Author and publisher: Jacqueline Woodson, Penguin Putnam
Summary: This book tells the story of a white and a black girl, Annie and Clover, who live on different sides of the fence which segregates the African-American side of town from the white side. Both girls have been told not to go on the other side of the fence because that would not be safe. Annie, the white girl, climbs up on the fence every morning and stares over at Clover’s side. One day, Clover and her friends are jumping rope and Annie asks if she can join, but one of Clover’s friends says no. Slowly, Annie and Clover establish a friendship, and they get around the old rules by sitting on top of the fence; the grown-ups never said anything about sitting on the fence. Annie says “Some day somebody’s going to come along and knock this old fence down.”
Suitable for students in years: 5-7