Berthoud Community Library District

In 1987, obese, illiterate, black 16-year-old Claireece 'Precious' Jones lives in Harlem with her dysfunctional family. She has been raped and impregnated twice by her father, Carl. She suffers constant physical, mental and sexual abuse from her unemployed mother, Mary. After getting pregnant for the second time, Precious is suspended from her school. Her principal arranges to have her attend an alternative school where her new teacher, Ms. Rain,...

"Explores the Harlem Renaissance, a reawakening of African-American culture, including literature, the arts, theater, and music, motivated by a goal to achieve equal rights"--Provided by publisher.

From the Publisher: The Harlem Renaissance-the unprecedented artistic outpouring centered in 1920s and 1930s Harlem-comes down to us today, says Jeffrey B. Ferguson, as a braiding of history, memory, and myth. To analyze the movement's contents and meaning, Ferguson presents its signature works and lesser known pieces in a framework that allows students to examine the issues its writers and artists faced. Political theorists and civil rights activists,...

Describes a day in the life of several members of a Harlem fundamentalist church. The saga of three generations of people is related through flashbacks.

Precious Jones, a sixteen-year-old girl who is pregnant with her second child by her father, is pushed by her courageous African-American teacher to learn to read, and discovers the truth about herself and her life.