Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

I was surprised to see Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman in our class reserved section of controversial and banned books. A text book in one of my other classes had mentioned this title before, talking about what a great book it was for kids. (I cannot remember the exact parameters of this description, but I recognized the title right away from hearing about it in my other class's text.)

The story is one that seems somewhat common. A young girl wants to be the lead in her school play - Peter Pan. However, she is quickly told that she cannot be Peter Pan because she is a girl. Seems ordinary enough. However, another kid chimes in, saying Grace cannot be Peter Pan because she is black. Here's where the controversy comes in. But is this really a controversy? I have a feeling it is something that comes up quite often, especially in classrooms full of young children who tend to be very literal. With kids, often what you see is what you get. The Disney portrayal of Peter Pan is a white cartoon character. To them, this makes the whiteness binding. If the book ended here, I could begin to understand why it was controversial.

But it doesn't. In fact, the book goes on to talk about Grace's portrayal as Peter Pan in the play. She perseveres past the doubt. She knows she has the right to be Peter Pan as much as anyone else, and she reaches her goal. I could see this book being read in elementary classroom as an example of the power of believing in yourself. Despite what other people may say, you can overcome great obstacles if you believe. That is the message I get from the book. Sounds like a good one to me.