Radiant by Vunda Micheaux Nelson

Sometimes 

I want to be white. 

White— 

like new snow 

or angel wings. 

White— 

like fresh milk 

or cumulous clouds. 

White— 

like just-washed sheets 

dancing on the clothesline. 

White— 

a full moon on a clear night.

Cooper is named after her Grandfather. I do like to think about names. Her name could be a source of teasing or worse but no, the bullying all relates to the colour of her skin mainly from one boy in her class. She is having a hard time in school - firstly with a dreadful bully named Wade Carter and also with her teacher Mrs Keating. But Cooper has a goal to shine:

I look up “shine” in the dictionary. It means a lot of good stuff. The kind Mama means: “To radiate. To give off light. To be made bright by polishing. To sparkle and shimmer with luster." It means brilliance and splendor. —That’s what I want. I want to shine. To be brilliant. To be radiant. “Radiant” is one of the words.

To shine at school means scoring good grades and 'winning' over Mrs Keating. At times this seems to be an almost impossible goal.

Then there is Wade who takes every opportunity to be so nasty to Cooper. Spoiler alert - in stories (and maybe in real life too) there is often a deeper reason for the bullying - and in this book it is true that Wade is going through some very tough stuff at home but I have to say I found it very hard to be sympathetic (even when his mum died). 

I wish Wade hadn’t heard me say I want to shine. I wish I hadn’t said it out loud. I do want to shine. I want to shine so bright, so bright that I blind Wade. Color blind him.

I wonder, is Wade scared? Scared of me? Or is he just mean?

Cooper, quite rightly, would like different colours for Crayola crayons - different colours to use for skin tones. This could be a good discussion point with a reading group. 

And why does my skin matter so much? Nobody cares if I wear a red blouse or a blue one. Why should they care if I wear black skin or white skin or purple skin?

Then for Christmas Cooper is gifted a small transistor radio and she also discovers the famous pop group - the Beatles. 

Kate and I read about John Lennon Paul McCartney George Harrison and Ringo Starr (with two r’s). We learn some new British words, like “gear” and “cuppa” “lift” and “kip.”

It is also an important turning point for Cooper when another 'black' student arrives in her class. I loved this boy - he is confident, he is kind, He is so proud of his heritage and most of all he is so friendly to everyone. 

There are references to other books in Radiant - The Wizard of Oz; Charlotte's Web; and Langston Hughes poetry. 

Australian readers will be unfamiliar with many of the historical references in this book - the assassination of JFK, Martin Luther King Jr, and the Klu Klux Klan along with all the references to racial discrimination but many kids will identify with Cooper's need to find herself, her voice, her own place in the world and her desire for representation - where are the kids like her in stories and films. They will also cheer as she conquers school and gains good results on her end of year report card. I would share this verse novel with mature readers aged 10+.

Publisher blurb: As school begins in 1963, Cooper Dale wrestles with what it means to “shine” for a black girl in a predominantly white community near Pittsburgh. Set against the historic backdrop of the Birmingham church bombing, the Kennedy assassination, and Beatlemania, Radiant is a finely crafted novel in verse about race, class, faith, and finding your place in a loving family and a complicated world.   Cooper’s primary concern is navigating fifth grade, where she faces both an extra-strict teacher and the bullying of Wade Carter, the only child of a well-to-do white family, whose home Cooper’s mother cleans for extra income. How can she shine when her mother works for the meanest boy in school? To make matters worse, Cooper quietly wishes she could be someone else. It’s not all bad, though. Cooper and her beloved older sister have fallen for the Beatles, and Cooper is thrilled to have something special they can share. And what she learns about her British idols adds new complexity to Cooper’s feelings about race.

This verse novel examines complex themes of identity, forgiveness, self-love, and self-actualization through writing that’s accessible to young readers. Nelson intentionally and deftly uses details to situate the novel with history, and she’s crafted an endearing, three-dimensional protagonist in Cooper, whose voice and authentic struggle to make sense of her experiences will resonate in a work that presents fertile ground for discussion. Kirkus

Companion books:

One Crazy Summer

Blended

Ten years ago I read another book by Vunca Micheaux Nelson - Possibles.

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

In summation and conclusion, the Malone family has four members who are very bright, very good-looking and uniquely talented, just not all in one person at the same time. We are the only family in the world, in my ken, that has a motto of our own! That motto is “We are a family on a journey to a place called Wonderful.” I can’t wait until we get there!

Hoping is such hard work. It tires you out and you never seem to get any kind of reward. Hoping feels like you’re a balloon that has a pinhole that slowly leaks air.

Meet Deza - "I am neither very intelligent nor very tall. I also have not been blessed with a beautiful singing voice. I have a pleasingly even disposition unless it’s one of those times that I become very angry or scared and have embarrassing wishes to hurt someone real bad." "My most annoying trait is that some of the time I might talk a little too much, I can be very verbose. I also exaggerate but that is because I come from a family of great storytellers which is not the same as great liars."

