Module 3: One Crazy Summer By: Rita Williams- Garcia

Summary

The summer of 1968 is a very eventful summer for Delphine, Vonetta and Fern. The girls are packed onto a plan and shipped from Brooklyn to Oakland California to visit their estranged mother who they haven't seen in seven years. Cecile abandoned her three daughters seven years ago to pursue a new life in California as a poet and she hasn't looked back since. Her daughters unexpected appearance is treated more as a nesciences then a welcomed experienced and she promptly ships them off to the Black Panther day camp with instructions to stay gone as long as possible so that she can work on her poetry. During this time the girls learn more about the revolution, social injustice and unrest within the black community.

Reference

Garcia, R. (2010). One crazy summer. New York: Amistad.

Review

One Crazy Summer is the first children's novel that I read that spoke about the Black Panther Party. The story interwove the events of that year, together with a story about family, friendship and sacrifice to create a very enjoyable novel. This is the story of young black children growing up during a very historical time it speaks about family, how they young girls were effected by the changes, and the value of family. Delphine a young girl of 11 has assumed the roll of mother to her two younger sisters and although she loves them she is very bitter towards her mother. In the story her mother is quickly painted as the villain and she lives up to the roll whole heartedly treating the girls as an afterthought. The author Rita  Williams does a great job of depicting the impending change within the community and this family. She also does a great job by showing how the family unit is able to with stand change and still remain together. Although this book doesn't have much action in it the story is written beautifully and the relationship amongst the girls makes you want to read on and on.

Professional Review

Adams, L. (2014, November 3). One Crazy Summer - The Horn Book. Retrieved August 11, 2015.

Library Uses

I would use this novel during black history month to talk about the civil rights movement. Students could complete a comparison activity of children in the 60's and children today. We could also look more in-depth at the black panther party and speak about how their free lunch and breakfast programs benefitted the community. Children could create their own social service project for the students at their school similar to what the black panthers did for the children in the community.