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    Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
    Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
    Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
    Ebook99 pages1 hour

    Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World

    By Mildred Pitts Walter and Catherine Stock

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Ten-year-old Justin hates that his sisters and his mama are always fussing at him. They make him feel stupid because he can't clean his room or cook. But why should he? He'd rather be outside playing. After all, cooking and cleaning is just “women's work.” That's why Justin is glad when his grandfather invites him back to his ranch for the summer. Justin is sure he can get away from all the women and do some actual “men's work,” such as cleaning fish, mending fences, and riding horses. But back at the ranch, Justin learns some unexpected lessons and soon realizes that anyone can do anything once they learn how.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJun 1, 2010
    ISBN9780062012739
    Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
    Author

    Mildred Pitts Walter

    Mildred Pitts Walter is widely admired for her positive, realistic portraits of African-American family life. A former kindergarten teacher, she truly enjoys the company of children and relishes hearing what they have on their minds.Mrs. Walter has been honored with many awards during her long writing career, including the 1987 Coretta Scott King Award for justin and the best biscuits in the world and the 1993 Christopher Award for Nonfiction for mississippi challenge (Bradbury). Mildred Pitts Walter lives in Denver. In 1996 she was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.

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    Reviews for Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World

    3.5/5

    20 ratings6 reviews

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    • 2/5
      I love this and my husband and kids like it to
    • 5/5
      I used to teach third grade. My kids and I loved this book. You would be surprised by the high level discussions third graders can have! This book uses the N word. We discussed why the author used such a terrible word. We talked about historical context and racism. There is another troubling incident of racism/ violence in the book, but it is in no way gratuitous. I highly recommend this book. It has a great message, boys live it and it is uplifting. I do suggest that you always read ahead of the students so that you are prepared to discuss the harsher parts of the story.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      JUSTIN is a fun and well-written story of a young boy's evolution into young manhood withthe guidance of his beloved Grandfather.Unfortunately, it also features the extreme animal cruelty of a rodeo.Neither Justin nor his Grandfather are sensitive to the animals, despite their earlier rescue of a fawn.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Great story about visiting grandpa on the ranch, and about learning how to take care of yourself. All about confidence, thoughtfulness and kindness. Really lovely.
    • 4/5
      Add another book to my list of recommended stories with African-American characters. I'm delighted to say that this story not only has African-American characters, but it has an African-American boy and an African-American grandfather as central characters. And any boy living in a female-centric home will love this tale of a boy who seeks out his grandfather to advise him on how to make a bed and how to bake the world's best biscuits.
    • 5/5
      I was very surprised to see the "n-word" (it's on page 82 in mine) in a book geared toward such young children. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but I would not have known about it if I had not been reading the book with my son. They did not discuss it in school or let the parents know which is a shame, as it led to a few great discussions in our home about racism and the power of words. Overall, a great book. It was nice to see some diversity in my son's required reading and to have a completely boy-centric book where the main character is not sickeningly perfect.

      1 person found this helpful

    Book preview

    Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World - Mildred Pitts Walter

    1

    JUSTIN IS GROUNDED

    THE BALL HIT the board and rolled around the rim of the basket. Justin reached his tallest, caught it on the rebound, and tipped it in.

    My win, Justin said to his friend Anthony. Surprised and pleased he had at last won, Justin said, Let’s play another game.

    I gotta get home, but tomorrow, OK?

    Let’s come early.

    I’ll pick you up, Anthony said.

    Justin still wanted to play one-on-one, his favorite basketball game, but there was no one left to challenge him. The playground was emptying fast. Only a few girls were scattered about. Some played jump rope. Others played tetherball.

    He watched the rope jumpers and had an urge to get into their game. His sudden, untimed move broke the rhythm. One girl threw down the rope and chased Justin, shouting, You better stay out of our game!

    Justin ran fast, laughing at her. The girl soon gave up and went back to turn the rope for her friends. Justin returned to the basketball court. He zigzagged, dribbling the ball. Then he tried making long shots and missed them all. At the free-throw line he tossed twice and missed. Disgusted, he dribbled around the court again.