And her mother - "My mother, Mrs. Margaret “Peggy” Sutphen Malone, was born here in Gary, Indiana. She is willowy and radiant and spell-blindingly beautiful. She is also very intelligent. She has a great job cleaning for the Carsdale family. Yes, that Carsdale family! The family whose patriarch is the president of the Gary Citizens’ Bank. Her most endearing trait is that she is the glue holding this family together."

My father who uses alliteration every chance he has - "He always calls me his Darling Daughter Deza, and I’m supposed to answer that he is my Dearest Delightful Daddy. He calls Jimmie the Genuine, Gentle Jumpin’ Giant, and Jimmie’s supposed to call him his Fine Friendly Father Figure. Father also calls Mother the Marvelous Mammalian Matriarch ... "

And Deza's brother is Jimmy - "The oldest child in our family, Mr. James Edward Malone, is fifteen years old and has been blessed with the singing voice of a angel. Jimmie’s most annoying trait is that he has what Mother says is a napoleon complex. That means Jimmie is not as tall or robust as most boys his age and tries to make up for it by being as loud and full of braggadocio as he can. He also gets in lots of fights. Jimmie’s most endearing trait is that he loves me more than any big brother has loved a little sister since time immoral."

The year is 1936 - the years of The Great Depression. The Malone family are poor. The have to rely on community food handouts. Deza desperately needs to see a dentist and her brother is bullied and taunted for being small and 'slow'. 

“And I know you, Peg. I know you’re going through the same thing, we both know that that little brown-skinned angel is something beyond special. You know if there’s any chance in the future, it’s riding on her narrow shoulders. So you tell me, you tell me how can I come home empty-handed knowing that that sassy, smart, beautiful, charming little girl…my Mighty Miss Malone…is slowly rotting away on the inside and we can’t afford to have her teeth looked after, we can’t even get them pulled?"

Her father is badly hurt on a fishing trip. Her mother loses her cleaning job. Then Deza's Daddy heads away to find work in Flint. Mother, Deza and Jimmy try to follow him but one night Jimmy heads off. He has a dream to be a singer but is he just being conned? These are dangerous times for the mother and daughter who find themselves living in a camp or shanty town with other displaced people. Their dream, though, is to try to find a place called Wonderful with a house of their own and everyone reunited. 

Deza is a top student and her teacher recognises her abilities and also her poverty. In a beautiful scene near the beginning of the book Mrs Needham gifts Deza some shoes and clothes. 

Inside the bag there was a beautiful pair of new patent leather shoes and some folded-up clothes. Mother says it’s rude to set shoes on anything but the floor so that’s where I put them. “Do you wear a size five?” “I’m not sure.” “Try them on.” I picked up the first shoe. There were some socks rolled up in it. “Should I put on the socks too?” “Yes.” I was glad I was behind her desk and she couldn’t see my shoes and socks. My shoes are quite tired and my socks have been darned a million times. Jimmie says our socks and clothes are very religious because they are so holey. My hands were shaking, but I pulled the new socks on and slipped my feet into the shoes. I knew just how Cinderella felt! They were a little big, but maybe that was because mine were so tight. I sat on my socks so Mrs. Needham wouldn’t see them. She said, “My niece from Cleveland spent the summer with me a while ago and left a few things. I thought they might fit you.” Did Mrs. Needham really mean these shoes were for me?

I've included this long quote above because I was utterly devastated later in the story when Deza accidentally leaves her precious clothes behind. 

To get to Flint they jump a train. They are given some really important advice about ways to stay safe in the camp - these were called Hooverville during the Depression.

"You gonna have to be extra careful when you get to camp, that’s unsafe too, if you don’t know what you’re doing.” “What do you mean?” “It’s just like anything else, there’s just enough bad folks in camp to make it so you got to keep your guard up at all times. It’s especially hard on women, and even worst for little girls.” She looked at me and a shiver went through my heart. “You just gotta keep your wits about you and don’t let no one in on your business. Keep it to yourself why you’re on the road alone.” ... “Always let folks think your husband or your brother is with you, always tell ’em that he’s gonna be back later tonight. There’s strength in numbers so let folks think there’s a lot of y’all. You’re a good-looking woman, you gonna have to be careful not to draw a lot of attention you don’t want.” Mother’s jaws tightened. “And don’t let no one get too familiar either, man or woman. Don’t let ’em know where y’all are really from. They’ll start prying and before you know it they’re looking to help you out in some way that ain’t no kind of help at all. Just keep your head low. Don’t look weak or scared.”

Spoiler alert - there were moments I cheered in this story: When Deza and her mother move into a room in a real house; when Deza has an address so she can get a library card; when Deza finally gets good dental help; and when the series of letters arrive with money and news about her father. AND there were moments of despair: When Deza lost her clothing gift; when she couldn't go to the special extra lessons with Mrs Needham; and in her new school when 'black' students are always given low grades no matter how well they perform. 

