One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia is the story of three young girls who were abandoned by their mother, Cecile, at a young age being forced to spend a month with her in Oakland, California years later. Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern know better than to expect a happy reunion with their mother but harbor young girls' hopes in their hearts. Their life with their mother during that month is awkward and Delphine continues to do what she has always done, watch out for her sisters. While Cecile writes poetry and works in the kitchen, denying the girls access, and pushing them out the door during the day, the girls begin to spend time at the People's Center joining their summer camp.
The People's Center is run by the Black Panthers but the girls are just looking for a meal and a place to hang out. Over time as they spend their days at the center, the girls learn more about the Black Panthers work and message. When their mother is arrested after being coerced to do work for some members of the Black Panthers group, the girls are taken in by another member of the People's Center and looked after. Delphine refuses to contact her father, wanting to wait to see how long her mother will be in jail. In the meantime, the girls continue to work to help spread the message of the People's Center and finally agree to participate in a rally by reciting a poem of their mother's.
The characters of One Crazy Summer are all distinct, vibrant personalities whose words and interactions bring the story to life. Delphine, eleven going on twelve, is the care-taker and as a result assesses with a protective, responsible eye. Vonetta, nine, is the scene-stealer and given to exaggeration. Fern, seven, is the innocent and the baby, eccentric and forthright. Their mother Cecile is unabashedly determined to ignore their presence and does not deny the inconvenience of having them there. The dialogue has a unique dimension of its own and goes a long way to giving us insight to the characters.
The story is set in Oakland during 1968. The setting serves to highlight the differences in how African-Americans are treated. Living in Brooklyn, the girls were not as aware of racial differences and through their experiences in California the work of the Black Panthers slowly comes to have meaning in their lives. It is through this connection that the girls eventually come to make a connection with their mother.
One Crazy Summer has been received numerous awards including being a finalist for a National Book Award, winning the Coretta Scott King award, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and being a Newbery Medal Honor book.
The links below are provided for those who are interested in finding this book:
Worldcat link to find "One Crazy Summer" in a library near you.
Link to purchase on Amazon
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