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Sugar
Sugar
Sugar
Audiobook5 hours

Sugar

Written by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Narrated by Bahni Turpin

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

For Sugar, life is anything but sweet.

Ten-year-old Sugar lives on River Road Plantation along the banks of the Mississippi River. Slavery is over, but working in the sugarcane fields all day doesn’t make her feel very free. Thankfully, Sugar knows how to make her own fun, telling stories, climbing trees, and playing with forbidden friend Billy, the plantation owner’s son.

Then a group of Chinese workers arrives to help harvest the cane. Sugar wants to know everything about them—she loves the way they dress, their unfamiliar language, and, best of all, the stories they tell of dragons and emperors. Unfortunately, other folks on the plantation feel differently—they’re fearful of these new neighbors and threatened by their different customs. Sugar knows things will only get better if everyone works together, so she sets out to help the two communities realize they’re not so different after all.

Sugar is the inspiring story of a strong, spirited young girl who grows beyond her circumstances and helps others work toward a brighter future.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 7, 2013
ISBN9781469274003
Sugar
Author

Jewell Parker Rhodes

Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes is the author of six adult novels: Voodoo Dreams, Magic City, Douglass’ Women, Season, Moon, and Hurricane, as well as the memoir Porch Stories: A Grandmother’s Guide to Happiness and two writing guides, Free within Ourselves: Fiction Lessons for Black Authors and The African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Nonfiction. Jewell is also the author of seven books for youth, including the New York Times bestsellers Ghost Boys and Black Brother, Black Brother. She has won the American Book Award, the Black Caucus of the American Library Award for Literary Excellence, and the Jane Addams Peace Association Book Award. Jewell is the founding artistic director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing and narrative studies professor and Virginia G. Piper endowed chair at Arizona State University. She was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Carnegie-Mellon University. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

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Reviews for Sugar

Rating: 4.275193837209303 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

258 ratings26 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent story! I also enjoy the Narrator on this audio book Bahin Turpin.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Narrated by Bahni Turpin. The author brings out a lesser known aspect of plantation history, that Chinese workers were brought in to work the sugar fields in the south. Turpin performs with gusto as usual; in her hands Sugar is irrepressible and full of spark. Revealing and entertaining for family listening.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sugar is an orphaned girl that has witnessed salvery. Even though at this point in the book salvery is abolished, Sugar isn't really free. She still lives on the same plantation and works long and hard in the sugar fields. Some of the workers move to the north so to speed up the sugar production, the master hires Chinese workers. Sugar is forbidden to go near them but she doesn't listen. Soon they learn how to work together and become connected.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was definitely a hit- the character development was spot on, the plot points were all very well executed, and the narrator just adds to the brilliance of the whole package! It's no secret Bahni is one of my faves, and she excelled as usual as the voice of so many great characters. I found myself wanting to hug lil Sugar soooooo many times throughout the story, she's just precious. Surprisingly enough, Noname/Jade came in as a close second ! lol I really really like how the author incorporated a pet into this type of story. It makes Sugar that much more unique
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An interesting story, set in reconstruction in a sugar plantation in Louisiana. Short chapters, interspersed with woodcuts, and the first book I've ever seen that talks about the Chinese workers who were brought in to cut cane after slavery was abolished. Sugar is a child without a family, cared for by the other freed slaves who staff the plantation. She's a strong character, and she refuses to be bound into a place -- she wants to see the world, she wants to make friends with the owner's son Billy and the new Chinese workers, she wants to find a path that doesn't harm her caretakers, the Beales.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    children's historical fiction (sugar plantation in years following Emancipation/civil war; importation of Chinese labor to replace slaves and racial relations among the three groups). [maybe 3rd-5th grades]

    Characters were likeable but felt flat--Sugar felt like she'd been overly simplified (she's 10, but her thinking process was more like a 6-year-old's). I only read so far as page 36, so it's possible that the author did such a good job of handling the race issues as to earn more stars, but I am certainly not that impressed with the beginning. I did enjoy the perspective offered during description of the sugarcane harvest--all those sharp, vicious little leaves on the cane plants, etc.

