Down the Winding Road

Down the Winding Road is a book I think many young students can relate to, and consists of a theme that they are familiar with. Once again, Angela Johnson uses black characters and family as the main theme in her story. There isn’t much of a plot to the story; we follow a young boy as he leaves the city to visit his aunts, uncles, and cousins in the country. They all do typical, family things such as look at old photos, go swimming in the lake, play on a tire swing, listen to old stories, etc. I can tell family is very, very important to Angela Johnson, as she keeps the idea of family in every book I have read of hers thus far. I think this is awesome for younger elementary students because it is an idea they are most likely familiar with and can relate to. This book could be a great discussion starter for students to share their stories about their experiences or traditions with their own families. In addition, this book has large font, and barely even has one sentence on each page. Also, the detailed pictures go along perfectly with the words used on each page, making the words easier to read.