Bookseller blurb: Deza is the smartest girl in her class, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression hit Gary, Indiana hard, and there are no jobs for Black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. While Jimmie's beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, Deza and Mother continue on, clinging to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of the Malone's journey reveal not only the devastation of the Depression but also the enduring strength of family bonds and the mighty heart of young Deza Malone.

Listen to an audio sample here. The Might Miss Malone was published in 2012 but because it won the Coretta Scott King Award it is still in print and available in paperback. 

Each of these reviews has more plot details:

Vivid picture of what it was like to live through the Great Depression, as well as what it was like to live with every day prejudice. Deza is a strong character, and her family tries their best to survive and prosper during a difficult time. Ms Yingling

The Mighty Miss Malone is a Superlative Stupendous Story and a Totally Awesome Book. The Book Smugglers

The fluidity of the writing, the strong sense of place and time combined with well-drawn characters will captivate and delight. Kirkus Star review

We talk now about the importance of representation in books for children. Here is a wonderful quote from The Mighty Miss Malone which epitomises this:

"When I was in Gary and would read novels I used to put myself right in the middle of the story. I knew it was a great book when it felt like the author was writing about me. Some of the time I’d get snapped out of the book when I read things that I couldn’t pretend were about me, even if I had the imagination of Mr. William Shakespeare. Words like “her pale, luminescent skin” or “her flowing mane of golden hair” or “her lovely, cornflower-blue eyes” or “the maiden fair.” I would stop and think, No, Deza, none of these books are about you."

Deza is a character from a previous book by Christopher Paul Curtis:

Bud not Buddy

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

My father is with God, just as the minister here says. But God didn’t call him there because God had work for him to do. My father died because he was doing God’s work here. 

He wanted the people of Malaga Island to live in a place that was their own.”

I started reading this book four days ago, but I kept having to put it down because there are so many utterly terrible scenes. On the one hand I wanted to keep reading but I also felt the need to protect myself from the vicious scenes. 

This book is utterly harrowing and upsetting but I really do appreciate the journey Gary D Schmidt has taken me on. About halfway through this story I began to worry there might not be a happy ending so I decided to skim through a few reviews. Some said the ending was tragic, but I also read that the ending was hopeful. This means that when the most dreadful and devastating things happened to Turner, I simply did not believe them. 

I should have read the Kirkus Star review more carefully:

There can be no happy ending to this story, but the telling is both beautiful and emotionally honest, both funny and piercingly sad.

Bookseller blurb: Set in 1912 and centered on a historical event, the moving and compelling coming-of-age story of Turner, a white minister's son who discovers joy through his friendship with a black girl, Lizzie, and finds his own strength and voice after painful losses transform his life. In this powerful and moving novel, Turner Buckminster, a preacher's son newly arrived in in Phippsburg, Maine, meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a strong, spirited black girl from Malaga Island, a nearby island community founded by former slaves. All of Phippsburg, especially Turner's repressive father, disapproves of their friendship, but Turner ignores them; Lizzie is the wisest, most knowledgeable person he ever met. On top of knowing everything, she can row a boat and pitch a baseball like a champ. The town's move to turn the island into a tourist attraction destroys the powerless community, a historical event that occurred in 1912. It is the catalyst for a wave of personal losses that shakes Turner's world but leaves him whole.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy is a Young Adult title and I would say this book is best for ages 14+. The treatment of and prejudice towards African American citizens as explained in this story set in 1912 in Maine is certain to shock teenage readers here in modern Australia.  It is also important to read the back notes which explain the actual historical events that inspired this novel.

If you are book talking Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy I would use the four covers I have shared above as a way to interest your library or class group. In the light of my earlier comments it is interesting to think about the age intention of these cover designs. I wouldn't use this with a high school group but I do wish I could find a soundtrack of all the hymns Turner plays to Mrs Cobb. 

Take a look at this review. Here are some text quotes from this book:

Opening sentence: Turner Buckminster had lived in Phippsburg, Maine, for fifteen minutes shy of six hours. He had dipped his hand in its waves and licked the salt from his fingers. He had smelled the sharp resin of the pines. He had heard the low rhythm of the bells on the buoys that balanced on the ridges of the sea. He had seen the fine clapboard parsonage beside the church where he was to live, ...

He didn’t know how much longer he could stand it. Maybe somewhere out West there really were Territories that he could light out to, where being a minister’s son wouldn’t matter worth a . . . well, worth a darn. He hoped so, because here, being a minister’s son mattered a whole lot, and pretending that it didn’t matter to him was starting to peck at his soul.

Readers let's meet Lizzie Bright: She looked out at the thrusting tide, clenched her toes into the loose sand, and smelled the salty, piney air. At thirteen, she was, as her grandfather liked to remind her, one year older than the century, and so a good deal wiser. Too wise to stay on Malaga Island, he said, but she planned to stay there forever. Where else, after all, did the tide set a pale crab on your toe?

