Prepare to be Captivated by One Crazy Summer

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. One Crazy Summer. New York: Amistad. ISBN 978-0-06-076088-5

PLOT SUMMARY

This is the story of eleven year old Delphine and her two sisters, Vonetta and Fern.  It is the summer of 1968, and the three girls have been sent to Oakland, California to spend a month with the mother who walked out on them years ago.  Coming from Brooklyn and their loving Papa and Big Ma, this is a significant shift in their reality.  Their mother, Cecile, is cold and unwelcoming and makes her displeasure at having these house guests readily apparent.

Cecile, who has rechristened herself "Nzila," wants nothing but to be left in peace and quiet so she can work on her poetry and printing.  As it is at home, Delphine is tasked with watching over her sisters and keeping them well fed.  Cecile sends the girls to a summer day camp run by the Black Panthers at the nearby People's Center.  There, the girls slowly make friends and learn about Huey Newton, Bobby Hutton, and how to protect their civic rights when dealing with the police. 

When the girls return to Cecile's from an exciting day trip to San Francisco, they see their mother being taken away by the police in handcuffs.  A family from the camp takes the girls in, but Delphine is concerned and unsure of how long her mother will be in jail for.  The girls have a shining moment when they recite one of Cecile's poems at a rally, with Cecile in the audience, having just been released.  She actually seems proud of them and even gives out a few compliments.

While the girls did not find a loving, welcoming mother in Cecile, they did build a relationship with her, little by little, during their month long stay.  As they prepare to board their plane back to NYC, all three girls envelope Cecile in a hug that she actually returns.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Williams-Garcia has created some vibrant and memorable characters, especially her young heroine.   The strong and stoic Delphine cares deeply for her sisters and is fiercely protective of them.  Readers who are also the oldest siblings in their families will easily be able to relate to her.  She cherishes the quiet moments she spends in the kitchen with her mother and wants to make all of the adults in her life proud.  Quite often, Delphine is thinking about Big Ma and what she might have to say about her current situation.  Mostly, she doesn't want anyone to know how scared she sometimes feels.  Delphine espouses many characteristics that children can relate to.    

Williams-Garcia does a fine job of recreating the cultural and political climate of 1968.  The Black Panthers did institute a variety of community social programs and offered free breakfast for children, so a camp like the one the girls attended may have very well existed.  She uses the term "Negro" the way it was used 50 years ago to add authenticity to her story.  There are various references to popular TV shows of the time, such as Flipper, and people, such as Muhammed Ali.  

Personally, I found this to be quite a compelling tale.  Each time Cecile exuded resentment or indifference towards her daughters, my heart would break a little.  I wanted them to find happiness in California and was thankful for the kind figures who came into their lives, such as Sister Mukumbu and Hirohito and his mother.  When Cecile finally told Delphine her own history, she became a little more human for me.  And the hug at the very end was literary gold - the moment I had been hoping for since the girls landed in California 200 pages ago.  One Crazy Summer is a book that will stay with me long after reading the final page.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

2011 Coretta Scott King Award

2011 Scott O'Dell Award

2011 Newbery Honor Book

National Book Award Finalist

ALA Notable Children's Book

From SCHOOL LIBRARY 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."

From BOOKLIST - "Regimented, responsible, strong-willed Delphine narrates in an unforgettable voice, but each of the sisters emerges as a distinct, memorable character, whose hard-won, tenuous connections with their mother build to an aching, triumphant conclusion.  Set during a pivotal moment in African American history, this vibrant novel shows the subtle ways that political movements affect personal lives; but just as memorable is the finely drawn, universal story of children reclaiming a reluctant parent's love."

From 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

Read the sequel to One Crazy Summer to find out what happens next to Delphine and her sisters.

• Williams-Garcia, Rita. P.S. Be Eleven. ISBN 978-0061938641

Have students read more about the Civil Rights Movement in 1968.  Then, have them interview someone who is old enough to remember what was going on in 1968 to get a first-hand account.

Have students write their own poems about a topic that is important to them.

Have students write a journal entry from the perspective of Delphine as she reflects on her summer in Oakland.  What were the most memorable moments of the trip for her and why?

Have the following discussion with your students: Williams-Garcia places a lot of importance on names in this story.  Think of examples and explain what message you think she is trying to convey.