The Other Side

by Jaqueline Woods

“Each morning she climbed up on the fence and stared over at our side. Sometimes I stared back.”

This books tells the story of two girls, one White and one Black, who are told repeatedly that they cannot interact with one another. However, after time watching each other from the other side of the fence they say hello and a beautiful friendship develops.

Story Read Aloud

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Talk About It

• How do you think Clover felt when she was told she couldn’t play with the other girls? Do you agree with them excluding her? What would you have done in that situation? (This is a great opportunity to talk about how hard it can be to speak out when no one else is and the courageDoing something even when you know it will be hard. More it takes to stand up for what you believe is the right thing to do. Great time to talk about being an allyA person willing to speak up or simply stand next to someone else (or a group of people) when they are being treated unfairly. An ally is also committed to learning and understanding more in order to help create changes. More.)
• The girl’s mom says, “That’s the way its always been.” What do you think she meant? Do you think that’s a good reason to do or not do something? What would happen if we never made changes in how things are done?
• Ask your child if they’ve heard the word segregationSeparating one group of people from another; often based upon race. Segregation happens when a society views one group of people as better than another. The goal is to keep the "lesser" people away from the "superior" group. This is often done by treating the other group poorly and denying them basic civil rights. More. Have a discussion about the long history in American of keeping Black citizens from having equal rights in this country or wanting to keep Black and White people separate from one another. Ask your child what they think about this part of our history. Talk about how there are still changes and improvements that need to be made due to things like systemic racismRules and behaviors within a business or group that treat people of color negatively. This can impact things like where someone lives, how much money they make, access to clean water, and the kinds of interactions they have with police and the law. More.
• What do you notice about the girls’ faces when they finally say hi to one another? Do you see any reason why they shouldn’t be friends? How would you feel if you someone couldn’t be friends with you because of the color of your skin or hair or something else you couldn’t control.
• When you see all the girls playing and sitting on the fence together, how did those pictures make you feel? What do you think the girls learned by the end of the story?

Explore More

• As a family practice using your voice to be an allyA person willing to speak up or simply stand next to someone else (or a group of people) when they are being treated unfairly. An ally is also committed to learning and understanding more in order to help create changes. More. What can you say when you witness someone being treated negatively because of the color of their skin or any other characteristic out of their control.
• Make up a family motto or slogan around inclusivityWelcoming and including every member of a group. More and make a poster to put in your house or window.
• Draw a picture of the girls working together to take down the fence meant to keep them separated. How would you caption this picture?