One Crazy Summer

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. One Crazy Summer.  New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060760908

PLOT SUMMARY

In the summer of 1968, Delphine and her two younger sisters go visit their mother in Oakland, California from Brooklyn.  Their mother abandoned them when, Fern, the youngest sister was still a baby.  When they arrive at Oakland, their mom does not receive them the way the girls expect.  Their visit is more of a hassle to Cecile, their mother, than a way to get to know them better.  As a poet, Cecil does not want distractions from her writing and sends the girls to a Black Panther’s summer camp.  In the camp the girls learn about the Black Panther Party movement for self-defense and community activism for the black community. One day, Cecile tries to tell Delphine why she left.  Cecile’s own struggles as a child were the cause of her leaving them.   After spending a whole month there, the girls’ relationship with their mother is still not the best, but there is a sense of hope as they are able to give her a hug as they are about to leave back to Brooklyn.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Readers can relate to the three sisters throughout the story especially if they have siblings.  Throughout the story, the sisters go through situations that many siblings go through in their relationships.  There is the oldest sibling, Delphine, who oversees the youngest two and does her best to keep control of situations as they arise among them.  Delphine being the oldest feels a sense of responsibility for her sisters and she also questions and wonders about some of the activities of the Black Panther Party.  On the other hand, her sisters being young enjoy making new friends without truly gasping what’s going on in their surroundings.  Despise this, there is also a sense of longing for a mother’s love that they have been deprived of.  Readers can also make a connection to current events with the Black Lives Matter Movement.  The setting of Oakland is important since that is where the Black Panther Party was started by college students in 1966. There is a variety of themes covered in this story one being the Black Panthers Party activism work to stop racial prejudice and injustice and to promote black pride.  Another being forgiveness as Delphine and her sisters try to figure out their mother’s actions.  Many times, one does not fully understand a person’s actions until they know about that person’s life experiences and the way they have been affected by them. Perhaps Delphine, because of her young age, did not truly understand Cecile’s explanation of why she left, but with time, Delphine can try to make out her mother’s reasons and find it in her heart to forgive her. 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2010 National Book Award Finalist

2011 Coretta Scott King Award

2011 Newbery Honor Book Award

2011 Scott O’Dell Award

KIRKUS: “Delphine is the pitch-perfect older sister, wise beyond her years, an expert at handling her siblings.  While the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page.”

SCHOOL LIRARY JOURNAL: “Emotionally challenging and beautifully written, this book immerses readers in a time and place and raises difficult questions of cultural and ethnic identity and personal responsibility.  With memorable characters (all three girls have engaging, strong voices) and a powerful story, this is a book well worth reading and rereading.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Delphine’s growing awareness of injustice on a personal and universal level is smoothly woven into the story in poetic language that will stimulate and move readers.”

CONNECTIONS

Have discussions to compare and contrast the Black Panther’s activism work with today’s Black Lives Matter activism work.

Read books that can prompt discussion on racial injustices and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States such as:

Curtis, Christopher Paul.  The Watson’s Go to Birmingham - 1963. ISBN 044022800X

Woodson, Jacqueline. Brown Girl Dreaming. ISBN 0399252517