney: Hercules was a highly regarded chef and took pride in his work in the kitchen, his daughter ,Delia, also feels pride for her fathers achievements. •Ramin Ganeshram: history showed that enslaved people were proud of their promoted statuses, that by ignoring the prejudice we can ignore the history of slavery, but if we focus on a single point we can recognize the talented and remarkable people of the past
5. They were both literary personnel, one an author and one an editor
6. She explained that the book left out how Hercules escaped from Mount Vernon
7. I can understand the reason they would but it also involves the history of slavery
Marlee Ashcraft.
ReplyDelete1. it shows a slave of President Washington's who acted as his chef. The controversy arises when the slave and his young daughter are depicted as happy and prideful of their "almost free" life.
2.A slave Hercules and his young daughter Delia
3.It was also a book about slaves making sweet treats
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney, she claims that yes Hercules did enjoy his job and was very proud to hold such a position but, he lived and almost free life. He too still wished for his own liberty.
Ramin Ganeshram says that "if they deviate from the narrative of constant-cruelty we diminish the horror of slavery", but by only focusing on the bad then we are holding a singular view point and overlooking slaves such as Hercules.
5.Pinkney was the illustrator as well as the editor while Ganeshram was the author of the novel
6.He uncovers facts that were not included in the book, like the fact that Hercules escapes Mount Vernon. D'Oyley makes the point that no matter how you look at it Hercules was still doing his duty and surviving while slaving over a hot oven. While he was doing a job he was so "proud" of he was plotting his escape, eventually going through with it and leaving his daughter Delia behind.
7. I think it should have been pulled especially considering the author told a historical story BUT left out important facts about the story which makes the story "A birthday cake for George Washington" practically a whole big lie. It depicts Hercules as a happy slave who enjoyed being enslaved, when really he was planning his escape all along. I think had the story depicted the whole truth instead of bits and pieces then it would be and should be able to be published and sold. Sadly, for the author that is not the case here.
Brandon Appling
ReplyDelete1.People have criticized the book for not showing the true cruelty of slavery.
2. Hercules and his daughter Delia.
3. A Fine Dessert was another book that portrays slaves as happy, and it was made by all white people and faces relatively no criticism. This book was produced by many people of color.
4.Ramin Granesham and Andrea Davis Pinkney. Both give there defences on the book, Granesham writes, " It is the historical record—not my opinion—that shows that enslaved people who received 'status' positions were proud of these positions—and made use of the 'perks' of those positions." Pinkney writes, " some slaves found happiness in some of their tasks"
5. These two are qualified to defend the book because they are both minorities.
6. The book leaves out the story of the main character escaping.
7. They should have pulled the book, edited it to include key parts, and placed it back on the market. They could have made the book show a little more harshness, but not to the full extent of what existed during times of slavery. They should also include the part about Hercules escaping.
~Heather Williams
ReplyDelete1. This children's book is very similar to another book called A Fine Dessert. Both are about happy slaves making sweet treats.
2. Hercules and his daughter Delia are the main characters.
3. The comparisons of both books is how they tell a story of happy slaves making sweet treats in paragraph 4.
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram provided their defense in the article. Pinkney defended by writing that the book is a messy and nuanced affair, but that some slaves could be happy with some of their tasks. Hercules was always proud that he was popular in Washington, but he also dreamed of that some slaves could be happy with their jobs. Delia even takes pride in her father's work but is sad that she will never know what freedom is like. Ramin Ganeshram defended by saying how slaves were proud of their "status" positions. She says that if we only focused on the slaves that were depressed with their position and tasks, then we won't know of the remarkable, talented slaves like Chef Hercules who used their talent and resources as an advantage to their situation.
5. Pinkney and Ganeshram qualify in such that they think that were many hardships as being a slave but that there were slaves that were happy and used their talents as a resource to help them in life.
6. Demetria D'Oyley dismisses their defenses because she says that slavery is their "duty. It's survival. It's busy work to pass the time while you're plotting your escape."
7. Scholastic should not have pulled the book because kids aren't going to come to these conclusions of Hercules being a slave; they're just going to see how a man and his daughter enjoys baking a cake for the president. The kids are too young to actually analyze the book this much.
Ava Travis; 3rd
ReplyDelete1. This controversy over the children’s book is that it doesn’t portray the life of slaves accurately and that the slaves are too “happy” to be slaves.
2. The main characters in the book are Hercules and his daughter Delia.
3. The comparisons between A Fine Dessert and A Birthday Cake for George Washington is that both books are about happy slaves making tweets for their owners in as stated in paragraph four.
4. Ramin Ganeshram and Andrea Davis Pinkney both provided a defense for the book. Their defense is that even though both are them are slaves, they can find happiness in their jobs and that they can have loving exchanges.
5. Pinkney, a black writer and Ganeshram who is of Iranian descent are both qualified to defend the book.
6. She dismissed the defense because slavery is, “a duty. It's survival. It's busy work to pass the time while you're plotting your escape." That slavery is about plotting your escape.
