FORBIDDEN SCHOOLHOUSE: THE TRUE AND DRAMATIC STORY OF PRUDENCE CRANDALL AND HER STUDENTS by Suzanne Jurmain

1. Bibliographic data

Jurmain, Suzanne. 2005. Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 0-6184-7302-5.

2. Plot summary

Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students relates the story of Ms. Crandall, a Quaker teacher, and her attempts to start the first school for African-American girls. Forbidden Schoolhouse describes how Ms. Crandall decides to start the school, gains support from abolitionists and preachers, recruits young African-American girls from all over New England, and faces the wrath of her town in Connecticut. Jurmain writes of how the school met its demise after two years of studies, and what happened to Ms. Crandall and her students as they went their separate ways.

3. Critical Analysis

On the inside back cover of Forbidden Schoolhouse, Suzanne Jurmain notes that "few people [are] unfamiliar with her [Prudence Crandall's] extraordinary story." When Jurmain describes how she researched Prudence Crandall in her acknowledgements, I saw how an exhaustive search she put on. Because of her efforts and her prior award-winning books for children on historical subjects, I believe that this book's facts -- those that are quoted by the author -- are accurate. Jurmain includes significant facts within her writing, such as a portion of a letter that Crandall wrote to one of her supporters, William Lloyd Garrison:

"Mr. Garrison: The lady that wrote you a short time since would inform you that she is now in town, and should be very thankful if you would call . . . and see her a few moments this evening at 6 o'clock."

While this letter's contents and intent are a fact, there were passages in the book where I wasn't sure if the ideas expressed were the author's or the heroine's. For example, when Jurmain writes about Crandall's support of Garrison, she says "...Garrison needed allies and Prudence was ready, willing, and able to help. Besides, she was a teacher." Did Prudence Crandall really feel this way, or is this sentiment of the author's creation? I did note that Jurmain's captions for pictures often said something like "This may have been what Crandall's classroom looked like" or "This could have been the state of Crandall's room" -- making the distinction between reality and possibility.

I found Forbidden Schoolhouse to be very organized. Jurmain includes a table of contents and index to look up information. This book follows a story, and events take place in chronological order. Jurmain could not find many illustrations, but put what she could in the book. She also included pictures of the school house (which still stands today) to give the reader a feel for the building.

The design of this book is very much like that of a fiction book, sans the real portraits, paintings, and documents. The chapters, spacing of lines, font, and graphics all give the book a historical air. The illustrations and photographs complement the text and give the book the appearance of what it is -- a story about a woman from the past.

I found Jurmain's style very easy to read and follow. There was no point in the story where I was lost or tripped up over the language. Because Forbidden Schoolhouse is written in third person, I did not note any portion of text that showed Jurmain's enthusiasm for the subject. She didn't allow her own feelings to come into play. Because the book's purpose was to tell a story, there aren't really any examples of Jurmain challenging the reader to think clearly or to read more on the topic. Perhaps Jurmain hoped that Forbidden Schoolhouse would encourage readers to seek more information on their own, but she never asks them to.

I really liked this story, and I'm glad that I read this book. It's wonderful that Suzanne Jurmain took the time to research and write Forbidden Schoolhouse, and it's a story that everyone should read. The only problem I have is that there were times that I felt that I was reading historical fiction, not nonfiction. Jurmain did not alter any of the events -- that I know -- but I am not sure if I'm comfortable with how she expressed the emotions everyone was feeling. Jurmain includes many everyday thoughts and activities that occur in Prudence's life, and for some reason I doubt that all of it is factual.

4. Review Excerpts

"Jurmain describes the difficulties Crandall faced when she decided to open a school for African-American females in Canterbury, CT. Although she had the support of William Lloyd Garrison, editor of the antislavery publication the Liberator; Reverend Samuel May, a Unitarian minister; and others, her hard work met resistance in the form of riots, arson, and a jail sentence. Black-and-white photos highlight the key players and the famed schoolhouse. The appendix lists the courageous students who attended the school along with a few facts about them, including how their futures played out after the institution was forced to close. This book offers a fresh look at the climate of education for African Americans and women in the early 1800s. Report writers and recreational readers alike will find it informative." - School Library Journal

"Jurmain has plucked an almost forgotten incident from history and has shaped a compelling, highly readable book around it. In 1831, Prudence Crandall opened a school for young white ladies. When asked by an African American teenager if she might join the class, Crandall, whose sympathies were with the abolitionists, agreed. So begins a jolting episode in which Crandall turned her school into one for girls of color, and is both tormented and sued by the citizenry of Canterbury, Connecticut, who wanted no part of African Americans in their town. Writing with a sense of drama that propels readers forward (and quoting the language of the day, which includes the word nigger), Jurmain makes painfully clear what Crandall and her students faced, while showing their courage as they stood up to those who tried to deter them. Printed on thick, snowy stock and including a number of sepia-toned and color photographs as well as historical engravings, the book's look will draw in readers. Children will be especially pleased by the appended material, which includes an epilogue that tells what became of the principals, as well as source notes for the many quotes." - Booklist

5. Connections

Related Books:

Bausum, Ann. 2005. Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement. Washington D.C.: National Geographic Children's Books. 0792241738.

Freedman, Russell. 2006. Freedom walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. New York: Holiday House. 0823420310.

Jurmain, Suzanne. 1998. Freedom's Sons: The True Story of the Amistad Mutiny. New York: Harper Collins. 068811072X.