    The August sun moved far westward. Rolling hills in the distance cast shadowy shades of purple. The playground was now quiet, deserted. Justin tossed for the basket. He hit. He tossed two more perfect shots and decided it was time to leave.

    He walked along the tree-lined streets between rows of sturdy wood frame houses, wishing he didn’t have to go home. Not yet. If only he had brothers; one brother, anyway. Somebody to help him control Evelyn, his older sister.

    He turned the corner onto his block. Their car was in the driveway. His mother was already home. He hadn’t known it was that late. Hadiya, his younger sister, strained under bags of groceries as she removed them from the car. That was his job. The one thing he did well enough around the house to win praise and approval. He needed to be home. He started running.

    There was much talk, a lot of hustle and bustle inside. That old feeling of being left out came over him. He waited in the hallway just outside the kitchen door, listening.

    Oh, Mama, you didn’t, Evelyn shouted.

    Oh, but I did. I had a wonderful sale today, and that means a big bonus.

    Oh, great, Hadiya said, happily. Now I can get my bicycle fixed.

    His mama and two sisters all talked at the same time. When he finally walked in, everything stopped. Dead silence. All eyes turned on him.

    So? he asked, not waiting for them to question where he had been, why he was late. He glanced at Hadiya and was tempted to return her smile, but turned away instead.

    So it’s about time you got home, Evelyn said. She took charge while their mama worked each day.

    Justin spread his legs as if to take a firm stand. He hated Evelyn being the boss. He stared ahead and said nothing.

    See how he acts, Mama, Evelyn said. He’s that way all the time.

    Aw, Evelyn, Hadiya said, to protect Justin.

    He liked Hadiya. Everyone said they looked alike: both dark, tall, and thin. Hadiya, two years older than Justin and three years younger than Evelyn, was the tallest. At ten years old, Justin was already almost as tall as Evelyn.

    Evelyn went on, He gets in here just before you every day, Mama. And he does nothing around here.

    Justin lowered his eyes but still said nothing.

    And you ought to see his room. Like Grandpa’s pig pen, Evelyn said.

    Hadiya giggled. Justin cut his eyes on her. She retreated to set the table.

    Finally Mama said, Justin, where have you been?

    At the playground, he answered.

    Every day, Mama. That’s all he does.

    All right, Evelyn. I’ll handle it, Mama said.

    But you always say you’ll handle it and Justin gets away with murder, Evelyn said.

    That’s enough, Evelyn. Mama increased her firmness.

    Justin smiled inside, glad his mother had rescued him as she always did. He looked at Evelyn as if to say, You know I’m her favorite. Then he felt put out with himself for getting home too late to help with the groceries. He had let his mother down. He waited for her to say something about his being late.

    His mama said nothing as she took lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sprouts from the refrigerator to make a salad for dinner. Justin still waited. Finally she said, Go wash up.

    On Tuesdays they had Justin’s favorite dinner: pizza. At the dining table everyone seemed pleasant. Hadiya talked about a new recipe she just had to try. Justin thought he had weathered the storm when Evelyn offered him half her share of pizza because she was starting a new diet. And he knew things were back to normal when Hadiya offered to do the dishes. They all knew she wanted the kitchen to begin her messy cooking experiments.

    Mama had other plans. No, Hadiya, not tonight. Justin is going to do the dishes.

    Justin looked at his mother and smiled shyly. Now he could make up for being late.

    Oh, no! Evelyn cried. Mama, you know he’ll do nothing but make a mess that I’ll have to clean up.

    Justin flared with anger, knowing that Evelyn always complained about his using too much soap, about his not rinsing dishes well and splashing water all over. Aw, shut up! he shouted. Who can’t wash dishes?

    You! Evelyn retorted. We’ll be tasting soap for days.

    Evelyn! Mama said with quiet force. Leave him alone. He has to learn. And, Justin, tomorrow I want you home so you can clean your room. Papa is coming.

    Grandpa’s coming? Justin jumped up from the table. Wow! When? Grandpa was his favorite person.

    "Yes. Tomorrow, and I want your room clean. I

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