Belle Teal

Martin, A.M. (2001). Belle Teal. New York: Scholastic Press.

Segregation. It is a word that was often spoken in the early 20^th century and became a huge issue in the 50’s and 60’s. It is something that has been fought against for years and still, in some ways, is being fought today. Belle Teal is a girl growing up in the early 60’s and integration of schools is occurring in her town for the first time. She is determined however, to have the best year yet because she has Miss Casey, a sweet teacher who wears French perfume. She wonders why anyone has to be so upset over someone of a different skin color coming to her school anyway. Aren’t they a person too?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in these difficult and tumultuous times? What would you have done if you saw parents and adults shouting in protest at young children who are coming to an “all-white” school for the first time? Would you have stood up for someone who was being teased for the color of their skin? What would you have done to fight against the hate? Belle Teal believes hate creates more hate. She is a brave girl who is teased herself, especially after having to wear the same dress two days in a row. What will she do when she is surrounded by hate at her school? Belle also finds that she has some lessons to learn herself about making judgments of those in her class: the well-dressed confident girl in the front row and the boy who seems tough but has bruises and tells her he is clumsy. Belle Teal sorts all of her thoughts and confusion out on paper in her journal and makes sure she uses any of her extra time for thinking. Read Belle Teal and see how she juggles all of these obstacles. Could you be as strong as Belle Teal?