I fell in love with a family in this book, and the feeling persisted through the next two novels, "P.S. Be Eleven" and "Gone Crazy in Alabama." I wish there was more to the saga! I am white and I grew up in Detroit in the 1960s. This book helped me understand how differently black girls lived than I did and gave me some important cultural clues that help me understand racial and cultural differences much better. The Gaither family remains in my heart! Thank you, Rita Williams-Garcia! ( )

Reading Level- Grades 3-5
Awards- John Newbery Medal

Reading level: Grades 5-7, Lexile 750L
Awards: (13 Total) We Are Kid Lit Collective Summer Reading List, Scott O'Dell, Coretta Scott King Awards, CCBC Choices, John Newbery Medal, Horn Book Fanfare, Lasting Connections.

independent reading: 9+
awards: 2011 Newbery Honor Award, Coretta Scott King Award, and Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for her book, One Crazy Summer.

This multi-award-winning novel takes place in California in 1968 as sisters Delphine, Venetta, and Fern, visit their mother Cecile after being abandoned by her for 7 years. On their trip, the sisters learn about their mother, who is different than the woman their grandma described them to be, and about their community while they are with the "Black Panthers," who take them to spend time at a community center at the request of their mother.
Aspects of the social studies content areas such as black culture, the civil rights movement, and racism. This book could be used to promote the discussion of race in our society today as well as the improvements that have been made since the time period described in the book. Creative writing prompts could also be created from the book. ( )