7. Scholastic should not have pulled the book. Children for one do not care about “why a slave is happy” the purpose of the book to show a father and a daughter making a birthday cake. If children know the meaning behind slavery, they should know both sides of the story. While slavery has a hard time for blacks then, they also had happy times with their families.
Abby Ingle
ReplyDelete1.The controversy is over slaves being portrayed as happy and prideful.
2.Hercules and his daughter Delia
3.A Fine Dessert was written by all whites, while A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written by a more diverse group.
4.Andrea Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram both defended the book; their argument was that Hercules was actually treated well and that he was respected as a chef
5. Pinkney argued that Delia was proud of her father, and Ganeshram argued that the book was completely historically accurate
6.D'oyley says that Hercules was just trying to survive, as many other slaves in that time period were.
7. No, because it's a part of history. Pulling the book means that there is one less historical document. History is meant to teach us, so we can learn from mistakes made in the past and hopefully improve for the future. Slavery is wrong. Many slaves were badly mistreated. However, that doesn't mean that the book is not historically accurate. Some slaves were well off. People prefer to focus on the poorly treated slaves, but it's important to note that not all slave owners were horrible to their slaves. I'm not defending the owners; again, slavery is morally wrong, but it's a fact. Slavery is a serious topic, and ALL aspects should be learned.
Mayson Mcgee: Week of January 25th
ReplyDelete1) It shows slaves happily making a cake for George Washington and they said it was whitewashing slavery.
2) Hercules is the chef, and his daughter Delia
3) A Fine desert said, “that the book was written by totally white created team." A Birthday Cake for George Washington said, “The book was written by a diverse group of people, including a Black lady who was well known in the black community Andrea Pinkney.
4) Andrea Davis Pinkney, said that some slaves got happiness out of doing their task and did not mind it. Ramin Ganeshram, the author of the book A Birthday Cake for George Washington, said that in historical records it shows that slaves received "status positions" and they were proud to have those "higher status" jobs.
5) That they were of different race than White. Andrea Davis Pinkney is a part of the African American Race, and Ramin Ganeshram is of Iranian-Trinidadian descent.
6) Demetria D'Oyley says, the book left out the Hercules escape from Mount Vernon, she also said that they weren’t happy to be cooking, they were doing it too survive.
7) I believe that the book should not have been pulled because it is a good kid’s story about a father and daughter and people just turned it into a racist thing just to get attention.
Hannah Jackson
ReplyDelete1.) The controversy is that people argue that this book is providing false history about George Washington's slave. The book makes it seem like the slaves were happy being enslaved.
2.) George Washington's slave, Hercules and his daughter, Delia
3.) A Fine Dessert was written by white people while A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written by people of different races.
4.) The Editor, Andrea Davis Pinkney, spoke of how Hercules was proud of his status as a chef for the president and his daughter helps him cook. She talks about how "almost free" isn't free. "What it means when you and your love ones will never savor the sweet taste of freedom."
The Author, Ramin Ganeshram, spoke how it was a historical document. That Hercules was proud of his status as a "high class slave." She says that we shouldn't erase the ones that were proud of their work.
5.) They both are not white. One is an African American and another was an Irainian - Trinidadian decedent.
6.) She says that they dont talk about Hercules escaping Mount Vernon. She says that being forced to bake a cake isn't prideful or enjoyable because you are being forced to for the sake of themselves or for the sake of their loved ones.
7.) I am not entirely sure. I see and understand both sides. I understand that some people won't like when people write false things but it is their right to write the book. However, on the topic of slavery, we all know it was a terrible thing and nobody likes to be forced to do anything. This may be a historical document and Hercules may have been happy because he liked to cook, but he was not truly happy with his life as a slave even if it was a "higher status slave" because he escaped to get away from that life.
Emily Free
ReplyDelete1) There has been much controversy over whether or not this children's book will leave children with a false impression of slavery and the darkness of it.
2)Washington's slave,Hercules, and his daughter Delia.
3)One of the books was published by a completely white team, and the other was published by a diverse group of people.
4)Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram. Pinkney said that some slaves did actually find some happiness in their tasks, and Ganeshram basically says that there were some slaves that proud of their positions, and if we focus only on the darkness of slavery, their stories will never be told.
5)They are both authors, and Davis Pinkney is black and a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award.
6)D'Oyley says that there was nothing joyful about being a slave, and that everything that they did was a task. Their main goal was to escape their life of bondage.
7) I don't think they should have pulled the book, because I don't think that it glorifies the life of a slave. It is simply a recount of someone's life, and their story should be told. This children's book does not take away the severity of slavery-it is meant to be read by a child, so it cannot be too dark.
Maxine Ball
ReplyDelete1. RAISE stands for Reforming Access for Investments in Startup Enterprises, and is basically an act that President Obama passed that is mainly about transporting funding.
