One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer 

by Rita Williams-Garcia

Published: 2010

Summary: One Crazy Summer, written by Rita Williams-Garcia, is a historical fiction young-adult novel that follows three sisters from New York to California in the 1960s in hopes of connecting with their estranged mother, Cecile. The oldest sister, Delphine, guides her younger sisters, Vonettea and Fern, through the struggles of fitting in with a new community and embracing and discovering their identities and roles within the civil rights movement. The girls discover that their mother is not particularly maternal, had changed her name to Nzila, and was an active member of the Black Panthers, a revolutionary organization in Oakland created to ensure the safety and protection of African Americans. The girls attend "Black Panther Summer Camp" every day, where they learn their rights, form new relationships, and discover the truth about the brutality within their community. 

Response: One Crazy Summer is a beautifully crafted historical fiction book that can be utilized within any classroom setting. The recommended reader age is 9-12, and I agree. There are dark pieces, but they also are raw in their depiction of the hardships during the 1960s. I thought this book was tastefully written by how it was able to tell the harsh historical pieces, while also demonstrating the strength and kindness found by the members of the Black Panthers, and the communities ability to unite and support each other during this difficult time. There is vocabulary that a teacher would need to frontload before reading, such as who the Black Panthers are, who Huey Newton is, and the racial climate in the United States at the time this book was written. I feel like many students in today's world could identify with the characters, specifically Delphine. Her character plays the role of the maternal older sibling, who grew up too fast to ensure safety and security for their younger siblings. Many students will be able to find truth and honesty from her character. This book could be used to aide instruction on the history of the civil rights movement, and make the history more approachable and digestible for younger readers. 


Analysis: In relation to the elements of a well-written book, this book has strong dialogue that adheres to a young audience and puts the reader in the story. Williams-Garcia develops individual personalities for each sister, as well as creating a harsh contrast in the dialogue between the sisters, and the short and quick comments and conversations with Cecile. These dialogues add a sense of depth to the characters development, while also making the sisters more relatable to young readers. For example, the middle sister, Vonetta, speaks loudly and loves to be the center of attention, while Delphine is the analytic and speaks in a more composed and intentional manner. The author is also able to develop unexpected insights through the use of poetic language and poetry. Cecile is a poet, and the children do not know much about their mother until the end of the novel. Cecile is arrested, so the daughters are finally able to enter the forbidden kitchen and read her poetry works. From this unexpected insight, the girls discover who their mother is, and the difficulties she has endured through her writing. Following the integrated poetry, the girls' language becomes poetic, and the dialogue between the daughters, specifically Fern, becomes poetic and intentional to hint at the idea that she is similar to her mother in that way.