ONE CRAZY SUMMER

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. ONE CRAZY SUMMER. New York: Amistad. ISBN: 9780060760885 

PLOT SUMMARY

Eleven year old Delphine and her two younger sisters don't know much about their own mother, Cecile, who abandoned the family in Brooklyn after giving birth to her third daughter. In the summer of 1968, Delphine’s father decides that the girls need to go out to see Cecile during the summer.  Delphine boards a plane with her sisters, Vonetta and Fern, to Cecile’s home in Oakland, California. The girls dream of visiting Disneyland and seeing movie stars in California.  Upon their arrival, Delphine and her sisters are greeted coldly by Cecile and they quickly discover that their mother, a poet and printer, isn't happy that they are visiting.  Because their mother wants nothing to do with them,  they are sent to the Black Panther's People's Center for meals and supervision.  It is here that the sisters learn about the Black Panther's movement, make friends with other kids and adults, and learn quite a bit about themselves and each other.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The story is told through the eyes of Delphine, who is eleven.  She keeps a constant, watchful eye on her two younger sisters as she deals with trying to understand her mother and her conflicting feelings about the Black Panther party.  The reader will be able to relate to Delphine due to the age similarities of her character and the indented reader.  Many African-American readers will be able to relate to her ethnicity and interactions with the Black Panthers. 

The story takes place in 1968 during the African-American social revolution.  The historical aspects of this story are well established and accurately portrayed.  Though intended for young readers, the plot’s civil rights theme is clear and bold.  Language in the story supports the time as well as the ethnicity of the characters. Many well known names are used throughout the book such as: Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali, Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, Tina Turner, and the Supremes, which add to the historical and cultural context.  

Rita Williams-Garcia does a masterful job of weaving together a personalized family story with strong historical context.  In the acknowledgements section at the back of the book it becomes clear that the fictionalized parts of the story are based on people and influences that Williams-Garcia has had in her own life.  The historical aspects of the book are accurate which is confirmed in the acknowledgments section where she briefly describes her research done to understand the climate of the times.  

AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

Awards:

National Book Award Nominee for Young People's Literature (2010)

Newbery Honor (2011)

Scott O'Dell Award (2011)

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2012)

Coretta Scott King Award for Author (2011)

Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of the Year for Fiction (2010)

The Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature Honor (2011)

Review Excerpts:

"Set during a pivotal moment in African American history, this vibrant novel shows the subtle ways that political movements affect personal lives; but just as memorable is the finely drawn, universal story of children reclaiming a reluctant parent’s love."  -Booklist starred (February 1, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 11))

"Modern young readers will find it interesting to read about the conflicting views of the African-American community at that time, as I was. They certainly will be intrigued by the plight of these three children who are caught up in the major issues of that time, made all the more poignant by the insightful first-person narrative of this precocious young girl." -Library Media Connection (March/April 2010)

"Emotionally challenging and beautifully written, this book immerses readers in a time and place and raises difficult questions of cultural and ethnic identity and personal responsibility. With memorable characters (all three girls have engaging, strong voices) and a powerful story, this is a book well worth reading and rereading."  -School Library Journal (March 1, 2010)

CONNECTIONS

-Students could read ONE CRAZY SUMMER after learning about civil rights movement
-Research the role of the Black Panthers party during the 60s and 70s.
-Have students think of ways the story would be different if it was told from another point of view
-Have students write a poem, song, or create a play about a topic that they are passionate about.  They could perform it for the class.


Other books by Rita Williams-Garcia:



JUMPED by Rita Williams-Garcia ISBN: 0060760915 
LIKE SISTERS ON THE HOMEFRONT by Rita Williams-Garcia ISBN: 0140385614 

BLUE TIGHTS by Rita Williams-Garcia ISBN: 0140380450