    In light of the new Common Core shifts, I would have liked to see richer language (more vocabulary) and a more sophisticated voice for Sugar--I know 10 is still in many ways young, but I think the target audience can certainly enjoy (and should be exposed to) more complex language than this 'everyday' kind of dialogue.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sugar is an orphaned ten year old who lives on a plantation. Despite slavery being abolished, Sugar is technically not free. She still works long and brutal hours on a sugar cane field. She dreams of moving north but has no means to do so. Sugar becomes friends with the plantation owner's son, Billy. As their forbidden friendship grows, Billy reveals that Chinese people are coming to the plantation to work on the sugar cane fields.Through her innocence and charm, Sugar befriends the Chinese, connecting everyone on the plantation. Soon after, the plantation is destroyed by a fire. Everything that Sugar has known was gone. But now she is finally free from the sugar cane field and goes north. Sugar is a brave and fierce little girl with a warm heart and because of that this book was great!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sugar is a young slave girl working on a sugarcane plantation. The story depicts life on a planation during the abolition of slavery. This book pulls back the curtain to what slaves went through. They would sometimes work morning until midnight harvesting crops, while barely sleeping and constantly in poor health. Sugar had an amazing innocence about her. The way she saw the world was different. Sugar never saw color, she simply saw people for who they were. We see examples of her character throughout the book from how she befriends Billy even after being told to stay away from him and how she did not see the Chinamen as something that she should not interact with but simply as just people. Sugar has the personality of a born leader. She works with Beau to unite both communities regardless of the status quo. Her constant desire to care for her community is what makes her a great leader as opposed to just a "leader". Even during the fire, she seems to be worried about everyone else's recovery rather than her own. We see this quality again when Billy gets sick. Sugar does not stay away even when she was forbidden to. She even went as far as to create a friendship with Missus Wills just to let her stay inside of her home and keep Billy company. I enjoyed this book. It definitely opened my eyes to what the world was like in the 1870's for those with darker skin tone. I wish that everyone would be able to see people the way Sugar did, who they are as opposed to their color.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is a great read! The reader can explore many different themes through the protagonists' journey to find the meaning of freedom or being free. Rhodes writes about a dynamic group of characters that eventually look past one another's differences to become friends.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was an interesting read because I feel as though there could have been several meanings. When you read this book, you are drawn into the world of a young girl, desperate to have her entire family with her when she moves to the United States. The irony in this story is in the name and product sugar. You are engulfed in a sea of wonder when reading this novel. I would assign this book to a group of fourth graders- fifth graders because I feel as though they would understand the concept of irony.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sugar grew up on a plantation, it was the same thing every year until now. Slavery has now ended and there is a new group of people working along side her and her plantation family now. At first it is scary and unknown to Sugar, but her curiosity leads to a community and bond formed between the two races. A definite must read for any age.I would use Sugar in the classroom as an interdisciplinary connection between English Language Arts and Social Studies. I believe it would be a great discussion book to use as a whole group circle, allowing students to form their own questions and answers about the novel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is about how Chinese workers came in and started to work alongside the African American workers. At first, this seems like a bad thing, but the two groups come together and learn how to work together. This would be a great book for a classroom because it shows them how to work together and learn that no matter how you look or what you are used to doing, you can always include other people.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book is about a girl named Sugar. Sugar lives on a cotton plantation with her mother in the south at the end of slavery. Soon Sugar's mother dies and Sugar begins to experience life as a young child right after a horrific time in history. Her best friend is the plantation owners son and soon an immigrant. They love to play and have adventures on the plantation. This book didn't exactly draw me in while I was reading it. I felt it was a little too typical with the scenarios of being in the south.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sugar is the story of a young girl named Sugar living on a plantation. Slavery has ended, but the people living on the plantation chose to stay and work for the owner. Some slaves left and went to the north, but others were afraid to leave the life they knew for the unknown. Sugar's mother passed away and her dad was sold to another slave owner years ago. Sugar is cared for by the other people on the plantation, but she often has to fend for herself. She loves the outdoors and adventure and sometimes gets into trouble. The owner of the plantation decides to bring in men from China to increase the sugar production. The people already working are scared they will lose their jobs, but once the Chinese men arrive, their fears are dismissed. These people from different cultures learn to work together and support one another. This is a story of overcoming adversity and working together. This is a great story for children to read so they can truly understand what life was like in the times of slavery. This story shows how a community can help build each other up and give you the support to follow your dreams. A teacher could provide the class with discussion questions and they could have a class discussion about the importance of this story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Sugar grew up in the River Road sugar plantation. She always hated her name and she hated sugar. She didn't understand why her mother named her that, even though working in a sugar field was the worst thing happened in her life. This story was set in a time when slavery was over, but racial discrimination still exists. Sugar is a black girl and she was not allowed to play with her white owner's son, Billy. She hated her life in the plantation and was hoping one day she could leave to the north like many black families did. Maybe it would be a better life up there she though. She couldn't stand living a restricted life in the plantations where she has to work in the sugar field all day. She wanted to be free. Her life seems to opened up when she met the new Chinese immigrant workers. They told her Chinese folk tales and life in china. That was when she realizes that the world is a lot bigger than just RIver Road plantation. That was when she found her courage and convinced Mister Beale and his wife to move to north with her.