One Crazy Summer...Indeed!

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

It's the summer of 1968, and three sisters, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern, are shipped off from their Brooklyn home to Oakland, California, to visit their mother, who abandoned them seven years ago. Their father thought it was time for them to get to know their mother. When they arrive, it's not the normal hugs and kisses you would get from a mother, but a a cold indifference. Their month-long California vacation is not off to a good start. No Disneyland. No movie stars. Their mother is veiled in mystery that the girls try to solve. As the oldest (11 years old), Delphine needs to help her sisters make the best of thier situation.

With an uncaring tone that says she can't be bothered, the mother gives the girls money for food (they're absolutely NOT allowed to go in the kitchen) at the local Chinese restaurant and they're sent to the People's Center for breakfast. It is there that the girls reluctantly (on Delphine's part) and happily (on Vonetta and Fern's part) get involved in classes run by the Black Panther Party, a revolutionary organization that fights for Black Power. Throughout the days of their visit, they become more involved than they realize.

The voices and personalities of the three girls come through the most in this novel. Delphine is extremely strong-willed, and being the oldest, she is always the responsible one. Quiet and reserved, Delphine is not one to make waves. Vonetta is the middle child and the one who wants to be the center of attention. As the baby in the family, Fern is happy in her own little world: singing, dancing, and imagining. Despite the differences among these three, they have a way of finishing each other's sentences in a kind of sing-song manner. The story is set during a momentous time in American History. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy are assassinated. Huey Newton (co-founder of Black Panther Party) is still in jail. The Vietnam War is raging, and unrest and radical change predominate. This novel will resonate with you long after you've read the last page.

-Ruby

2010 National Book Award Finalist

2011 Coretta Scott King Award

2011 Newbery Honor Award Winner

Ages 10+

Publisher: Amistad (January 2010)

ISBN: 9780060760885

Available as an eBook.

Unsung Hero of the West

The Legend of Bass Reeves: Being the True and Fictional Account of the Most Valiant Marshal in the West by Gary Paulsen

Bass Reeves was born in 1838 and is thought to be one of the first African-Americans to be comissioned as a Deputy US Marshal. For the first 17 years of his life, he was a slave "owned" by his master George Reeves (as far as I know, no relation to the George Reeves of Superman fame), a farmer. Just before the Civil War, Bass parted ways with his master and ran to Indian Territory, where he lived among the Creek and Seminole Indians for about 20 years. Later he moved to Arkansas, where he married twice and had 10+ children. There he was approached by the well-known Judge Isaac Parker (aka the Hanging Judge), who heard about his life living in Indian Territory. Bass Reeves spoke many Indian dialects and knew the land intimately. During his time as a lawman, he pursued and caught many a criminal using unique methods for the time. He would go undercover and disguise himself to catch his man. He even had to dress up as a woman at one point. He had to track down and arrest his own son for murder. During his 30+ years of service, he was shot at many times, but never hit. He became a constable at the ripe old age of 81. Bass Reeves was a well-respected and feared lawman of his time. A lot of his history still remains a mystery, but what is know about him is this...he was honorable, steadfast, feared, and respected. Bass was truly worthy of legendary status. In the words of US Marshal Leo Bennet, "He never shirked his duty."

This somewhat fictionalized account of Bass Reeves from age 10 toward the end of his career is a great first-person narrative. Paulsen gives you some historical background throughout, but for the most part you get to see the world through Reeves' eyes. From the 10-year-old boy who still relies on his Mammy to the great man he would eventually become, Bass Reeves is a man to remember. If you are a younger reader interested in Reeves, I highly recommend Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy US Marshal, by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Ages 5+).

-Ruby

Ages 12+

Publisher: Laurel Leaf (January 2008)

ISBN: 9780553494297

Available as an eBook.