2. The teachers aren’t robots and the students aren’t customers, and he thinks it wouldn’t work but it never did.
3. Because like in a shirt factory years ago, which got bad pay, if the workers were offered a raise, they would automatically work harder.
4. Montgomery
5. Because they believe that family environment is what leads to student success.
6. No, because it’s not exactly the teachers who give the students their test scores, it’s the students themselves. Sure, the teachers teach the material, but it’s up to the students to study and prepare for the exams and tests. If they don’t study and they make a bad grade, that should be on them, not the teachers.
7. Probably starting school later in the morning. I read that it was scientifically proven that the brain doesn’t start working properly until 10 am, and most schools start at around 8 am. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but starting school later may make the students who believe this work harder.
Brooke Allen
ReplyDelete1) Many critics are claiming that the book gives a false impression that slaves were happy and that it diminishes the horror of slavery.
2) Chef Hercules and his daughter Delia both of whom are slaves of President George Washington.
3) In A Fine Dessrrt, the team involved in creating the book were all white. Meanwhile,the team involved in creating A Birthday Cake for George Washington consisted of individuals from many different cultural backgrounds.
4) The first individual to defend this book is Andrea Davis Pinkney. Her claim is that Hercules was what some consider, America's first celebrity chef. He took great pride in his work and experienced a life that was "near freedom." However, he was not free, and his daughter, Delia, was very aware of this. She was incredibly proud of her father's accomplishments as well. The second individual who has defended the book is the author herself, Ramin Ganeshram. She claims that, according to historical record, slaves of high rank were proud of their position and enjoyed the benefits that came with it. She claims that that fact is why the illustator chose to depict the slaves with smiling faces. She also claims that if we only focus on the cruelty of slavery, we could also erase individuals like Chef Hercules history.
5) Andrea Davis Pinkney is both an African American woman and a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. Ramin Ganeshram is the author of the book and is of Iranian-Trinidadian descent.
6) D'Otley says that the book failed to mention that Hercules eventually escaped from Mount Vernon.
7) Well, without having read the book personally, I can't say with confidence whether or not it should have been pulled. But going by the information provided in the article I think that, unless the book acknowledged and spoke about the horrid conditions endured by the slaves during that period of American history in some from, then it should have been pulled. To talk about slaves and depict them as happy and content would be a lie and a degradation of the conditions and hardships that had to go through.
Alyssa Gore
ReplyDelete1.The controversy of this book is that it depicts slavery as a happy thing.
2.The main characters are Hercules and Delia.
3.The comparisons between the two is that they both talk about slaves who love working for the upper class.
4.Ramin Ganeshram and Andrea Davis Pinkey.They defend the book by saying that some slaves loved working with their certain status in the houses.
5.They are qualified to defend the book because they both work for the company.
6.She dismisses the defenses because they left out a big part of the story.
7.I believe that they should have pulled the book because it shows that slavery was a good thing when in reality that's not what happened.
Colby Free
ReplyDelete1. It was a book showing slaves smiling and gave children the wrong idea about slaves.
2. Hercules & Delia
3. Both showed slaves being Happy in what they are doing.
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney- Hercules took pride in his work and was happy to do his job and do it perfectly
Ramin Ganeshram- She believes that slaves were proud of their work and enjoyed the "perks" of it.
5. One was an author and they other was an award winning editor. They were both from a different ethnicity other white.
6. Because it conveniently leaves out that Hercules escaped from Mount Vernon.
7. No. This is a kids book and kids don't understand about slavery yet. Kids don't need sad books, only happy ones because kids should always be happy. Also I agree that not all slaves were sad all they time. some of them had talents that helped them with doing a good job.
1. “A Birthday Cake For George Washington” is a children’s story about Hercules, a slave, and his job as chef for George Washington. The story has gathered a lot of controversial reviews, and is now being pulled by Scholastic. The book depicts Hercules and his daughter to be happy and joyful in their work that they were doing for Washington, and many critics have argued that this imagery to be harmful towards young kids by suggesting to them that Slavery was not all that bad.
ReplyDelete2. The main characters of the book are Hercules, a slave and Washington’s head chef, and his daughter Delia.
3. The Article cites that, “A Fine Dessert” was written by a completely white creative team, while “A Birthday Cake for George Washington” was written by a racially and ethnically diverse team. Both books were about Slaves being happy with their jobs and roles in the Kitchen, and both books were criticized for the way that they portrayed the slaves.
4. Davis Pinkney, author of “A Fine Dessert” argued that Hercules did take pride in his work and was happy in his duty as Washington’s chef. He dressed nice and he always wanted to have total control of the kitchen. Pinkney does argue though that being ‘almost-free’ and free are not the same and that Hercules did one day dream of being free, and he ultimately escaped.
Ramin Ganeshram, author of, “A Birthday Cake for George Washington” takes a different route than Pinkney and claims that it’s not personal opinion, rather that it is historical record that slave of a high standing positions took pride in them. Ganeshram claims that if you depict slaves in any other way than being in an awful status or shape, that you run the risk of erasing the slaves, like Hercules, from history as actually being happy in his position.
