Nonfiction/Biography Review - Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students By Suzanne Jurmain

Bibliography
Jurmain, S. 2005. The Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618473025

Plot Summary
Prudence Crandall’s determination and patience is tested when she makes it her mission to open and sustain an all African-American school for females in Canterbury, CT. Set the 1830’s, Prudence is met with extreme opposition from several members of government who make it their job to close down what they believe to be an abomination. Although Crandall is faced with threats, jail time, and severe vandalism, she perseveres with the help of her supporters and her innate sense to educate people. Despite her efforts, the safety of her students is risked and Prudence Crandall’s school is forced to be closed after less than two years of operation.

Critical Analysis
In this social history, Suzanne Jurmain describes the discrimination that was prominent in Connecticut during in the 1830’s. By using actual quotes and photos from Prudence Crandall’s experiences, the reader is invited to feel the injustices that were prevalent during this time period. Jurmain exposes the horrific encounters that Prudence and her students were forced to endure, all because they simply wanted an education. Crandall’s biggest foe, Andrew Judson, was deeply against the beliefs that blacks deserved an education. Jurmain’s gritty language reveals Judson’s true feelings when she writes “…the law couldn’t take away black rights because blacks had no rights. They didn’t have the right to go to school, and they certainly didn’t have the right to travel freely from one state to another Why? Because, said Mr. Judson, blacks – even free blacks – were not American citizens.” Jurmain balances this with providing several supporters, like William Lloyd Garrison who edited the Liberator. Individuals such as Mr. Garrison helped and encouraged Prudence during severely turbulent times. All the while, Jurmain makes it a point to show how Prudence Crandall pushed through and continued to make education her primary concern.

The design and style of the book includes several authentic photographs of people and places that were involved in Prudence Crandall’s story. Many pictures of the actual Crandall house enable the reader to see how students may have slept, or where they sat in the classroom as they were pelted with rotten eggs and stones. Jurmain also incorporates pictures of Crandall’s supporters and opponents. With the inclusions of genuine newspaper articles and clippings, we see the extreme polar opposites that were felt in relation to racial equality during this dark time in our nation’s history. Jurmain’s use of accuracy and organization is prominent in this book. The appendix is peppered with the names and back stories of several of Crandall’s students. A Note on Sources and the Bibliography are well-stocked with documents on additional sources of information that were used throughout the book. Jurmain provides a table of contents and an index that can be easily navigated by the young reader.

All the while, Prudence Crandall fought and fought to provide a good education for students that were often thought of as less than human. Although her school was eventually closed, Prudence Crandall made a lasting impression on the small town of Canterbury, CT. Prudence’s school may have been closed, but she opened the minds of so many.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal
“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.”
Booklist
“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.”

Connections
After reading this book, students may think of time that they or someone close to them has been treated unjustly, simply due to their race. If the students and teachers feel comfortable, they can write about and discuss their experiences and how it made them feel. By constructing a table of contents, students would be able to see how beneficial organization can be when writing a social history nonfiction book. Teachers can also ask students to come up with peaceful solutions, much like Prudence Crandall strived to do.
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