Pigskins to Paintbrushes

Summary

This story highlights the story of an African American boy named Ernest who didn’t fit in with his peers growing up in a time of segregation. Ernest was different because he didn’t like sports like his peers, he liked art. He experienced bullying growing up was pressured to play sports. Ernest then became captain of the football team and was was drafted to the Colts. After retiring, Ernie was hired as the artist for the NY Jets. Ernest followed his dreams, and became everything he wanted.

Theme(s):

Bullying, racism, passion

Personal Response

I thought this story was very inspiring and definitely a book I want in my classroom library. I loved how this book gave a whole overview of Ernest Barnes’ life, and the societal hardships he faced. I think this book would be very relatable to not only African American children, but to any child who experiences the pressure of societal norms. I loved how this book showed that Ernest never gave up his love for art. I love that this story also highlights the history of segregation and racism.

Teaching Ideas

Teaching Ideas:

I think this story can be used for a lot of different teaching points. For example, this story can be used to teach about different genres, like biographies. Students can read this book and notice how the story is about someone’s life. This story can also be used to teach theme/lesson. Students can read the story and look for the overall takeaway message from the story. Students will learn through this story to never give up on your dreams.

BOOK.tique