“More to the point,” said the tallest of the group—the one with the most expensive frock coat, the most expensive top hat, and the most expensive shiny shoes—“one less colored on Malaga Island.” Laughter from the group, louder than the gulls. “Though the issue is much larger than one colored.” His eye searched the pine shadows across the water for the girl, as if he sensed her watching him. His hands moved to the lapels of his coat. “The issue is how to relieve Malaga Island of the girl, her family, her neighbors, what she would call her house, what they would call their town.”

“Reverend Buckminster, behold the cross we bear in Phippsburg: a ragtag collection of hovels and shacks, filled with thieves and lazy sots, eking out a life by eating clams from the ocean mud, heedless of offers of help from either state or church, a blight on the town’s aspirations, a hopeless barrier to its future.”

The afternoon had become as hot as meanness, and since the shirt he was wearing had enough starch in it to mummify two, maybe three, pharaohs, he began to feel he could hardly breathe. The only thing that saved him from absolute suffocation was the sea breeze somersaulting and fooling, first ahead, then behind, running and panting like a dog ready to play.

In the clearing, sixty graves lay quiet and still, restful. Wood crosses with printed names too faded to read stood at their heads. Some had piles of pink-grained stones gathered from around the island placed carefully at the foot of each cross. Some had sprigs of violets, some fresh evergreen boughs.

She took a deep breath, and she wasn’t just breathing in the air. She breathed in the waves, the sea grass, the pines, the pale lichens on the granite, the sweet shimmering of the pebbles dragged back and forth in the surf, the fish hawk diving to the waves, the dolphin jumping out of them. She would not ebb.

And suddenly, Turner had a thought that had never occurred to him before: he wondered if his father really believed a single thing he was saying. And suddenly, Turner had a second thought that had never occurred to him before: he wondered if he believed a single thing his father was saying.

Turner felt the cold of the place come into him. He could not move. It was as though the bricks surrounded him and him alone. He felt that he would never escape them, never see anyone he loved again, never see the ocean waves again. That he would always be cold, and the cold would be in him more than around him.

Companion book:

Stella by Starlight

You may have read my previous post about the Newbery Award where I set myself a challenge to read more of the honor book titles. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (2004) was one title on my list - partly because the title sounded intriguing and partly because I recognised the author's name.

I previously read these books by Gary D Schmidt:

Orbiting Jupiter

The Wednesday Wars

The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett

Dear Reader,
If you are reading this, then chances are that 

our world has ended.

"My name is Kemi Carter, and I'm a scientist .... My favorite type of science is the science of probability. Probability is pretty great because it tells you how likely something is to happen or not happen. It is a way of predicting the world."

BREAKING NEWS: MASSIC ASTERIOD ALTERS PATH, NOW ON COURSE TO MEET EARTH! NASA RELEASES STATMENT: DO NOT PANIC! PRESS CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN THIRTY MINUTES!

"How long did we have until the end of the world?"

Kemi knows the world is about to end. This is huge and impossible to process so she decides to collect a box of treasures so that the people who come next have some idea about her life and the lives of various members of her family. 

Begin here with this video by Colby Sharp - "this book is blowing everyone's mind" ... "this is the best book to read when you know nothing about it!" ...  "You are in for the ride of your life."

Colby also says do not read the back cover (blurb) - luckily I was not able to do this because I read the ebook of The Probability of Everything.

Now listen (just play it without the image) to this video where the reviewer explains it is best to come to this book knowing nothing about the plot. This review is 9 minutes and at the end the librarian says she would like one million dollars so she could buy this book for everyone - surely that makes you curious about this story.

This book will shock and shake you - it is utterly fabulous but any more plot points will spoil it. I will however list a few text quotes:

"A sudden chill entered the room. It was Narnia cold, the kind of cold that makes your bones ache, and I shivered. The front door creaked like it had been left open, and I wondered if that was the reason for the cold."

"Amplus ... has a 84.7 percent chance of hitting us."

"When Mrs Wallace had taught us about asteroids, I hadn't really considered the possibility of one colliding with us. It was kind of the way I hadn't paid too much attention to our lesson on Tasmanian devils because I knew they were only in Australia."

"Would Baby Z be born before the asteroid hit? Mom was only five months pregnant, which meant the world would have to last another four months at least, if we were ever going to meet the baby. We didn't even know if we had four hours."

"... the end of the world might sound like a whoosh, like a thunderclap, or like a peaceful silence."

"Four days meant less than a full week of school. It meant we would never meet Baby Z, that I would never have two sisters instead of one. It meant the world would end on a Thursday."

"There has to be a way to make sure they don't forget all about us."

"I'm make a time capsule ... If I save all the most important stuff, the things we love the most, then nobody has to feel so sad about the end of the world. ... If I saved one thing that was precious to each member of my family, then something that was part of them - something that they loved - would always be here. It wouldn't be destroyed by the asteroid, and the next earthlings could find it and know about us."

