One Crazy Summer

In 1968, three young girls are sent to visit their estranged mother in California. Delphine, the eldest, cares for her sisters during the stay with the reclusive and non-maternal Cecile who, Delphine learns, is a poet who also prints pamphlets for the Black Panthers and is arrested with two Black Panthers during a police raid. The novel deals with issues of racism, prejudice, gender roles, socio-economics, and safety with sensitivity and realism. The stylistically rich story exposes real struggles and strife from the perspective of a child whose voice and resilience will resonate with middle-grade readers (gr. 5-8).