Written for the young reader in an easy-to-read narrative. The Gaither sisters are back from visiting their mother in California. Pa has a new lady in his life that they have to adjust to. Their uncle is also back from the Vietnam War. Follow along with these African American young women navigating turbulent times. Sc, 274 pages.
After spending the summer in Oakland, California, with their mother and the Black Panthers, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern arrive home with a newfound streak of independence. That doesn't sit well with Big Ma, who doesn't like the way things are changing.
Neither does Delphine. Pa has a new girlfriend. Uncle Darnell comes home from Vietnam, but he's not the same. And her new sixth-grade teacher isn't the fun, stylish Miss Honeywell—it's Mr. Mwila, a stern exchange teacher from Zambia.
But the one thing that doesn't change during this turbulent year is the advice that Delphine receives from her mother, who reminds her not to grow up too fast. To be eleven while she can.
This is a series about three African American sisters growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in recent American history, the 1960's and in an unconventional family setting. The Gaither sisters live in Brooklyn with Pa (Dad) and Big Ma (Grandma) and have an estranged mother in Oakland, California, whom they call Cecile. Read the adventures told by eleven-year-old Delphine and her younger sister, Vonetta and Fern, as they visit their kin all over the rapidly changing nation. They will discover that the bonds of family, and their own strength, run deeper than they ever knew possible. A series that addresses real world problems and refers to the Black Panther group at that time. Talks about some tough issues that happened during that era in a tone that was used then. I would suggest reading with your child so you can discuss the unpleasant parts together. The Gaither Sister series starts with One Crazy Summer, followed by P.S. Eleven, and Gone Crazy in Alabama. ~Amber