What are some things to put in a time capsule:

• Photographs
• Newspaper clippings
• Favourite books (Kemi likes The One and Only Ivan; Charlotte's web and Where the wild things are).
• List of movies or tv shows you love
• A mobile phone
• Food (that won't spoil) 
• Clothes
• A map of your town showing all your favorite places
• Letters between you and your loved ones

ONLY after you have read this book (yes you do need to read it) you might look at a few reviews such as this one from Kirkus (star review). 

Awards:

• NPR Books We Love 2023 
• Publishers Weekly Best of 2023 
• Winner of the Governor General's Literary Awards for Young People's Literature

This review by Betsy (my blogging/reviewing hero) contains spoilers - WAIT - read the book first please!

And while I’m generally a pretty slow reader, I devoured this baby immediately. How could I not? Sarah Everett wrestles with an outsized and ambitious bit of plotting, all the while keeping her cards close to her chest. Here’s some advice: Hand this to kids that like their books with a bit of a twist. And do NOT skip to the ending and read that first. You will live to regret it if you do. Betsy Bird

Companion book:

Wishtree

Blended by Sharon M Draper

"When I play the piano, I rock! It would be nice if the rest of my life came together like some kind of magical musical symphony. But, nah, not usually."

"Daddy ... Do you think people think I'm Black or white when they see me? Am I Black? Or white?"

Eleven year old Izzy/Isabella has a lot to cope with in her daily life. Dad is Black, mum is white. Mum and Dad are now divorced. The judge at the court, a man who has never met Izzy, says she must live one week with Dad and one week with Mum. This means Izzy constantly has to juggle her possessions, bedrooms, rules, relationships and even her identity. Dad now lives with Anastasia and her son Darren. Mum now lives with John Mark.  Izzy gets on well with Anastasia and especially well with Darren and she really likes John Mark but Mum and Dad cannot stop fighting especially on change-over day which happens every week.

Her one consolation is music. Isabella has real talent and passion. She is preparing for a big concert and when she practices the problems of every day life disappear. At school, though, the students are faced with some difficult conversations about race and injustice. Izzy experiences aspects of this in her daily life because she is mixed.  

This book packs a wallop right at the end - do not jump ahead but be prepared to stay for the whole ride because even though you might guess something dramatic might happen I guarantee you will not, in a million years, guess this ending.

I loved the honesty of Isabella as she navigates her complex life. I want to thank Darren for the kindness and love he gives to Izzy. And I would love a set of Mum's t-shirts - they sure are fun. If you look at the labels I have assigned this post you will see the way this Middle Grade novel (I would say for ages 10+) explores so many important issues. I do love the cover but don't be fooled into thinking this is a gentle story. 

Most people have probably already seen Blended especially in the US but I had to wait for the paperback copy to arrive here in Australia.  Hardcover US novels are way too expensive ($41!). 

You can hear Sharon M Draper reading a few pages of her book from Chapter One here. Here is the piece Izzy has been preparing for her big concert - Sonatina in C Major, op. 36, no. 1 by Clementi. When Izzy's dad proposes to Anastasia a man in the restaurant comes across with a violin to play this piece by Mendelssohn. Read this review by Ms Yingling for more plot details. Here is an interview with Sharon M Draper about her book. Colby Sharp talks about Blended. 

What begins as the story of a lively young piano player caught between two new families inexorably becomes a piercing interrogation of everyday racism that culminates in a terrifying, all-too-believable confrontation ... Kirkus Star review

I am a huge fan of Sharon M Draper.  Take a look at these books:

Stella by Starlight

Out of my Mind

After reading Blended you might look for The Watson's go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis or One Crazy Summer. 

One Crazy Summer

Effie Starr Zook has one more Question by Martha Freeman

Precept 47: Clean feet at happy feet

Precept 1: A man's beard is a signifier of his special place in the natural order of things

Precept 2: A woman has her own special place in the natural order of things

Precept 151: The future cares as much about your wrongs as your rights

Publisher blurb: After being shipped off to stay with her aunt and uncle in Nowheresville, Pennsylvania, city girl Effie Starr Zook stumbles upon a mystery that leads her to an old family feud in this "accessible and exciting" (School Library Journal, starred review).  A rich girl from New York City, Effie Starr Zook isn't afraid of much. When her parents go on a dangerous round-the-world adventure in a solar airplane, she's packed off to her aunt and uncle's farm for the summer. Expecting boredom, she runs smack dab into a family secret. Why does the neighbour kid want to avoid her? What are her aunt and uncle so worried about? And what does "bad blood" mean, anyway? Effie's got a brand-new bicycle, time on her hands, and an unlimited capacity for asking questions. With these, she sets out to uncover whatever it is the grownups are hiding. Along the way, she'll contend with crackpot politics, serve coffee in a bookstore café, and learn more than she bargained for about her famous great-grandfather, the inventor of the barf bag. Fast-paced and funny, this is a story about having the courage to find out who you really are. Look out, world--when Effie Starr Zook has questions, she won't take no for an answer!

