Module 3 - The Dark-Thirty

THE DARK-THIRTY: SOUTHERN TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL
Bibliographic Information

•           McKissack, P., & Pinkney, J. B. (1992). The dark-thirty: Southern tales of the supernatural. New York: Knopf.

Summary
McKissack provides the reader with ten ghost stories set in different time periods in American history that focus on the legends and tales of African-Americans.  One may read between the lines of some of the tales to see the effects of slavery and oppression on the lives of the characters, but the stories are still chilling to readers.  The stories have different influences, from slave meetings to African legends to the mysterious time mentioned in the title.

My Impressions
The Dark-Thirty reads like a group of stories being told around a campfire.  There are stories of ghosts and creatures that haunt the woods of the Southeastern U.S. that are meant to terrify and create a sense of shared experiences. One blog mentioned that the book is less about the ghost stories than it is about the fear inside the author during times of Segregation and the stories she heard about the evils of slavery.  I did not choose to see slave owners as the goblins as some might, but the stories were spooky and I very much enjoyed reading this book.  This book won both a Newbery Medal and a Coretta Scott King Medal for Outstanding African American contributions to childrens' books as authors or illustrators in 1993.

Reviews
McPherson, K. (1993). The Dark-Thirty (Book). [Review of The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural, by P. McKissack and J.B. Pinkney]. School Library Journal, 39(1), 21.

Ten original stories, all with a foundation in African-American history or culture. Some are straight ghost stories, many of which are wonderfully spooky and all of which have well-woven narratives. There is a tale from slavery times; a story set among the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; and one from the 1940s segregated South, in which a black man's ghost brings revenge upon the white klansman who murdered him. Strong characterizations are superbly drawn in a few words. The atmosphere of each selection is skillfully developed and sustained to the very end. Pinkney's stark scratch-board illustrations evoke an eerie mood, which heightens the suspense of each tale. This is a stellar collection for both public and school libraries looking for absorbing books to hook young readers. Storytellers also will find it a goldmine. --Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, GA

Library Usage
Students in middle and upper elementary grades love scary stories, and this collection is a perfect series to tell during Black History Month in February, or around Halloween.  There are a few colloquialisms in the speech of some of the characters, so the smart librarian must handle that with care but the stories are very enjoyable.  It might also be good to use this collection as a jumping off point to help students compose their own ghost stories.