One Crazy Summer

by Rita Williams-Garcia

2011 Coretta Scott King Award Winner

Set during the summer of 1968, One Crazy Summer blends the fictitious story of a young black girl, Delphine, with insightful information about one of the most trying periods in U.S. history. In this funny but heartbreaking story, Delphine and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, are sent away from their home in Brooklyn, New York to spend a month in Oakland, California with their long lost mother, Cecile. Cecile abandoned the girls when they were still very young, leaving them to be raised by there father and grandmother, Big Ma. The girls are excited to learn more about Cecile, but nervous about facing the mother who abandoned them.

Upon arrival, Cecile makes it clear that she had not asked for the girls to come visit and makes no attempt to make up for lost time. She refuses to call the youngest, Fern, by her name and insists that the girls stay out of her way. Cecile also refuses to cook, making Delphine and her sisters eat Chinese takeout, picnic-style, off the living room floor. She sends them out of the house each morning and tells them not to return until night. Cecile gives the girls directions to the local center, where they must wait in line for a free breakfast each morning. It is at the center, that Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn about the revolution taking place through participation in a summer camp sponsored by the Black Panthers. The summer Delphine spends with her "crazy" mother gives her an inside look at the Civil Rights Movement and provides her and her sisters with a sense of closure.

One Crazy Summer is not a fast-paced, action-packed book by any means. However, the story is beautifully written in a way that appeals to both children and adults. Young reads come away with a new found knowledge about real events pertaining to African-American history and inspiration to be self-reliant. For older readers, One Crazy Summer sparks an emotional response about how far our society has come since desegregation and the impact a mother can have on her children.

As a mother reading One Crazy Summer, I couldn't help but despise Cecile and wonder what type of motivation she had for leaving her daughters. How could a mother possibly justify abandoning her children? What else in life could be more important than her role as a mother? My heart ached for the young girls and the rejection they must have felt. However, I was also inspired by Delphine and her willingness to step into the role of mother at such a young age. Even though Big Ma had moved north to help care for the three girls, it is obvious that Delphine feels it is her responsibility to protect and care for her younger sisters. The characters' strong personalities and the story's link to such an elusive political group, the Black Panthers, makes One Crazy Summer a great selection for any library collection.