I actually ran out of middle grade novels a couple of weeks ago so I charged up my old ipad and purchased a couple of ebooks (Kindle). I have no memory of how I found this one but I do think the title and cover are very appealing. I read this whole book in one sitting and the surprise at the end warmed my heart. Sadly this book is no longer available here in Australia in paperback and the hardcover is too expensive to consider for a school library purchase but perhaps you can access an ebook version of this book from a public library.

On the surface this feels a light, sun-dappled read, but within the depths of this story lurk compelling truths about sexism and racism that give shadow, dimension, and heft to this perky yarn. Effie’s growing awareness of her privilege and its origins is an appropriately complicated one. Kirkus

Opening sentences: "Effie Starr Zook looked out the bedroom window, and what she saw made her heart go thud. There in the pen with Alfred the Goat stood a little boy."

Here are a few text quotes to give you a flavour of the writing in this book:

Effie is a city girl "she knew a smoothie from a lassi, a cemita from a torta, and a latte from a cappuccino."

About Effie herself: "Effie was ordinary looking. Among the other eleven-year-old girls at her school, she was a little shorter than average and a little more square. Her hair was brown and opinionated. Her best feature, her eyes, were warm and brown besides being unusually large like her mother's and aunts."

Mr Yoder "He was big all over - tall and wide without being fat. He had abundant dark blonde hair on his head but the most striking thing about him was the hair on his face - the biggest beard Effie had ever seen in real life."

Pendleton Odbody "He was broad-shouldered with a mass of black braids that tumbled to his shoulders. He was dressed in khakis and a long-sleeved button-down shirt made from the puckery fabric called seersucker. He wore square glasses with wire frames."

Food at the country show: "The flyer says kettle corn, funnel cake, cheese on a stick, and cornhole. ... I don't even know what those things are. ... It will be a cultural experience."

I also love some of the vocab in this book: maudlin; emesis bags; scion; preposterous.

"How can you not ask questions? I always have questions."

Companion reads:

Halfway to Harmony

Pieces of Georgia

The Parker Inheritance

Refugees by Brian Bilston illustrated by José Sanabria

Before you share this book with a group of students (I suggest age 10+) you should plan to read this book very carefully yourself first. The words of the first half of this book are harsh and confronting. You will need to prepare your students - I would explain that some words may shock or surprise them but it is essential to listen to the whole book before continuing any discussion.

You may already know I adore end papers especially ones that are different front and back and then there are the very best end papers that add to your enjoyment or interpretation of the story.  The end papers in Refugees by Brian Bilston are the very best.

Front end paper

Think about all of the symbolism in this fabric. It is stained, it has raw edges, and it is very roughly sewn together.

Back end paper

At the end of the book the fabric is rich, textured, neatly stitched and reflective of many diverse cultures. 

Here is the text for this book - you need to read it top to bottom and bottom to top.

They have no need of our help

So do not tell me

These haggard faces could belong to you or me

Should life have dealt a different hand

We need to see them for who they really are

Chancers and scroungers

Layabouts and loungers

With bombs up their sleeves

Cut-throats and thieves

They are not

Welcome here

We should make them

Go back to where they came from

They cannot

Share our food

Share our homes

Share our countries

Instead let us

Build a wall to keep them out

It is not okay to say

These are people just like us

A place should only belong to those who are born there

Do not be so stupid to think that

The world can be looked at another way

(now read from bottom to top)

Brian Bilston is a poet who first became known posting his poems on twitter. His first book of poetry, You Took the Last Bus Home was published in 2017 and this year, Bilston published Diary of a Somebody, a book which mixes poetry with prose. Fans of Bilston’s work will know that he never shies away from controversial topics including poems about American gun crime, Brexit and the refugee crisis. Particularly memorable for many readers is his poem, Refugees, which can be read forwards and backwards with very different meaning, a poem style that Bilston himself calls “forwardsy-backwardsy poems.” Adding “but there may be a better word than that.”  Read in one direction, the poem Refugees reflects the hatred refugees often suffer when they flee to safer shores only to be told to ‘go home’. However, read the other way, the poem is heart-warming, welcoming and inviting to refugees in need of asylum. For Reading Addicts UK

You can see many pages from this book here. 

Here’s a book to make you think hard no matter what your feelings on the topic. ... No matter what, the book ought to be shared, discussed and pondered upon by all.   Red Reading Hub

Here is a video of this poem which could be used with High School students. In the book the two parts of the poem are shown when the text moves from the left side to the right. 

We have another book here in Australia which uses this idea of reading text in both directions - Room on our Rock (winner of the Charlotte Huck Award 2020) by Kate and Jol Temple written on a similar topic for a much younger audience. This pair have a new title Move that Mountain which uses the same format. 

I have already swooned over another picture book illustrated by Colombian illustrator José Sanabria - As time went by.

