One Crazy Summer

Locations
Call Number: R Newbery Honor 2011, Y Fiction / Williams-Garcia, Rita, Kids Book / Fiction / Historical / Williams-Garcia, Rita
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Kids Reference 0-week checkout	R Newbery Honor 2011	0-week checkout	Library Use Only
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	Y Fiction / Williams-Garcia, Rita	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	Y Fiction / Williams-Garcia, Rita	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	Y Fiction / Williams-Garcia, Rita	4-week checkout	Due 05-20-2024
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	Y Fiction / Williams-Garcia, Rita	4-week checkout	Due 05-20-2024
Malletts Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Fiction / Historical / Williams-Garcia, Rita	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Fiction / Historical / Williams-Garcia, Rita	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Fiction / Historical / Williams-Garcia, Rita	4-week checkout	Due 05-01-2024

In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

cool submitted by steelersfan1 on June 23, 2011, 8:22pm liked the book

good storyline submitted by harajuku528 on June 23, 2011, 8:38pm finished all tappan top ten titles and won!!!!

Recommended submitted by klickitat on August 6, 2012, 7:02pm Delphine doesn't need a mother. She and her two sisters, Vonetta and Fern, and her father and grandmother, Big Ma, are doing just fine on their own. So imagine Delphine's surprise when Pa insists that she and her sisters travel all the way across the country to visit Cecile, their estranged mother who walked out them seven years ago. To make matters worse, once the girls arrive, Cecile isn't happy to see them and reminds them at every turn that she never asked for them to come. She sends them to the Black Panther Community Center and tells them to keep out of her way. How will Delphine and her sisters survive one day, let alone an entire month with this woman?

As long as you can overlook the fact that otherwise loving and protective guardians allow their children to travel alone to 1968 Oakland to stay with a mentally-ill woman, you're likely to enjoy this book. Williams-Garcia is a gifted storyteller. She achieves the rare feat of creating an entire cast of characters that come alive on the page. Delphine's voice in particular is a strength. At once practical, thoughtful, precocious, and age-appropriate, she's a heroine of Scout Finch caliber. Like Countdown, also out this year, Summer will nudge readers to reconsider their perceptions of the sixties. Delphine and her younger sisters navigate a complex world; although they are familiar with the changes being brought about by the Civil Rights Movement, they live in constant fear of making a "a great Negro spectacle" of themselves. This book has the potential to be a catalyst for discussion in middle grade social studies classrooms. For example, ask students what they knew about the Black Panthers before reading Summer and how their knowledge was or was not reflected in the story. A minor complaint is that the story ends abruptly and without a satisfying conclusion. Williams-Garcia would have been well-advised to add more denouement.

Good Historical Fiction for the Period submitted by Beth Manuel on August 28, 2013, 11:47am The voice of the narrator, Delphine is honest, caring and thoughtful. The idea behind this trio of young sisters traveling across the country to meet their estranged mother did have me concerned. The mother, Cecile, was rude, selfish and inconsiderate. I couldn't stand the thought of these loving girls being stuck with this uncaring woman for a month. But the girls prevailed and seemingly got their birth mother to at least recognize what intelligent, compassionate children she left behind. the book did end abruptly and left some questions in my mind. But all in all it was a good read.

strong historical fiction submitted by LibraryMaven on June 15, 2014, 11:46am Sisters Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern were abandoned seven years ago by their mother and have been raised by their father and grandmother. Pa and Big Ma decide in the summer of 1968 that it is time for them to travel from Brooklyn to Oakland to meet Cecile, their mother. Narrated by eleven year old Delphine, One Crazy Summer is both a story about intensely private relationships and about a particularly turbulent time in American history. Cecile is not interested in mothering the girls, and sends them to a summer program run by the Black Panthers. Over the course of the summer, Delphine makes peace with the mother that she has, and grows into her identity. Few books about the Black Panthers have been written for children, and Garcia-Williams does a wonderful job giving an even-handed account. The book is fully-realized historical fiction but never feels heavy handed, and at 215 pages is a manageable read for middle schoolers. Readers might enjoy reading this book alone, but it can also be used as a start for important conversations about our country’s history and further exploration into the time period.

Historical Fiction for Middle-Graders submitted by sdunav on July 8, 2016, 11:59am Middle-grade Newbery award winner that I finally got around to reading. I liked but didn't love the story of three sisters sent to visit their estranged mom in San Francisco in the late 60's. Lots of interesting stuff about race, the Black Panthers, and sibling relationships.

Good story submitted by izzygreta on August 27, 2017, 9:42am This is a really interesting historical fiction story. I read it along with my middle schoolers, and we all really enjoyed it and learned a lot about that time.

Excellent submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 21, 2019, 10:47pm A middle-grade novel about three sisters who spend the summer with their mother in Oakland, CA in 1968. As she doesn’t particularly want them there, they spend much of their time at the Black Panther summer program and encounter a whole new world view from the one they’ve always known. The story is told from the perspective of the oldest sister, who is responsible for the younger two, and bears the weight of the girls and the world on her shoulders. This book does an excellent job of seeing family, life, changes, and culture through Delphine’s eyes, as well as teaching the reader about the state of the US in 1968. Excellent.

One Crazy Summer submitted by Varshini on August 3, 2019, 5:03pm One Crazy Summer is a great historical fiction novel for children. I learned a lot about The Black Panthers and the time in general.

Good to learn more about the Black Panthers submitted by Xris on July 22, 2022, 12:58am Great story, but felt a bit bad for Delphine and how grown-up and responsible she had to be. Great resolution at the end too, all wrapped up nice. I hope they go back and see their mom more...maybe in a sequel?

Good story submitted by aamasud on August 4, 2022, 8:53pm Good historical fiction novel

Great for summer! submitted by Riley13 on July 5, 2023, 9:00pm I read this book about three years ago for a virtual book club. It was amazing