Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. One Crazy Summer. New York, NY: Amistad. ISBN 9780060760892.
2. Plot Summary
In 1968, Delphine (11-years-old) and her two younger sisters are sent by their father and grandmother to spend the summer with their estranged mother, Cecile, in Oakland, California. After traveling from Brooklyn, their mother does not provide a warm welcome to the girls that one may expect. Cecile is constantly reminding them that she does not want them there. Each day she gives them money for picking up Chinese food for dinner and they are sent to spend the day at the local Black Panther community center. The three girls spend the summer learning about the black panthers and their desire to protect black citizens rights. Delphine also begins to grasp personal and societal problems and inequity. After a summer with her, Delphine and her sisters begin to understand their mother.
3. Critical Analysis
Delphine, Vonetta and Fern are three young girls faced with a maturing experience. Delphine is a strong, independent girl who feels confident in herself and her responsibility for her little sisters. They are put in an unfamiliar city with no allies during a political movement in the late 1960s. Not only are they faced with a cold, uninterested mother but they are forced to handle a group of people (The Black Panthers) that can be intimidating, especially for young girls. One Crazy Summer gives Delphine’s intuitive personal view of Oakland, California in 1968 including the purpose of the Black Panthers.
Wililams-Garcia uses appropriate language, behavior and attitudes in all the characters to represent the 1960s and Brooklyn families. History about the Black Panthers and political turmoil in California is presented clearly and appropriately for the recommended age group. There is no presentation of research in which the author got her historical information from although most information in this novel is fictional. The majority of the factual information is basic history. The Black Panther group at the community center likely represents a fictional group and is a collaboration of stories and histories of different groups. That being said, it would be beneficial to see some cited sources and recommended readings.
Nominated for Young Hoosier Book Award
Nominated for Maryland Children’s Book Award
Nominated for Great Lakes’ Great Books Award
Nominated for Rhode Island Children’s Book Award
Won Newberry Honor
“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”. -- Booklist Starred Review
“Delphine, almost 12, along with her sisters Vonetta and Fern, fly across the country to visit their mother, Cecile, who long ago abandoned the family to pursue her poetry. The girls ache for hugs and kisses but desperately try not to hope too much. Good thing. When they arrive at her green stucco house in poor, mostly-black Oakland, California, their mother constantly mutters ‘didn't want you to come.’”. -- School Library Journal
5. Connections
- Introduce children to another book about the Black Panthers:
- Van Peebles, Mario. Panther: a pictorial history of the Black Panthers and the story behind the film. 1995. HarperCollins. ISBN 9781557042279
- Ask children to make a list of things that are important to them. Present the following list of questions:
- Why is this important to you?
- Would you do things like the Black Panthers did to stand up for this?
- How do you feel about Delphine and her poem?