5. Pinkney, is a well-educated African American, who also has won the Coretta Scott King Award. Pinkney is a historian and is very educated on the matter of slavery. Ganeshram is of Iranian-Trinidadian descent and is also a historian very well educated on the history of slavery, particularly that of Hercules, and is more than qualified to have written this book.
6. D’Oyley argues that their claims are irrelevant and that their respective books do not mention the fact that Hercules escaped Washington’s home at Mount Vernon. D’Oyley also claims that Hercules and his daughter cooked for Washington because they had to, it was their duty, and if they didn’t they wpuld have been punished.
7. I do not believe the book should have been pulled by Scholastic because they are meant for an audience of little children. If this were to be a young adult novel or even an adult novel, I’d have to agree on it being pulled. The book is aimed towards children, and I don’t believe the way that Hercules and his daughter are portrayed will affect the way little children think of slavery in any way, shape or form. I believe the book is not in any way meant to be a degrading piece of work about slavery, it’s just a simple form of literature that help children learn about these specific events.
Cole Frederick
ReplyDelete1. People say its whitewashing the history of slavery.
2. Hercules and Delia
3. another story about happy slaves making sweet treats
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram; they said that it was not some made up story, but an actual historical record.
5. Davis is black and a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. Ganeshram is the author of the book who is of Iranian-Trinidadian descent.
6. The book conveniently leaves out that Hercules escaped from Mount Vernon.
7. No, they shouldn't have because it's an actual historical reference and none of us know whether he was happy or not, which should give the author to express his opinion on whether or not he thought he was happy or not.
nick sanders 1st
ReplyDelete1. the controversy that has arisen is that people do not like the fact that the slaves that are working for President Washington are shown as if they are enjoying it, they feel as if it's not showing how slaves truly acted.
2. Hercules the chef, and his daughter Delia
3. A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written by a group of white people, while A Fine Dessert was written by a group of people of different ethnic backgrounds.
4. Andrea Davis Pickney, the editor of A Fine Dessert wrote that it was a messy affair, and some slaves did find happiness in their work. Ramin Ganeshram the author wrote that it is a historical record that slaves were proud of the special positions they receive.
5. one was the editor of the book and the other was the author.
6. Demetria D'Oyley dismisses the defenses because they forget to add that Hercules escapes Mount Vernon in the book.
7. No, there is no reason to pull it just because some people are immature and believe that we only punished slaves is absurd and their should no controversy over a childrens book.
Jane Frances Armour
ReplyDelete1. The controversy over this children's book is that the slaves are portrayed as happy and prideful, and people were criticizing that it wasn't actually like that and they were afraid children would think slaves were happy about not being free.
2. Hercules who is Washington's chef, and his daughter, Delia.
3. A Fine Dessert was published by an all white creative team, while A Birthday Cake for George Washington was made by a diverse team. They were both though about black slaves making food for their master and being happy about it.
4. Andrea Davis Pinkey and Ramin Ganeshram.
5. Pinkey is the editor of the book, she is black and she has won the Coretta Scott King award. Ganeshram is the author of the book and she is of Iranian-Trinidadian decent.
6. D'Oyley dismisses their explanations because in the book they leave out that Hercules escaped from Mount Vernon and slaves in real life were not happy and only wanted to escape.
7. Yes, because we can't sugar-coat or change the past just because people are ashamed of it. History should be told as it is was because if not the past can repeat it self or the true history could be forgotten.
Grace Glasscock
ReplyDelete1. Slaves are being shown working for President Washington and happily being slaves and the real things of slavery are not shown.
2. Hercules the chef and Delia his daughter
3. A Fine Dessert is a book written on the topic of slavery by a group of people of different races and A Birthday Cake for George Washington is written by a group of white people.
4. Ramin Ganeshram says its history that slaves were proud when they got to position of working closely to the President and Andrea Davis Pickney says its a messy situation but slaves were still happy with there jobs.
5. Ganeshram is the author of A Fine Dessert and Pickney is the editor.
6. She says that it does not mention in the books that Hercules actually escaped from slavery at Mount Vernon.
7. No, because their is no real reason to, its a children's book and who cares if slaves are shown happy its better than to show them being abused.
Julie Morrison
ReplyDelete1. People are not liking how the books are about slaves and believe that its a false statement on how slavery really was.
2. The main characters are Hercules and Delia.
3. Both of the books are about slavery and about a famous slave who "enjoyed" their work as a slave.
4. Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram both provide a defense in the books. They both talk about how slaved people in these books were proud of their positions and that they took pride in what they did.
5. How it talks about the slaves being happy when they probably weren't and how he finally escaped but left his kid.
6. She dismisses them because she talks about they didn't say how he escaped from the place and left that out.
7. No, because its a part of history and shouldn't be taken away just because some ones feelings were hurt about it. But, the book title could be more clear that its about a slave and the book could be more truthful.
Gretchen Whisenant
ReplyDelete1. Critics are afraid that these books lighten how horrible slavery was.
