When Phil sees another kid wearing his brother's jacket, he assumes the jacket was stolen. It turns out he was wrong, and Phil has to ask himself the question: Would he have made the same assumption if the boy wearing the jacket hadn't been African American? And that question leads to others that reveal some unsettling truths about Phil's neighborhood, his family, and even himself.

As Phil is looking for his brother to deliver his forgotten lunch money, he sees an African-American boy wearing his brother's jacket and thinks he stole it. After hearing the explanation of how the boy got the jacket while in the principal's office, Phil realizes that he is prejudiced and begins to notice things he never did before.

The story in The Jacket isn't long or involved, but it delivers a powerful message. Phil begins to see things through different eyes, making him realize things about his home and family that he never knew before. The story isn't particularly well written or overly dramatized, but it does include an important theme. Overall this is a short book, but includes a valuable lesson. ( )

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Genre: Realistic Fiction
Review: "The Jacket" is about a boy named Phil who accused another student, Daniel, of stealing his brother's jacket. Phil is white and Daniel is black. After that event, Phil begins to wonder if he is prejudiced or racist. The book follows his thoughts and interactions with family, friends, and Daniel's grandmother until he finally apologizes to Daniel and gives him the jacket back. This could be a tough book to read in class, especially in a school or area that regularly deals with racism. It could bring up negative feelings from students who have had racist things said or done to them, or by students who simply don't understand Phil's feelings. This is a good book to read in older grades, but it will start some deep discussions that teachers need to prepare for. I think this is an excellent book to explore how we treat each other or see each other without realizing it. People do a lot of things without realizing that they hurt someone else, so perhaps reading this book will help some students think about actions they and others take.
Uses: I think this would be a good book to read and use for a journal type of response, or one that inspires students to think of something in their society they would like to change. It could be a good book to explore how one character, like Daniel, reacts to situations, why he reacts the way he does.
Media: Picture, pencil ( )