Coming On Home Soon (2004)

Coming on Home Soon tells the heartfelt story of a young girl who is waiting for her mom to come home. The story takes place in the midst of WWII, when the Chicago railroad allows colored women to work for wage while the men are at war. Ada Ruth, the young girl, waits patiently with her grandmother and her cat for her mother to write back and return from Chicago. Woodson depicts the story honestly with hints of comfort. Ada Ruth is comforted by her grandmother's cooking, hot chocolate, and even the warmness of her cat sitting on her lap. While the story takes place during a hard time of history, Woodson does a great job of inspiring hope in young Ada Ruth. ( )

Ada Ruth's mom had to go up north to Chicago because she heard that they were hiring colored women up there. With little food and very little money, it was the only way that she could ensure her family's survival. Ada Ruth had grandma. But she missed mama. Everyday the mailman just passed on by. Ada Ruth found a friend in a stray kitten. Not enough. She still missed mama. And then, the mailman arrived. Grandma was so happy to hear a word from Ada's mama. And Ada was especially happy that on the letter it read, "Tell Ada Ruth that I am coming on home soon." ( )

Ada Ruth's mother obtained a job in Chicago which means she will be able to make money to support her family. This also means that Ada's mother has to leave her for an extended period of time. "Coming on Home Soon" shows a side of WWII that I had never considered before. The patience and love of the grandmother, the mother, and Ada through these trying times gave me warmth even through the cold wintry illustrations of the book. ( )

This is a story of a mother that had to leave her daughter with her grandmother to go work in Chicago during WWII. THis book is a great example of women’s rights as well, since the black mother talks about how she will be working alongside men cleaning the trains. I would use this book in a unit discussing the war to show how family members took on different roles to get the family afloat. This book would also be a good example to demonstrate responsibility. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. The book tells the story of a young girl named Ada, when her mom leaves town to accept a job Ada and her grandmother await for her return. Ada finds a kitten while her mother is gone and the love she gives the kitten is very similar to the way her mother loves her. Ada as a character becomes independent as she cares for this kitten. I would read this in my classroom as I think it is appropriate for a k-3 classroom. ( )