2. Hercules and Delia.
3. A Fine Dessert is another story about happy slaves and cooking.
4. Pinkney writes that Hercules was pretty much a celebrity chef and was proud of his position with his daughter alongside him.
Ganeshram says that historical records show that enslaved people were proud to have 'status' positions, but then goes on to say that the illustrations might diminish the cruelty of slavery.
5. They are of races that know persecution and because of historical records that show enslaved people with 'status' positions were proud.
6. They left out that Hercules escaped.
7. Yes. If you don't provide further context about what was happening in that time period, it could really lighten what was happening, and what was happening is really not something to be light about.
BRIAN PHAM (PHAMTASTIC PHAMALICIOUS PHAMTOM)
ReplyDelete1. The controversy that has arisen in this book is mostly due to the idea that slaves were always plotting to escape from their captors, but somehow managed to take advantage of whatever freedom they had when they were given special status.
2. The main characters in the book are Hercules and his daughter Delia.
3. The comparisons between "A Fine Dessert" and "A Birthday Cake for George Washington" consists of both books having something to do with baking sweets or treats, but one with a white creative team and the other team having an interracial creative team.
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney, speaks about how Hercules took advantage of his special status and how Delia looked up to her father, although, they wanted to truly taste freedom. Ramin Ganeshram, speaks about how prideful slaves could be and wanted to also take advantage his status with the notion that historical figures like Hercules should be kept alive in literature and history.
5. The details that gives the qualifications for the two people to defend the book is Hercules taking control of his kitchen once a year and on Washington's birthday, Hercules' renowned skill as a chef, and countless other achievements throughout his life.
6. Demetria D'Oyley dismisses the defenses because she states that slaves were always plotting their escape from captivity; special status did not matter.
7. In my opinion, Scholastic should have pulled the book because children's books should not contain anything "slave" related. However, I believe the book should not have been pulled because it is related to history which should always be preserved and used as a way to learn valuable lessons so as not to repeat the events of the past.
Aaron Pugh 2nd
ReplyDelete1. The controversy in the book is about a slave, and the misinterpretation that is presented about the his happiness. Most people have a problem with the fact that children will grow up with a misconception about slavery.
2. The main characters in this book are Hercules and his daughter.
3.A fine desert is a story that is also about a slave making desserts, but the only difference is that the book is written by all white people.
4. The two people that try to defend the book are the authors of the book. Andrea Davis Pinkney speaks on the fact that Hercules felt that he had a high position and he was happy. Ramin Ganeshram, another author also discusses that Hercules was happy and content with his high position in the Washington House as a slave.
5. Andrea Pinkney is a black person, and also has won a Coretta Scott King award. Ramin Ganeshram is also a person of non-European descent.
6. He dismisses these claims because it was later found out that Hercules escaped and left his daughter, which shows his unhappiness.
7. I think the book should have been pulled, because it gives children a false interpretation of what slavery actually was. Children do not have to see all the terrible horrors and cruelty that slavery presented, but they need to know the truth.
Cameron Rico
ReplyDelete1.) That the authors are whitewashing history and the slaves have smiles on their faces
2.) Hercules and Delia
3.) That the fine dessert was made by an all white team and the birthday cake one was made by a diverse black team
4.) Pinkney and Ganeshram
Pinkney said that hercules was a happy person in history and he was almost like America's first famous chef so of course he was going to be happy and and Ganeshram says that normally slaves in high positions loved showing off their perks and were glad they were important
5.) Pinkney is black and a recipient of a Corretta Scott King Award and Ganeshram is of Iranian and Trinidadian descent and they both aren't white
6.) Because they didn't mention he escaped from Mount Vernon
7.) I don't think it really matters and they shouldn't have pulled the book. It seems like they're making a big deal about a small detail and its meant for kids in the first place . would you tell a 1st- 5th grader about the bloody torture or all the pain and misery they went through while they're at that age. Now I'm not saying completely blind them from the truth but just like wait until they are old enough to fully understand the magnitude of the situation .
Sam Andrus
ReplyDelete1. Controversy has arisen over this children's book because it omits the harsh reality of slavery which may give some children a false impression of our nation's history. It even portrays slaves as happy.
2. The main characters in the book are Hercules, his daughter Dalia, and their master George Washington
3. In the fourth and fifth sections of the article, "A Fine Dessert" and "A Birthday Cake for George Washington" are compared, explaining how both books are about slaves that seem happy while making sweets, but "A Fine Dessert" was created by a group of white people, while "A Birthday Cake for George Washington" was created by colored people.
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram defended the book. Pinkney argued that, while slavery was obviously a horrible life, some slaves found joy in some of their tasks. Ganeshram explains that we should not focus solely on the terrible cruelty of slavery, but we should also learn that many slaves used their skills to the best of their advantage and found meaning in their work.
5. Pinkney is qualified as a black winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and Ganeshram is qualified by being the author of the book and by being of Iranian-Trinidadian descent.