Running out of Night by Sharon Lovejoy

 

Lush, detailed, total-immersion storytelling. Kirkus

Publisher blurb: Every day is a misery for a nameless, motherless Southern girl who is treated cruelly by her pa and brothers. Her life changes forever when a runaway slave named Zenobia turns to her for help and shelter. Longing for her own freedom, the girl decides to run away, and she and Zenobia set off on a harrowing journey. Along the way, Zenobia names the girl Lark, after the bird, for her ability to mimic its song.  Running by night, hiding by day, the girls are pursued by Lark’s pa and brothers and by ruthless slave catchers. Brightwell, another runaway slave, joins them, and the three follow secret signs to a stop on the Underground Railroad. When the hideout is raided and Zenobia and Brightwell are captured, Lark sets out alone to rescue her friends.

Cliffhanger endings for nearly every chapter prove that adventure tropes can work just as well in historical fiction to keep the pages turning, and a happy but bittersweet conclusion ensures that both girls finally find safety. Bulletin of the Centre for Children's Books

I read this book as an ebook. It was first published in 2014 and here in Australia the paperback is nearly $25 which seems terrible to me considering this is a book with just 300 pages. I much prefer print books but the advantage of an ebook is I can highlight pieces of text to quote here which will give you a flavour of this powerful writing:

"I don't have no name. My mama died just when I were borned and nobody bothered to give me one, ceptin Grandpa, who always called me Sweet Girl when we were alone."

"I squared my chin and bit down on my tongue to keep it from waggin me into trouble again."

"I learnt a long time ago that turnin into a shadow, disappearin into whatever was round me were sometimes the only way to stay alive."

"I belonged to him, like his hunting dogs and his guns. He wouldn't never give up looking for me around here."

"Grandpa always told me that bad beginnings are a sign of a good endin. I hoped I didn't have to wait too long for a the good to come."

"And why did I have to take a beatin for someone I didn't even know, or care about? Someone who probably wouldn't give me a butter bean if I were the hungry one. Why should I risk my own hide for her?"

"Not bad enough that I'm a mite smaller than most girls, and that my ugly red hair stands out like broom corn, but now look what I were stuck with - a tall, raggedy runaway slave girl who dragged trouble behind her like a tail. We'd stick out worse n'chickens in Sunday dresses."

"What were that bird you were singin to?' 'That were a lark,' I answered. 'I be thinking on that and now I namin you Lark, ... that a name you can keep. You (are) Lark."

"I looked down. Me and Zenobia set next to each other, our arms wrapped around out legs. Her arms was the colour of dark clover honey, mine pale, white, and freckled like a wood thrush's chest. I had forgot that we was different colours."

There are some rich words in this book and I enjoyed the authentic Southern voice. I learnt these new words: scuppernong (grape); crawdad (crayfish); fetters (metal ankle chains); pinders (peanuts); buckeye (a seed); and milk name (first name given to a baby).

Here in Australia we have a weekly newspaper column penned by the radio journalist and presenter Richard Glover.  I love these quotes from his recent writings:

Saturday 24th July, 2021 "Books are best read in one or two sittings. In the before times, I could take a couple of weeks to read a book ... The plot would lose it momentum. ... A good author deserves a few hours of continuous reading."

I'm glad I read Running out of Night over two or three long and very absorbing sessions. 

Saturday 30th April, 2021 "Every book is a meeting of minds. ... Reading is an intense experience. ... The reader, after all, is the one who brings the text to life. A text without a reader, is a score without a piano. And then there’s the variation in pianos – some are out of tune, unable to even attempt the high notes; others have the ability to bring the score to tuneful life. ... Certainly, reading is not a passive activity. If the book is good, it should be transformative, leaving you slightly altered. Maybe even improved." SMH

I would add to this some wisdom (not as well expressed) about the way, as a reader, you put yourself into the hands of an author - trusting they will keep you (and their characters who may now be your friends) safe. I felt this way right through Running out of Night. So many utterly dreadful, violent, frightening, and truly terrible things happen to Lark and her new friends but I just kept hold of Sharon Lovejoy's hand, confident in the knowledge she would keep me, and those precious children, safe. 

In the author notes I discovered Sharon Lovejoy once owned a herb shop. In this book Lark uses herbs with great care and wisdom. Sharon has added her own passion to the story in a beautiful way. I recommend Running out of Night for mature readers aged 11+. 

This book reminded me of these:

Stella by Starlight

Crossing Ebenezer Creek

Chains

I am now also keen to read Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. Reviews also mention Trouble don't last by Shelley Pearsall and Stealing Freedom by Elisa Carbone. 

