Book Review: The Other Side

Woodson, Jacqueline. The Other Side. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2001.

The Other Side is the story of two little girls separated by a wooden fence running between their yards. Both mothers warned each girl not to cross the fence, saying it was not safe on the other side. Throughout the summer Clover and Annie Paul observed each others lives and eventually became friends, sitting on the fence together, never crossing it. As Clover observes others reactions to this new found friendship, she learns about the multicultural world around her and the changes that are to come.

Woodson spends a fair amount of time emphasizing the idea of the other side of the fence through her text. She never bluntly states what is on the other side that makes it unsafe, but the strong emphasis is there for readers to make their own assumptions. I believe that through the illustrations of two young girls facing one another on opposite sides of the fence, Woodson is able to imply that even these young girls can see past color differences, and make friends when needed. This book is a great example for seeing what is and was to come in the future. As Woodson states best on the last page in reference to the fence “Someday somebody’s going to come along and knock this old fence down”. That is exactly the positive attitude that should be instilled in our youth, therefore this book is highly recommended.