6. Demetria D'Oyley dismissed the defenses based on what she thought Hercules felt like as a slave.
7. In my opinion, Scholastic made the right decision because the book makes an unclear impression of the reality of out nations history.
mills harrison
ReplyDelete1. it has turned it into a battle of the races and made a huge deal in the community
2. Hercules George Washington's slave
3. A Fine Desert was written by all white people and A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written by a group of diversity.
4. Andrea David Pinkney said Hercules was the first chef of america and held a high position not for a slave. and Ranin Ganeshram said slaves recited status positions and were proud of them.
5. pinkney made the book and she is an African American woman and ganeshram is the author of a racial inclined book to
6.she says that it is a false impression of slavery and that it was hard pass time work to figure out the escape plan.
7. No because it was not ment to be racial it was meant to show kid historical acts.
John McDonough
ReplyDeleteThe children’s book was pulled by scholastic because it portrays slavery in a positive light. The main characters are Hercules, George Washington’s slave chef, and his daughter Delia. An essay in Kirkus by Vicky Smith notes that both A Fine Desert and A Birthday Cake for George Washington depicted happy slaves but while A Fine Desert was written by white people, A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written and illustrated by a diverse group. Pinkney and Ganeshram defend the book. Pinkney explains that Hercules was well known because of his culinary skill and that Delia had great pride in her father’s work. Ganeshram states that enslaved people with higher status were often proud of their positions and claims that by focusing only on a single aspect of slavery we may forget about those like Hercules who were so remarkable and talented that they overcame many of the cruelties of slavery. Demetria D’Oyley dismisses these defense because Hercules escaped from Mount Vernon, showing that he did not enjoy being enslaved. Scholastic is justified in pulling the book because it was drawing criticism that it didn’t want to be associated with regardless of how Scholastic felt about the book.
Julie brown 1
ReplyDeleteDescribe the controversy that has arisen over this children's book. It is whitewashing the history of slavery.
2. Who are the main characters in the book? Hercules and his daughter Delia
3. Cite the comparisons that the article makes between A Fine Dessert and A Birthday Cake for George Washington. A fine dessert was written by white people and a birthday cake for George Washington was written by colored people.
4. Which two people, quoted in the article, provide a defense for the book? Summarize their defense. Pinkney defends them by saying not all slaves hates their jobs, Hercules is considers the first celebrity chef in America. Though they knew they were not free they still enjoyed their lives. Ramin Ganeshram defends them by saying that like today's times people with high titles were treated better and thus enjoyed their lives more.
5. What details given in the article qualify these two people to defend the book? Pinkney is the editor of the book and Ramin is an author.
6. Why does Demetria D'Oyley dismiss these defenses? It leaves out his escape from mount Vernon
7. In your opinion, should Scholastic have pulled the book? Why or why not?
No, there are much more offensive books out there and not all slaves were miserable.
Haden Jones
ReplyDelete1.it was about George Washington's slaves happily cooking him a cake, whitewashing the history of slavery.
2. Washington's slave cook Hercules and his daughter Delia
3.A Fine Dessert was written and drawn by all white group, but this book was written and drawn by a diverse group.
4.Andrea Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram both stated that this isn't fiction but actual history
5.That yes he did live a near-freedom life, but it was still unhappy to the extent that he escaped Mount Vernon.
6.Because he was forced to work over a stove for days upon days to bake a cake for a man that has enslaved both him and his daughter and was miserable enough for him to escape.
7.No, because the story wasn't focusing on Hercules and Delia the slaves, but on Hercules and Delia the proud and famous cook and his daughter. People nowadays are way too sensitive about slavery and try to act like it happened just last year, and these people obsess over the idea that slavery needs to be this darkness that had absolutely no light inside it. Yes, slavery was a sad and terrible thing that happened but not every single person that was enslaved had a horrible, miserable grind of a life.
Haden Jones
ReplyDelete1.it was about George Washington's slaves happily cooking him a cake, whitewashing the history of slavery.
2. Washington's slave cook Hercules and his daughter Delia
3.A Fine Dessert was written and drawn by all white group, but this book was written and drawn by a diverse group.
4.Andrea Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram both stated that this isn't fiction but actual history
5.That yes he did live a near-freedom life, but it was still unhappy to the extent that he escaped Mount Vernon.
6.Because he was forced to work over a stove for days upon days to bake a cake for a man that has enslaved both him and his daughter and was miserable enough for him to escape.
7.No, because the story wasn't focusing on Hercules and Delia the slaves, but on Hercules and Delia the proud and famous cook and his daughter. People nowadays are way too sensitive about slavery and try to act like it happened just last year, and these people obsess over the idea that slavery needs to be this darkness that had absolutely no light inside it. Yes, slavery was a sad and terrible thing that happened but not every single person that was enslaved had a horrible, miserable grind of a life.
