Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry — Content Guide for Parents
Found in this book
- ViolenceCentral
- Scary contentSupporting
- ReligionBriefChristian
- Race & cultureCentral
- ProfanityBrief
- Sexual contentBrief
Not found
- Climate
- Gender roles
- Gender & orientation
Content themes
Factual summary of themes present in this book. No opinion — just the facts.
Get the full theme breakdown in the app
Summaries and source quotes for every theme.
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Religion
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
"[Taylor] writes not with rancor or bitterness of indignities, but with pride, strength, and respect for humanity."—The New York Times Book Review
With the land to hold them together, nothing can tear the Logans apart.
Why is the land so important to Cassie's family? It takes the events of one turbulent year—the year of the night riders and the burnings, the year a white girl humiliates Cassie in public simply because she is black—to show Cassie that having a place of their own is the Logan family's lifeblood. It is the land that gives the Logans their courage and pride, for no matter how others may degrade them, the Logans possess soemthing no one can take away.
"The vivid story of a black family whose warm ties to each other and their land give them strength to defy rural Southern racism during the Depression . . . the novel shows the rich inner rewards of black pride, love, and independence despite the certainty of outer defeat."—Booklist, starred review
A National Book Award Nominee • American Book Award Honor Book • An ALA Notable Book • A NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies • A Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book
Frequently asked questions
Is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry appropriate for a 7-year-old?
Racist violence runs through the story: men are burned, a father is shot, a teen is beaten, children are whipped, and a lynch mob threatens a boy. Night riders, burnings, a mob and a near lynching make for frightening and disturbing scenes that a parents' guide says should be read with an adult.
Does Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry have violence?
Found (Central): Racist violence runs through the story: men are burned, a father is shot, a teen is beaten, children are whipped, and a lynch mob threatens a boy.
Does Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry have scary content?
Found (Supporting): Night riders, burnings, a mob and a near lynching make for frightening and disturbing scenes that a parents' guide says should be read with an adult.
Does Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry have religion?
Found (Brief, Christian): Big Ma, a Logan family grandmother, is described as very religious and passes her views to Cassie; the local black church is mentioned.
Does Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry have race & culture?
Found (Central): The story is about a Black family facing racism and discrimination in 1930s Mississippi, including humiliation, segregated schooling, racial slurs and racist violence.
Does Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry have profanity?
Found (Brief): The book includes racial slurs (counted under race) and mild religious oaths.
Does Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry have sexual content?
Found (Brief): Common Sense Media notes vague references to rape, which are talked about but not shown.
Does Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry have gender roles?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry have gender & orientation?
Not found in the sources we checked.
