5-Historical Fiction
Bibliography: Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer. New York: Amistad, 2010.
ISBN-13 : 978-0060760908
Plot Summary:
1968 was one crazy summer for the Gaither sisters. Delphine, Vonetta and Fern are sent from New York to Oakland to spend their summer with Cecile, their mother who abandoned them when they were young. The girls dream about Tinker Bell and movie stars and hugs and kisses from a mom they don’t know.
Things are not at all what they hoped. Their mother sends them off the first chance she gets. They find themselves in the middle of The Black Panther movement and a community trying to build power and fight for justice. As the oldest, Delphine is determined to make memories with her sisters, even taking them on an adventure to San Fransisco. What she doesn’t realize is they will do so much more during their crazy summer. Each of them will discover their past and the power in their future.
Analysis:
1968 Oakland is a crucial part of the narrative in the story. Most people associate the civil right’s movement with the south, but change was happening in other places. Like any amazing historical fiction novel, I couldn’t help but do research on my own to correct the misinformation I had about what The Black Panthers actually were. The reader goes on this journey with the girls discovering truths. Much of the setting is centered around the community center starting with the sisters getting breakfast in the morning. These community programs paint a historically accurate picture of what the organization believed in.
Each character in this Scott O’Dell’s award winning book has such a unique voice and path. The author sets the stage for the family dynamic from the beginning. The book opens with the sisters on a plane to visit their mother. At first, you would never know Dalphine is only an eleven year old girl taking care of her sisters. She “spins straw” to calm her sister’s fears like any skilled mother would. Dalphine is the wise beyond her years caretaker but her sisters have their own well written voice. You fall in love with Fern who adores her family and the doll that she carries around everywhere she goes. Vonetta has you laughing with her stubborn confidence and charismatic personality. The two adult female figures are polar opposite but see the same injustices in the world. Big Ma and Cecile both know things were not fair and people are not treated equally. Big Ma was very anxious to have the girls “act right” so that they wouldn’t be judged or mistreated. The phrase “a grand negro spectacle” is used throughout the book by Big Ma as a warning for the sisters to be on their best behavior. Her reaction to the injustice is to fit in and show the world they are well behaved good girls. The reader eventually sees that Cecile knows and sees the same injustices, her reactions is to use her words to fight back.
I appreciated the subtly way the author tells the reader sometimes you have to see for yourself to know the truth. The girls learned the truth about their mother and her past. They learned about the injustices of the world. They learned about the Black Panthers and their mission.
Much like the great line, “we didn’t come for a revolution, we came for breakfast.” The reader will come for and enjoy a well written book, but they will get an authentic piece of American history.
Reviews:
“Delphine is the pitch-perfect older sister, wise beyond her years, an expert at handling her siblings…while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Delphine’s growing awareness of injustice on a personal and universal level is smoothly woven into the story in poetic language that will stimulate and move readers.” — Publishers Weekly
“The setting and time period are as vividly realized as the characters, and readers will want to know more about Delphine and her sisters after they return to Brooklyn.” — Horn Book
Awards: As listed on Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database
- Audie Award, 2011, Finalist, Achievement in Production
- Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2011, Winner, Author
- Friends of Children and Literature (FOCAL) Award, 2013, Winner
- Goodreads Choice Award, 2010, Nominee, Middle Grade
- Great Lakes Great Books Award, 2011, Honor Book, Grades 6-8
- John Newbery Medal, 2011, Honor Book
- Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children’s Literature, 2011, Honor Book
- National Book Award, 2010, Finalist, Young People’s Literature
- Parents’ Choice Award, 2010, Gold, Fiction
- School Library Journal’s Battle of the Kids’ Books, 2011, Nominee
- Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, 2011, Winner
- White Ravens Award, 2011, Winner, United States
Connections:
As a class talk about the rally at the end of the story. What was the cause? What cause is important to the kids? Choose one like our right to vote. Make signs for your mock rally. Write a speech or poem to present advocating your cause.
A beautiful piece of advice Delphine’s mother gives her in the book is to “just be 11”. Encourage your readers to check out Rita Williams-Garcia’s sequel to the book called P.S. Be Eleven. ISBN-13 : 978-0061938641
Accommodations:
Use the website for The National Museum of African American History & Culture to read and watch videos about the Black Panther movement.
https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/black-panther-party-challenging-police-and-promoting-social-change
Watch children interview former Black Panther members.
Li-Berry-ian 