One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia follows eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, as they travel from Brooklyn to California to spend the summer with their estranged mother, Cecile. Expecting a fun-filled summer visiting Disneyland, the girls are instead sent to a day camp run by the Black Panthers, where they learn about their family, their country, and themselves. Through Delphine's perspective, readers witness the girls' journey of self-discovery and understanding during a tumultuous time in American history.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is engaging and relatable, effectively conveying the story through a child's perspective while addressing complex themes with a balance of emotion and humor.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot showcases the journey of three sisters as they deal with their estranged mother during a turbulent time in American history, intertwining personal growth with historical context.

Setting:

The setting is richly detailed, providing a vivid backdrop of 1968 Oakland that enhances the historical and emotional depth of the story.

Pacing:

The pacing balances reflective moments with action, keeping the reader engaged in the characters' development and the unfolding events.

Good thing the plane had seat belts and we’d been strapped in tight before takeoff. Without them, that last jolt would have been enough to throw Vonetta into orbit and Fern across the aisle. Still, I ...

Genres:

historical fiction

multicultural literature

young adult fiction

Topics:

civil rights movement

Notes:

The story is set in the summer of 1968, during the Civil Rights Movement.

The main character, Delphine, is 11 years old and takes on a maternal role for her younger sisters.

The girls travel from Brooklyn, New York, to Oakland, California, to meet their estranged mother, Cecile.

Cecile had abandoned the sisters when Fern was just a baby and is now involved with the Black Panthers.

Instead of nurturing their motherly figure, Cecile sends the girls to a Black Panther summer camp.

The book explores complex themes such as abandonment, family dynamics, and racial identity.

Delphine struggles with her feelings towards their mother, who is unwelcoming and distant.

The girls experience a journey of self-discovery as they learn about their heritage and the Black Panther movement.

The book highlights the efforts of the Black Panthers in providing community support, such as breakfast programs for children.

Delphine and her sisters learn about the importance of standing up for oneself and the meaning of family through their experiences.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of abandonment, neglect, and historical portrayals of racial discrimination.

From The Publisher:

National Book Award Finalist

ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults

Newbery Honor Book

Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

ALA Notable Children's Book

Coretta Scott King Award (Author)

In this Newbery Honor novel, New York Times bestselling author Rita Williams-Garcia tells the story of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to meet the mother who abandoned them. A strong option for summer reading-take this book along on a family road trip or enjoy it at home.

This moving, funny novel won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction and the Coretta Scott King Award and was a National Book Award Finalist. Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern's story continues in P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama.

Readers who enjoy Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming will find much to love in One Crazy Summer. Rita Williams-Garcia's books about Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern can also be read alongside nonfiction explorations of American history such as Jason Reynolds's and Ibram X. Kendi's books.

In One Crazy Summer, eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She's had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a radical new life in California. But when the sisters arrive from Brooklyn to spend the summer with their mother, Cecile is nothing like they imagined.

While the girls hope to go to Disneyland and meet Tinker Bell, their mother sends them to a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn much about their family, their country, and themselves during one truly crazy summer.

This novel was the first featured title for Marley D's Reading Party, launched after the success of #1000BlackGirlBooks. Maria Russo, in a New York Times list of "great kids' books with diverse characters," called it "witty and original."

"This vibrant and moving award-winning novel has heart to spare," commented Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich in her Brightly article "Knowing Our History to Build a Brighter Future: Books to Help Kids Understand the Fight for Racial Equality."

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One Crazy Summer

Rita Williams-Garcia

Book 1 in the series:Gaither Sisters