One Crazy Summer

Author: Rita Williams-Garcia

Copyright: 2010

Publisher: Amistad

Garcia, R. (2010). One crazy summer. New York: Amistad.

Reading Level: 3-5

Lexile Measure: 750L

Genre: Historical fiction, Realistic fiction.

Description: Diversity, new experiences, change, city life, courage, heartbreak, funny, family and social structures.

Delivery Suggestion: Small group or individual.

Summary: Life is not easy and we see that clearly through the lives of three young sisters who are in search of the mother who abandoned them. You would expect an eleven-year-old to be weak and dependable after her mother left her, her two younger sisters, and her father to flee across the country and basically forget about their family. It doesn’t get any easier either. However, eleven-year-old Delphine, along with her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, are sent by their father and Big Ma to stay with their mother who once neglected them in Oakland, California during the summer of 1968. When the girls arrive to California from Brooklyn, their mother, Cecile, still wants nothing to do with them. She makes them eat takeout dinners, doesn’t allow them to step foot in the kitchen, and wont explain the strange visitors with Afros and black berets who come to the house. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Cecile sends her three daughters to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers. However, it does not turn out bad after all.

Electronic Resources:

Black Panther Party This kid friendly resource provides students with the opportunity to read and gain knowledge about the Black Panther Party. Students can browse this site to develop prior knowledge about the group, which is referenced very frequently in the story, for when they are reading the novel. The site also provides students with additional resources to further their learning about the topic.

1968 This resource provides students with detailed facts about historical events during the time period that the story takes place (1968). The information is presented in a chronological format and provides students with further reading on every specific event. This will allow students to become familiar of what it was like during this time period. They will be able to connect and relate better to the characters and understand what was happening around the girls, in the world, at this time.

Vocabulary: defiant, fugitive, dispatched, oppressed, reverberation, flummoxed, begrudgingly.

Teaching Suggestions:

-Use this book to supplement a social studies lesson about the significant historical events that were occurring during the time period that the text takes place (1968).

-Use this book to discuss diversity and acceptance. We see the hardships that these three young girls are faced with. What kind of environment would have made things easier for them at this time?

-Use this book to discuss family and social structure. It is very possible that members in the classroom come from families that are not run in a typical fashion. Provide students with the opportunity to connect to the characters experiences and discuss coping techniques for such tough situations.

Comprehension Strategies:

Before Reading: Have students list all the words that come to mind when they hear the term and think of the Black Panthers. After students are finished reading, list on the other side of the paper those words that students now include in their description of the Black Panthers.

During Reading: Have students create a character list for the following characters: Delphine, Vonetta, Fern, Cecile, Sister Mukumbu, Hirohito. As students read the novel, have them list words and descriptions for each character. This will provide students with the opportunity to “get to know” the characters and grow with them as the story develops.

After Reading: Have students participate in a pair and share activity where they share with a partner three things that they learned from reading this novel. Also, have students share and discuss the character traits they came up with for the characters in the story. Encourage students to identify any common occurrences in their findings and common themes.

Writing Activity:

Instruct students to create a diary entry from the view of Delphine. If students were in her position and experiencing the things that she was going through, how would they feel? Do they think Delphine was acting stronger than she truly was feeling at times? Have students use the appropriate voice of the character. Encourage students to really adapt to the situation and become the character for this writing activity.