Cameron Simon
ReplyDelete1)That it was whitewashing the history of slavery
2)Hercules and Delia
3)Happy slaves, A Fine Dessert was created by an all white team while this was created by a diverse group of people
4)Andrea Pinkney-Hercules was a celebrity chef in those days but he dreamed of liberty while Delia was proud of her fathers achievements in the kitchen
Ramin Ganeshram-If we just focus on the horrible aspects of slavery then we dismiss the slaves that were actually proud of their positions that they had.
5)The slaves were being depicted as happy people
6)It leaves out the part when he escaped from Mount Vernon
7)Scholastic should have pulled out the book because it could like they said give kids the wrong understanding about slavery. If this was a kids book then it really should have ben pulled.
1. Many critics disagree with the way slaves are depicted in a happy state
ReplyDelete2. Hercules is the slave chef, Delila is his daughter
3. A fine desert and a birthday cake for George Washington both feature happy slaves making treats.
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney states that some slaves enjoyed their jobs. She says that Hercules enjoyed cooking and he prided himself in it. Ramin Ganeshram points out how it is historically accurate for enslaved blacks enjoyed having authoritative positions.
5. They both worked on the book. Pinkney helped illustrate and edit the book while Ganeshram is the author. Pinkney is black while Ganeshram is also a minority.
6. D'Oyley says that slavery wasn't happiness or pride, but it's a duty. She also addresses how Hercules escaped slavery but left his daughter behind.
7. Yes, it's not historically accurate and gives the wrong idea about slavery.
James Atchison
ReplyDelete1st
1. Many critics disagree with the way slaves are depicted in a happy state
2. Hercules is the slave chef, Delila is his daughter
3. A fine desert and a birthday cake for George Washington. Both feature slaves making treats and enjoying it.
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney states that some slaves enjoyed their jobs. She says that Hercules enjoyed cooking and he prided himself in it. Ramin Ganeshram points out how it is historically accurate for enslaved blacks enjoyed having authoritative positions.
5. They both worked on the book. Pinkney helped illustrate and edit the book while Ganeshram is the author. Pinkney is black while Ganeshram is also a minority.
6. D'Oyley says that slavery wasn't happiness or pride, but it's a duty. She also addresses how Hercules escaped slavery but left his daughter behind.
7. No, they should not have pulled the book because it's important to not censor literature, because at the very least, we could learn from it and record it's place in history. The likelihood someone would be convinced that slavery was harmless by this book is slim to none.
Katelyn Hardy
ReplyDelete1. The story, A Birthday Cake for George Washington, which is a picture book about one of George Washington's slaves, was recently pulled for displaying slaves as being happy, and it is being considered historically inaccurate.
2. Hercules and his daughter Delia
3. A Fine Dessert was published by a totally white creative team. A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written, illustrated and edited by a diverse group of people of color.
4. Andrea Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram. Pinky defends the book by saying that Hercules works hard at his job and Delia is telling the story if why she is so proud of him. Ganeshram defends it by saying that many slaves in this time period were proud when they had such jobs as these.
5. Andrea Davis Pinkney is black and a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. Ramin Ganeshram, the author of the book who is of Iranian-Trinidadian descent.
6. D'Oyley wrote, "Slaving, literally, over a hot 18th century stove to bake a cake for a man who has you and your child in bondage ain't happiness or pride. It's duty. It's survival. It's busy work to pass the time while you're plotting your escape."
7. I don't think they should have pulled the book. All though those were hard times for slaves, that's not to say all were unhappy. This book just represents a slave that made a good living for himself and his daughter, and it shows how proud she was of him.
Michael Ayala
ReplyDelete1. Because the book deals with Washington's slave baking him a cake for his birthday and they are portrayed smiling. But people know that they were not happy and planned escape for freedom.
2. Hercules and Delia
3. That the slaves in the story were doing work and we're happy the whole time.
4. Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram. Basically what they said is that this is a very historic story about this guy because he was known as one of the best who has ever served a president and that he is seen as a hero and inspiration to others.
5. Because they are both different minorities.
6. Because no matter what it still shows how slaves were used. And because they failed to mention in the book that the father escapes and leaves the daughter.
7. Yes I believe they should have since it had caused problems, but if the book was just being made about just baking a cake with different minorities of people. However the book is all about slaves doing the work and happy to do so. But in the end we all know they weren't happy and mostly planned for escape.
Na'Daisha Mckinstry
ReplyDelete1. The controversy is that, when children read this book they will get a watered down version of how slavery really was.
2. Chef Hercules and Delia
3. The article stated that, “A Fine Dessert,….., was published by a totally white creative team. A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written, illustrated and edited by a diverse group of people of color…..”
4. Davis Pinkney and Ramin Ganeshram they defended their book by saying, that the privileged slaves did take pride in what they were told to do each, and, every day ,and, had a taste of freedom every once in a while. They also explained that we should just focus on negative parts of slavery because there are some great people that came out of it.