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is great for elementary-middle school classrooms, even older. In this book Jewell Parker Rhodes represents the post civil war dynamic in the south through the eyes of the child. This perspective automatically connects to children but it is incredibly powerful because a child's perspective is not clouded by the junk that adult's can't seem to get past. Sugar ultimately reveals that the race relations they experience are just stupid... she understands that she isn't supposed to consort with the chinese workers, or Billy, but why they do the same work or enjoy the same things... if the people in this time were able to see that instead of color, maybe our history would be different. Excellent read to expose students to the civil war/post civil war south.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sugar is a about a girl that does not have any parents, and she lives on a plantation. Her neighbors watch over her, and all of her friends left toward the north. Sugar eventually becomes friends with Bobby, but her new friend is the son of the plantation owner. Bobby and Sugar meet up, and hide to play games. Mr. Wills the owner of the plantation finds out that Bobby is playing with Sugar, and he prohibits their friendship. Eventually Mr. Wills accepts their friendship. The plantation needs more workers, so Mr. Willa brings men from China to work on the plantation. The Chinese men become friends with the African Americans, and they all work together. Mr. Tom is Mr. Wills worker, and he gets fired. Mr. Tom wants revenged, so he burns the mill. The plantation is sold, and Bobby moves to New Orleans with his family. Sugar also moves, but she moves to the North. The book produced so many emotions in me. Seeing Sugar and Booby’s friendship become distance was difficult, but I knew that it was for the best. Sugar had to move on with her life, and Bobby as well. It was also interesting for me to see how Sugar learned to love her name. I learned so much about African and Chinese cultures because of this book. For an activity, I would have a discussion about the book and ask questions.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book is about an amazing young girl who overcomes so much without even having her parents there with her. Losing her mom at such a young age, Sugar still kept moving forward with her goals to really become free. Even though slavery was abolished in this book, Sugar was still not completely free. This book explains her journey of trying to live life as a free woman post slavery.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was incredible! I loved this novel, it caught my attention from the very beginning. This novel tells the story of a young girl who lost both of her parents, and now has to live basically on her on. This novel takes place after slavery was abolished, but the stigma was still there. I loved how this book told from a child's point of view what is was like to live in a "post slavery" time.Teaching Ideas: civil war, slavery
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Inspiring book!! Very brave young girl that hit trail after trail and continues to grow and move on. Great friendships were created throughout book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The story of Sugar growing up on "River Road" Plantation is one of survival in spite of all odds, is one that will both touch you and teach everyone lessons.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes tells the story of a young girl named Sugar. Sugar is a former slave who lives on River Road Plantation in Louisiana, which grows sugar cane. Sugar hates everything about sugar, including her name. Just like many children, Sugar asks many questions. The question that Sugar really wants to know the answer to is why she is free from slavery, but she is not free. The story not only tells Sugar's story, but it tell the story of all of the people who live or have lived on the plantation. The workers on the plantation face many trials and tribulations during their time on the plantation; they seem to be stronger people because of it. By the end of the book, the question still remains about Sugar's freedom. How will Sugar free herself from the things she feels are holding her back? This book would be a god book to discuss with children about diversity, culture, plantation life, and what it means to them to be free. I would share this book with middle school children and older, even though Sugar is ten, I don't believe that elementary aged children would understand the subject matter.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book and how it shows people of different races and set societal places being friends despite all that. This would be a great book for between 3rd and 5th graders I think. Some nice figurative language to evaluate. Good book to talk about writer's craft.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sugar is a great book for young readers. It is not only a captivating read but it also gives students an insight to history. I think this would be a great book to read for an ELA class. There are many opportunities in this book to pose questions that make students reach for a higher level of thinking. This book makes children think about culture and race and how relationships are affected by these things. It is an eye opening experience for children to be exposed to literature that embraces these past, and sometimes, previous tensions on race. Also, like Esperanza rising children can relate to sugar if they have had loss in their family. Sugar lost both her parents but had to learn to be strong and keep going. Sugar is a strong, passionate character that young readers can attach to and follow her throughout her journey.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I loved Ninth Ward: it was a novel of voice, vision, and setting. This book, while an enjoyable read, lacked the soul of Ninth Ward. I really wanted to like it more than I did, but feel like it's a good, solid book that deserves to be read so students can get a sense of post-Civil War South.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An elegantly written tale set in early 1870's Louisiana.