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The Great Migration

Book Resume

for The Great Migration: An American Story by Jacob Lawrence and Walter Dean Myers

Professional book information and credentials for The Great Migration.

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According to Lawrence, his sequence of paintings, begun in 1940 when he was 22 years ...read more

  • Grade Levels:*
  • Grades 3-12
  • Word Count:
  • 674
  • Lexile Level:
  • 830L
  • ATOS Reading Level:
  • 5.1
  • Cultural Experience:
  • African American
  • Genre:
  • Nonfiction
  • Picture Book
  • Year Published:
  • 1993

The following unabridged reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers. Reviews may be used for educational purposes consistent with the fair use doctrine in your jurisdiction, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the rights holders.

Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).

From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

According to Lawrence, his sequence of paintings, begun in 1940 when he was 22 years old, involves the "exodus of African-Americans who left their homes and farms in the South around the time of World War I and traveled to northern industrial cities in search of better lives." This book reproducing the entire series in full color was published on the occasion of the 1993 exhibition "Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series." Images of dignity and hope are mingled with those of hard work and harsh experience created in what became panels containing an epic sweep of a people on the move. Lawrence's introduction and brief narrative accompanying the paintings offer insights into this aspect of U.S. history and his immediate family's migration experience. The closing page of this significant book contains a poem by Walter Dean Myers in which tribute is paid to the theme of the paintings and to the people. (Ages 9 and older)

CCBC Choices 1993 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 1993. Used with permission.

The Great Migration was recognized by committees of professional librarians and educators for the following book awards and distinctions.


This Book Resume for The Great Migration is compiled from TeachingBooks, a library of professional resources about children's and young adult books. This page may be shared for educational purposes and must include copyright information. Reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers.

*Grade levels are determined by certified librarians utilizing editorial reviews and additional materials. Relevant age ranges vary depending on the learner, the setting, and the intended purpose of a book.

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