Poignant persistence

In the heart of the Jim Crow era, many black people moved to places like Philadelphia in search of opportunities. Hattie Mae Begins Again (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 368 pp.) tells the story of one such girl who receives an invitation to attend Miss Abigail’s School for Exceptional Young Ladies.

While Hattie Mae looks like the other young women at the school, the spunky Southern farm girl sticks out amid the sea of debutantes-to-be. Eventually, most of the girls develop respect for Hattie Mae’s confidence and leadership, but a snooty doctor’s daughter continually reminds Hattie Mae she does not belong. “You are all show and pretense,” says Lisa. “A charity case. … It will all come out in the wash. They’ll see.” But it’s Hattie Mae who comes to see that Lisa’s facade hides deep hurts. Hattie Mae also observes the other girls’ obsession with social status. She, too, becomes enticed by the prospect of appearing in the society pages until she recognizes being part of “the upper crust” isn’t as valuable as having opportunities to do good.

This middle-grade book is an easy read since author Sharon G. Flake frames the story in free-flowing, lyrical prose. With an immersive writing style and colorful details, Flake invites readers to see the world through Hattie Mae’s eyes.

While the book emphasizes character, working hard, and making your own way in spite of expectations that precede you, it also promotes some slightly wishy-washy morals, such as assuming that a person’s greatest asset is his or her commitment to authenticity. Still, the story promotes compassion and forgiveness even in the face of injustice: “Maybe mean people need more love than the rest of us.”

In A Knot Is Not a Tangle (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 48 pp.), a young boy spends weeks making a traditional Persian rug with his grandmother. Hopeful to make the perfect rug, the boy grows frustrated when the process isn’t always straightforward. His grandmother reminds him, perfection isn’t the goal: “The purpose is to make a precious memory.” After all, that’s what made their old rug so special.

Author Daniel Nayeri details the process of making the rug, from carding wool that Grandpa sheared to using a hook to knot the spun wool around the warps. Since the story develops along a detailed step-by-step explanation and is paired with Vesper Stamper’s rich-toned illustrations, it is reminiscent of Harriet Ziefert’s A New Coat for Anna.

Like many of Nayeri’s other books, this picture book includes plenty of bite-sized proverbs. Beautiful things, the grandmother assures the boy, aren’t so because they have no flaws. “Nothing in this world is perfect, and nothing should pretend to be,” she explains. “Our job is only to make knots out of the tangles.” Such wisdom may encourage children who aspire to artistic feats yet struggle with a sense of perfectionism.