One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer

Citation:

Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer. New York: Amistad, 2011. ISBN: 978-0060760908

Plot Summary:

                One Crazy Summer follows Delphine, a responsible and astute eleven year old as she journeys cross country with her two sisters to meet the mother, Cecile, that abandoned them seven years ago. Set during the summer of 1968 in Oakland, California the girls find themselves at a loss to explain their mother’s strange visitors and her disinterest in them as she sends them to a community centee hosted by the Black Panthers rather than spend time with them herself. The narrator is left to piece together her past as she learns about her mother from this group. As the summer progresses we learn of the pride that Delphine has for her name and why Cecile named the girls what she did. Cecile left shortly after Fern was born stems because of her own childhood issues, but she left them with their names which are important to her.  When her mother is arrested Delphine does not call her father because she is afraid he will take the back home, but when Cecile comes home she explains her life to Delphine, which is completely overwhelming. Finally we learn that Fern’s original name was Afua and that is why she will only address her as Little Girl.

Critical Analysis:

                One Crazy Summer is a critically acclaimed novel that focuses on the Civil Rights era of the sixties and introduces the Black Panther group. The narrator’s voice brings to life a story rich in history as it is emotionally as Delphine faces questions of abandonment and racial issues. The descriptions are spot on for a child dealing with being an adult and child at the same time. Delphine is raising her sisters, but she is also a child herself. The confusion that encompasses her feels real and brings the narrator to light. This is a historically accurate book that addresses race issues that amasses in California in the 1960’s.

Reviews:

School Library Journal: “With memorable characters (all three girls have engaging, strong voices) and a powerful story, this is a book well worth reading and rereading.”

Booklist: “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.”

Connections:

·         Books by Rita Williams-Garcia

o   Jumped

o   Like sisters on the homefront

·         Scott O’Dell award books

o   Chickadee by Louise Erdrich

o   The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan

·         Use in connection to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s

All book reviews courtesy of Amazon.com