Toning The Sweep

by Angela Johnson

Book Overview

Angela Johnson's Coretta Scott King Award winning novel that traces three generations of African American women as they learn one another's truths.Three generations of African American women, each... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0590481428
• Release Date: August 1994
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.3" x 4.4"

Customer Reviews

Toning of Sweep

I thought that this book had a lot of meaning to people who know's how it feels to lose someone your close to. I thought that this book was very interesting, it was a book that made me understand what people do for there families, and what lengths they would go to. This book would be good for people of all ages. Toning of Sweep is a good book you get into it on the first chapter. It goes through a girls life and what she deals with in her family matters, living so far away from her grandmother and who'd she'd do anything for. You read all that this girl goes through and see her grow up. You find out her feelings and how she deals with death, and how she feels about her family. It's a really good book, it's a book that you get into and will love. You feel like you know the characters and know the family, and friends. If i had a chance to read this book again, i'd definitly take the chance.

Ishéa's Book Review

Toning The Sweep is a great book by Angela Johnson. The main character of this book is a girl names Emily. Her mother's name is Diane, and her grandmother's name is Ola. Ola and Emily are very close. Throughout this entire book, you can tell that the mother is somewhat jealous of the relationship that Emily and Ola share. She wishes that her and her mother were like that. After the funeral of Emily's grandfather, her and her mother move to Little Rock, California. Towards the beginning of the book, Emily and her mother find out that Ola has cancer. They then move to Cleveland so that Emily and Diane can take care of Ola. Throughout the book, Emily decides to videotape Ola and her friends. There are a lot of happy moments in the videotape, as well as moments where she filmed her grandmother sitting under a Joshua tree. Later in the book Emily finds out what really happened to her grandfather. The name of this book means to hit a plow and make a really loud noise to show that someone has just died. In chapter 19,Emily and Diane finally "tone the sweep" of their grandfather.At the end of the book, Emily, Diane, and Ola move back to Ohio so that they can spend the remaining time with Ola before she dies. This book has taught me that faimilies should always stick together no matter what. I'm glad that I have a family like that. I would recomend this book to everybody.

Toning the Sweep

Toning the Sweep is about Emily, a rebellious young adult who lives with her family in Ohio. However, the story is set in the desert where Emily's Grandma, Ola, lives. Unlike her mother, Emily loves the desert and is devoted to Ola and their annual trip to the desert is the highlight of her year. When Ola becomes ill with cancer, in their concern for Ola's health, Emily's family decides to have Ola come and live with them in Ohio. In her last summer in the desert,Emily makes a videotape of the desert for Ola and in the process finds out about her family history and the tradgic death of her Grandfather. I enjoyed this book because I think that it is well-writen and I admired the way that Ola is dying with grace in the story.

Toning the Sweep Review

Angela Johnson's novel, Toning the Sweep, is a story about a family coming together after being apart for so long. Emily is a fourteen-year-old girl, who has just found out her grandmother, Ola, is dying of cancer. Emily gets a video camera and starts taping Ola and everyone around her. She discovers the real story of her grandfather's death, the reason mama is still upset about it, and how Ola is saying goodbye to the desert before she dies. This book gives a look into a family that makes sacrifices for each other and are there for each other. I gave this book four stars because it shows the real hearts of the people. If you read this book and do not see the real heart and soul of young, spirited Emily and her loving family, then you did not really read this book. * * * *

Sweeping Up Relationships

I, too, was introduced to this book because it was a requirement for a college level children's literature class. I am a middle-aged person going through the career change of becoming an elementary teacher. I thought the book was wonderful. The character "Ola" was thoroughly delightful. The imagery throughout the book is very strong. This was a powerful novel about all types of relationships, family and friends, and their intermingling. At first I was annoyed at not knowing what had happened to the mother, but was later impressed with the way the author brought everything together. This book made me laugh and cry. I would recommend it to everyone.