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

 

I was reminded of a multigenerational story idea—a story that tracks a family’s experience with racism from the early 1900s to today—and I realised that this was the story that I needed to pair with the puzzle. Varian Johnson

I like to think of The Parker Inheritance as a mash-up: part contemporary fiction, part historical fiction, part mystery— even part middle-grade novel and part young-adult novel. That being said, I’m proud of the historical parts of the novel. I think it’s important that we write historical fiction—we don’t want to forget the sacrifices that others made in the past to make the world a better place for us today. Varian Johson

Candice and her mother have moved to Lambert, South Carolina. Her grandmother has left Candice a letter which contains a puzzle. From the letter Candice learns there might be a huge amount of money hiding in this small town but to find it Candice will need to solve a complex puzzle and make some discoveries about some very disturbing events from the past. Luckily Candice has made a new friend - the boy who lives across the road called Brandon. He is good at puzzles too.

Varian Johnson uses alternating voices - Candice from the present and characters from the past beginning with 1914 and progressively moving through time. It feels a little as though each character takes a microphone to share his or her role in the mystery.  Take a minute to read this wonderful review by Elizabeth Bird in the School Library Journal. She sums this book up by saying: Come for the puzzle, then. Stay for the biting glimpse of America’s intolerant past.

We are in lock down here in Sydney and so it was good to have an absorbing book to read yesterday. I started and finished The Parker Inheritance in just one day and it is 337 pages of fairly small print. The two covers above are the paperback edition (top) and the hardcover edition. I prefer the hardcover one - which one appeals to you? Listen to an audio sample from Chapter two. The Parker Inheritance is a Coretta Scott King Honour Book. Here are some teaching notes.

The town of Lambert brims with intrigue, keeping readers entranced until the very last page. A candid and powerful reckoning of history.  Kirkus Star review

When Candice finds a letter in an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. But the letter describes a young woman. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfil the letter's promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?  Social Justice Books.

The puzzle aspect of this story reminded me of books by Blue Balliett and the issues of racial prejudice reminded me of The Watsons go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis and Stella by Starlight by Sharon M Draper. 

I enjoyed the way US History especially from the 1950's was woven into this story. Before reading this book here in Australia a reader aged 11+ will perhaps need to do some background reading about segregation; Brown v. Board of education; and civil rights.  In the US this book is listed for 9+ but in my view that is way too young. There is one very violent scene in this book which might disturb a younger reader.

This book refers to The Westing Game (1978) by Ellen Raskin which I have not read but have added to my 'to read' list. 

Can I touch your hair? Irene Latham, Charles Waters, Sean Qualls and Selina Alko

Can I touch your hair? Poems of race, mistakes and friendship

We smile when we learn we both like books, but not sports.

We nod our heads over cool shoes and colorful laces.

Now we see each other as individuals ...

We share hurts like being left out at recess and getting into trouble with our parents. ...

We are so much more than black and white.

This is a complex book with so many layers that it risks being left unopened on the shelf if it is not shared with the child by an astute adult, either parent or teacher, who can begin and sensitively guide the conversations.  The Bottom Shelf

The Bottom Shelf shared her review of this book and was immediately intrigued. I love the power of poetry, I love verse novels and this title sounded interesting.  Very kindly The Bottom Shelf sent me her spare copy so now I can share my thoughts about this slim book of connected poems. (It's not quite a verse novel.)

Mrs Vandenberg sets a class project - pairs of students writing poems. Irene ends up with Charles. They are so different this pair of grade 5 kids but over the course of their writing their differences make way for understanding and friendship.  Irene is white, Charles is African American. Irene is a shy girl who loves horses and reading. She longs to take part in playground games. Charles is clever and outspoken and he also loves reading. Charles wants to understand the adult world and the rules around race and fear.

The result is a set of alternating poems from each child. As a reader I imagined the conversations between Irene and Charles as they share their poems and experiences with one another. Church is different but in both places a white Jesus looks down on the congregation. A visit to the beach is torture for both of them even if the reasons are different. The fear of walking out after dark is the same for both sets of parents. "That's a rough neighborhood, especially in the evening."  "Why Aunt Sarah doesn't go downtown after Dark - sky black, streets black, faces black, fear white."

This is an important book which should also generate conversations with children in Australia and it is a perfect book for teachers looking to explore perspective.  It also shows the power of poetry as a way to express big emotions.

You can read more about the four people involved with creating this book at the Walker Books site.

Reviews:
School Library Journal
Kirkus star review
Horn Book Magazine
Jama's Alphabet Soup

You can see Charles Waters here (begin at 14.21 this is a long program so set aside some time) where he reads some of the poems and then answers questions.  Here is a set of Teaching notes.  Here is a ten minute interview at The Yarn with Travis Jonker.

Here is a poem by Irene which shows the power of this writing:

Apology
When Shona
presents
her family tree
to the class.

I see all
the top branches
are draped in chains.

Because my
ancestors
were slaves
she says.

I swallow
I want to say
I'm
          sorry,
but those words
are so small
for something
so big.

Still I want to try.

So I write it
on a scrap of paper,
find her library book,
and tuck it inside.

Web sites for the collaborators who worked on this book of 33 poems -  Irene Latham, Charles Waters, Sean Qualls (illustrator of Emmanuel's Dream), and Selina Alko.