One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer
by Rita Williams-Garcia
Amistad, 2010. 224 pgs.
Reading Level: ages 9-12
Hardcover: $15.99

Annotation: As three young sisters set off to visit a mother they barely remember, they can’t imagine the craziness that awaits them.

Summary: Delphine (11), Vonetta (9), and Fern (4) are going to visit Cecile in Oakland, California this summer. Cecile is the woman who gave birth to them, but they never refer to her as their mother because what kind of mother leaves her toddlers and newborn child to fend for themselves? However, their Pa insists they meet her and so they leave the familiarity of New York for the glamour they feel sure is waiting for them in California, home to movie stars, Disneyland and all sorts of amazing adventures. But when Cecile barely acknowledges them at the airport, won’t cook them dinner and never allows them into her kitchen, they know this summer is not going to be what they expected. With no warmth and lots of crazy talk, Cecile sends them to the Center each morning for breakfast, angrily reminding them not to return until dark. At the Center the three black sisters encounter “The Panthers”, a black power movement formed to ignite a revolution and give power back to the people. Charged with the care of her younger sisters, Delphine is wary of becoming involved in such a dangerous cause, but somehow they are pulled into it anyway. But it is through this experience that Delphine and her sisters will finally come to know and understand the woman who is their mother.

Evaluation: One Crazy Summer is a smashing success. Told from the perspective of 11-year-old Delphine, who is equal parts naiveté and wisdom and robust enough a character to ensure that she’ll make a permanent home in your heart. It’s beautifully written with a prodigious sprinkling of humor and the prose will knock you out of your seat. Jacqueline Woodson writes, it “absolutely blew me away.” Williams-Grace presents real characters, real problems and real resolutions. Fantastic research, coupled with engaging characters and a intriguing plot make this book an important addition to the civil rights literature and a must read for everyone.

Significance: Set during the civil rights movement, One Crazy Summer highlights “The Black Panthers” organization and their operations during this tumultuous time period. The book emphasizes an important era in history and highlights the significant contribution that children made and can make in changing our world for the better

Personal Choice: Not only had this book won the Coretta Scott King, but it was also a Newbery Honor and so I knew it had to be something special. I wasn't disappointed in the list and this is now one of my top 5 recommendations for children.

Awards: Coretta Scott King Winner, 2011 / Scott O'Dell for Historical Fiction Winner, 2011/ Newbery Honor Award, 2011 / National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalist, 2010

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave
by Lavan Carrick Hill
Illustrated by Bryan Collier
Little, Brown & Company, 2010. 48 pgs
Reading Level: ages 4-8
Hardcover: $16.99

Annotation: Even though he was a slave, Dave the Potter made beautiful pots inscribed with his own special poetry.

Summary: Dave the Potter was an extraordinary slave artist living in South Carolina in the 1800's. This exquisite picture book tells the story of his art, how he took earth and clay, combined them with water and then threw pots large enough to hold more than 20 gallons. Afterwhich, he inscribed them with his short, fascinating haiku-like snatches of poetry. Sometimes he only signed his name but other times he wrote lines such as "I wonder where is all my relation friendhsip to all-and, every nation". At the end of the story proper, the full story of Dave and the making of the tale add a more definitive look into the life of the artist and complement the book's main body.

Evaluation: The book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of African American art. The illustrations are subdued, using darker, muted colors for the most part and exhibiting a layered effect that is visually interesting as well as gorgeously rendered. Dave's face and his hands are life catching glimpses into this man's soul and I loved the fold out pages that let you see the steps a potter follows when creating a pot. It's an important work in that it documents a unique man in history and his extraordinary talent and the illustrations are a triumphant celebration of Dave's life.

Significance: Slaves were normally forced to remain unskilled and illiterate, the fact that Dave was both shows special privilege and  remarkable talent.

Personal Choice: I have a degree in art history and was curious to see Dave's creations and how this author and illustrator team portrayed this remarkable man.

Awards: Coretta Scott King: Illustrator Award, 2011 / Caldecott Honor, 2011 / Children's Notable for Middle Readers, 2011