Summary
Gene is in the fourth grade and he is
the school bully. He is called Mean Gene. Mr. Lincoln, the school
principal tries to find some way to reach Gene. Mr. Lincoln notices
that Gene likes birds. So Mr. Lincoln works with Gene in the
school's atrium. Gene seems to become a better person. There are no
more complaints from the teachers or students about Gene's bad
attitude. Then one day, Gene starts using racial slurs. When Mr.
Lincoln talks to Gene about this, Gene says that his father did not
like people who were different from them, he did not like people of
color. Mr. Lincoln takes Gene to the atrium and point out the
different colors of birds that are there. The differences are what
makes the birds beautiful and they all get along well in their
atrium. Gene notices that the mallards had new ducklings. They
needed to be led to water so they can swim. Mr. Lincoln asks Gene to
help guide the ducks out of the atrium and to the pond outside. Gene
does this and notices that his grandfather is there. It is his
grandfather that had taught Gene all he knew about birds.
Impressions
Polacco uses her great talent for art
in another children's book with an important lesson to learn. The
theme of this book centers around tolerance of others who are
different. The principal, Mr. Lincoln is a person everyone likes,
except for Gene. But Gene has learned his prejudice from his father,
and Mr. Lincoln reaches out patiently to teach Gene that differences
are acceptable, and that color is beautiful. Gene is not a bad
child, just confused, according to Mr. Lincoln. When Gene helps to
guide the Mallards from the atrium to the pond, he is cheered on by
parents who have come to watch. Gene sees his grandfather who he
prefers to stay with, instead of his own father. This book teaches a
valuable lesson in patience and understanding for difficult children.
It also teaches that prejudice comes from somewhere, likely in the
home of a child. Polacco has drawn the students of this school in
multiracial skin tones and facial expressions. The children are seen
playing together with Mr. Lincoln on the front cover. Throughout the
book, children of different races are seen playing on the swing,
playing jump rope, tying a shoe, and more. The birds are colorful
too and are used as a metaphor to help Gene understand that
differences are okay, and that tolerance is what will make people get
along with each other.
Use in the library
Mr. Lincoln's Way can be used in an
elementary library class to bring up the topic of prejudice and
racism. Students can tell help define what prejudice is and how
judging people because of their race is one form of prejudice.
Another word that can be discussed is bullying. Students can help to
define what a bully is by using examples of behaviors that Gene
displayed. They can also determine if Mr. Lincoln's way with Eugene
helped Eugene learn about tolerance of others.
Another activity for the library can
include making a mobile of different birds. Materials will include
paper, pencil, glue, scissors, string, color crayons or pencils and a
mobile set, either purchased or made. Each student can draw and
color a bird. The teacher can help by providing the coloring pages,
or students can draw their own. Students should be encouraged to use
different colors. Students can then cut out their birds and glue them
to a piece of cardboard cut to the size of their bird. A string
attached to the end of the cardboard will allow them to be attached
to the mobile. Students can then see how the different colored birds
can become a beautiful mobile.
Reviews
From Library Talk
"The 'coolest principal in the
world' is the main character of Polacco's new school story. Polacco
again employs her winning story-telling style with a kind tale about
Mr. Lincoln and the school's bully, Eugene. A pair of mallards, who
are nesting in the school's atrium, provides a relationship-building
opportunity. Just as Eugene's knowledge of birds guides the
ducklings to a more appropriate home, Mr. Lincoln guides Eugene to a
more tolerant view of people. Each page's beautiful illustration is
rendered in Polacco's unique style. Readers will love Mr. Lincoln
and this story. Teachers, guidance counselors, and parents will find
that this book makes a great jumping-off point for discussions on
kindness, acceptance of others, and prejudice. This story is a solid
choice for all libraries serving elementary readers". By
Roxanne Welch Mills, Supervisor of Media Services, Chesapeake,
Virginia.
From School Library Journal
"In her many books, Polacco has
dealt sensitively with a broad spectrum of circumstances and issues.
Here she tackles both intolerance and bullying. Mr. Lincoln is the
"coolest" principal: he is Santa at Christmas, lights the
menorah at Chanukah, and wears a dashiki for Kwanza and a burnoose
for Ramadan. The author chronicles his attempt to reclaim 'Mean
Gene,' a child who sasses his teachers, picks on other children, and
makes ethnic slurs. 'He's not a bad boy, really' Mr. Lincoln said.
'Only troubled.' However, the distinction is not clarified. When
the principal discovers that the boy is fond of birds, he capitalizes
on this interest. He involves him in attracting the creatures to the
school atrium while at the same time showing him that just as the
differences in the birds render them beautiful, so do the differences
in people. While the theme is an important and timely one, Polacco
has allowed her message to overwhelm both plot and character
development. The story emerges as didactic, laden with heavy-handed
metaphor, and too simplistic a solution to a deep-rooted problem.
The book may be useful to schools in need of a springboard for
discussion of the topic and is graced with impressive watercolors,
but it is not up to the author's usual literary standards." By
Grace Oliff, Ann Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ.
Resources
- Mills, R. W. (2002, April). [Review of the book Mr. Lincoln's way by P. Polacco]. Library Talk. 15(2). p. 45. Retrieved from http://www.librarymediaconnection.com/
-
Oliff, G. (2001, August). [Review of the book
Mr. Lincoln's way by P. Polacco]. School Library Journal. 47(8) p.
158. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/
Polacco,
P. (2001). Mr' Lincoln's way. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
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