5. Davis Pinkney won the Coretta Scott King Award and Ramin Ganeshram is of Iranian-Trinidadian decent.
6. D’Oyley dismissed them because the book they wrote an book that didn’t say he escaped slavery and left behind his daughter or depict anything that really happened in slavery because even if Hercules was a famous slave chef he was just that a slave and it was his duty to cook that cake and other food not a privilege.
7. Yes, Scholastic should have pulled the book because it did not depict history correct, and gave false assumptions these slaves were not happy ultimately because they were not free and what they did not put in the book should have become a book because its Hercules life after escaping slavery.
1. The book portrays slaves as being happy when slavery was a horrific time and should be remembered for its dreadfulness, which offended many people.
ReplyDelete2. Hercules and his daughter Delia
3. A Fine Dessert was created by all white people, while a Birthday Cake for George Washington was created by a racially diverse group of people.
4. Pinkney and Ganeshram; Pinkney said Hercules was famously remembered and admired by all around America, he was Washington's best cook and lived a life full of appreciation and well-treatment. He was, indeed, happy and lived a life close to freedom. Delia is proud of her father and all that he does. She understands she is a slave, but she happily stays by her father's side unaffected. Ganeshram uses a more historical side, saying it is accurate that slaves showed appreciation of being chosen to serve someone so superior. Although slavery is horrible, Chief Hercules was a bright man who was very skillful and dedcated in everything he did, and that should be recognized.
5. Pinckney edited and illustrated the book and Ganesham wrote it
6. She said it wasn't accurate because he escaped Mount Vernon so he must not have been happy there, and he was forced to make the cake.
7. No, it gives children an insight knowing some American history as well as entertainment. There were happy slaves and Chief Hercules was a well-known man that should be recognized for his skillfulness and dedication.
Abby Nelson
ReplyDelete1. The book A "Birthday Cake for George Washington" that is about one of the slaves of George Washington, was pulled for showing slaves being happy and it's now being considered historically inaccurate.
2. Delia and her father, Hercules.
3. A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written, illustrated, and edited by a diverse group of people that were of color. The other book, "A Fine Dessert", was published by a team that was completely white.
4. Ramin Ganeshram and Andrea Davis Pinkey. Pinky defends it as she says that Hercules is always a hard worker at his job and Delia is tells why shes proud of him. Ganeshram defends it by saying that alot of slaves were proud when they had jobs like these.
5. Andrea Davis Pinkney is an African American and won the Coretta Scott King Award. The author, Ramin Ganeshram, is of Iranian-Trinidadian descent.
6. They dismiss these defenses because, basically, slaves only did what they were told to survive and "pass the time" while they were trying to escape.
7. No, i dont think so because they were showing how not all slaves were unhappy, some just made the best of the situation they were dealt with.
Talia Gordon
ReplyDelete1). That the book down plays what slavery was actually like.
2). President Washington's chef and his daughter.
3). A Fine Dessert was written by a white team and A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written by a colored team.
4). Andrea Davis Pinkney says that American history was messy but some slaves enjoyed their tacks. Ramon Ganensehram says that people don't like this book because some people don't want to diminish the horror of slavery.
5). Pinkney is a black writer and Ganensehram is of Iranian-Trinitarian desent.
6). Because she says that the book leaves out Hercules' escape from Mount Vernon.
7). I Really don't know because slavery was very harsh and cruel, but it is true that some slaves were happy with their owners.
Hannah Glasscock
ReplyDelete1.The people believe that the book is whitewashing the history of slavery and that in other kids books there have not been any problem with any of this stuff.
2. Delia and Hercules
3. The article says that A Fine Dessert was published by a totally white creative team and that A Birthday Cake for George Washington was written by a diverse group of people of color.
4. Pikney and she says that the book tells about when you and your loved ones will never savor the sweet taste of freedom. Ramin Ganeshram and she says that we fear that if we deviate from the narrative of constant-cruelty we diminish the horror of slavery.
5. Ramin Ganeshram is of Iranian-Trinidadian descent and Andrea Davis Pinkney is black and a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award.
6. She says that it leaves out the evil of slavery and that the book may leave kids with "a false impression of the reality of the lives of slaves.
7. No I do not think that they should have pulled the book because it shows a persons view on how they feel about slavery and just because someone doesn't think that its right and doesn't like what they say doesn't mean that they should completely get rid of it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Victoria Jones
ReplyDelete1. The book is about a slave of George Washingtons and his daughter who are both happy to be making a cake for Washington. The controversy is over the fact that slavery is not a happy subject.
2. Hercules and his daughter, Delia.
3. A Fine Dessert was created by white individuals, whereas A birthday Cake for George Washington was made from black individuals.
4. Davis Pinkney- Hercules was a near-free, highly achieved chef for Washington whos daughter often worked beside him.
Ramin Ganeshram- The life of slaves should not be taken lightly and made into a happy story.
5. Pinkney won the Coretta Scott King Award. Ganeshram is the author of the book.
6. Because Hercules escaped from Mount Vernon.
7. No because it was, and is, a harmless childrens book about people who are happy to make a cake.