The last thing Harry "Dit" Sims expects when Emma Walker comes to town is to become friends. Proper -talking, brainy Emma doesn't play baseball or ...
read full description
reviews
Mar 20, 2009
Eleanor
rated it: 
Set in Moundville, Alabama in 1917 this charming juvenile novel was based on the author's grandfather's handwritten memoir.
Folks who didn't grow up in the South may not "buy" that children of different races played together and often became friends, and Levine's story captures perfectly the truth that among White Southerners there was (and still is) a vast difference between those who were (and are) unencumbered by prejudice, those who hold their prejudice inside and allo More...
Folks who didn't grow up in the South may not "buy" that children of different races played together and often became friends, and Levine's story captures perfectly the truth that among White Southerners there was (and still is) a vast difference between those who were (and are) unencumbered by prejudice, those who hold their prejudice inside and allo More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Apr 04, 2011
Reading
rated it: 
Review Written by Andrea @ Reading Lark
Kristin Levine evokes the spirit of To Kill a Mockingbird as she tells the story of Henry "Dit" Sims in 1917 rural Alabama. Even though I was often reminded of events in To Kill a Mockingbird that only made me love this book more. Levine stays true to the southern voices of the time period - both good and bad - as she evaluates the issue of race.
Dit Sims is one of ten children and being born almost smack in the middle means he More...
Kristin Levine evokes the spirit of To Kill a Mockingbird as she tells the story of Henry "Dit" Sims in 1917 rural Alabama. Even though I was often reminded of events in To Kill a Mockingbird that only made me love this book more. Levine stays true to the southern voices of the time period - both good and bad - as she evaluates the issue of race.
Dit Sims is one of ten children and being born almost smack in the middle means he More...
Jul 04, 2009
Mary
rated it:
In Moundville, AL in 1917, Harry Otis (Dit) Sims is one of 10 children in his family. He's frustrated that he can't seem to get his parents' attention, and he especially wants his father's approval. Dit is good at baseball and hunting with the "flip it" slingshot he made to shoot rocks. His best friend, Chip, is the mayor's son. When the town gets a new postmaster, Dit has high hopes that he'll have a son, but instead when the Walkers arrive by train from Boston, their only child is a
More...
Jun 22, 2009
Ryan
rated it: 
Set in 1917, just as America is entering the war, in Alabama, Best Bad Luck follows the growth of a friendship between a young white boy - raised in the rural south, in a family of 10 - and a young black girl - raised in Boston, the only child of a black postal worker and former nurse. Its very much in the style of Lizzie and The Buckminster's Boy (Gary Schmidt)- sweet, sad and lovely. It also reminded me of the Wednesday Wars (also by Schmidt) with the idea of tragedy vs. comedy, in the Shakesp
More...
Jun 01, 2010
Amy
rated it:
Dit is excited to hear there will be a new postmaster moving to town and he's doubly excited to hear that the postmaster has a child his age. Disappointment sets in when the postermaster's child is not only a girl, but a black girl. Set in 1917 in southern Alabama, prejudice is a way of life. Reluctantly, Dit starts a friendship with Emma, the postmaster's daughter. He teaches her to skip stones across the lake, throw a baseball, make a cave, and more. Dit and Emma's friendship grows despit
More...
May 13, 2011
Heidi
rated it:
What a fabulous book! I was hooked by the first paragraph. Dit's voice is so strong in this book, I can't help completely loving him and loving watching his bit of coming of age. I loved seeing Emma through his eyes, as well as everything else. I loved the atmosphere I felt from the book. Amazing writing. Beautiful story complete with humor, honesty, innocence, knowledge, right v. wrong, tragedy, fear, courage, and much more. Knowing this is based on the author's grandfather's experiences, and I
More...
Jan 10, 2011
Beth
rated it:
This quick read (maybe 3-4 hours?) was great. I kind of wanted to give it 5 stars, but the "It was amazing" part scared me. I decided maybe I was thinking 5 stars simply because I've read some crappy books lately. : ) Either way, I very much enjoyed it.
Apparently, I really like stories of race interactions as I've read a lot dealing with black vs. white. Add the South to it and place it before segregation ended and I really, really am interested to see what happens. More...
Apparently, I really like stories of race interactions as I've read a lot dealing with black vs. white. Add the South to it and place it before segregation ended and I really, really am interested to see what happens. More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 01, 2009
Kristen
rated it:
Dit lives in Alabama before the civil rights movement took place. The anticipated arrival of the newly hired postmaster and his supposed son were the talk of the town. Instead, amid great surprise, the new postmaster from Boston is black and, to Dit's dismay, his would-be son is Emma, a bookwormish girl.
Dit's reluctance and Emma's suspicions are hard to swallow but as their adventures continue they come to trust and rely upon each other. Dit and Emma teach each other and make e More...
Dit's reluctance and Emma's suspicions are hard to swallow but as their adventures continue they come to trust and rely upon each other. Dit and Emma teach each other and make e More...
May 29, 2009
Alexis
rated it:
I AM NOT LYING ONE LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS BOOK! I THOUGHT I WOULDN'T LIKE IT THAT MUCH, BUT I THOUGHT,'I'LL GIVE IT A SHOT.' It is the BEST BOOK i have ever READ! I AM NOT LYING! It is my new favorite book! It is set in the 1900's like the 1915's-1917's, and it was at a time when blacks and whites did not hang out with eachother. A boy named Dit (I know weird name) meets a "negra" which is what they called them, named Emma, and they become BEST friends. They are about 12 years old, and
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 04, 2011
Andrea (Reading Lark)
rated it:
Review Posted on Reading Lark 4/4/11
Kristin Levine evokes the spirit of To Kill a Mockingbird as she tells the story of Henry "Dit" Sims in 1917 rural Alabama. Even though I was often reminded of events in To Kill a Mockingbird that only made me love this book more. Levine stays true to the southern voices of the time period - both good and bad - as she evaluates the issue of race.
Dit Sims is one of ten children and being born almost smack in the middle me More...
Kristin Levine evokes the spirit of To Kill a Mockingbird as she tells the story of Henry "Dit" Sims in 1917 rural Alabama. Even though I was often reminded of events in To Kill a Mockingbird that only made me love this book more. Levine stays true to the southern voices of the time period - both good and bad - as she evaluates the issue of race.
Dit Sims is one of ten children and being born almost smack in the middle me More...
May 05, 2009
Kathy
rated it:
Although black, and a girl, the new postmaster's daughter turns out to be a good friend for 12-year-old Dit Sims, desperate for attention in his big family and struggling to navigate the racially charged territory of small-town Alabama in 1918. The friendship slowly develops as they share their different skills and values (his baseball and love for the outdoors, her book smarts and care for animals). Strong southern voice - dialect but not difficult to read. And once the race relations heat up
More...
May 15, 2009
Janet
rated it:
Stuck in the middle of a family of ten kids in small-town 1917 Alabama, and believing his dad can't even remember his name, 12-year-old Dit Sims is really looking forward to making friends with the new postmaster's son. Problem is: the train rolls into town and the new kid steps out in shiny new shoes and a fancy dress: a girl. And black. And, as it turns out, brainy and not into sports, as if being a girl and black weren’t problem enough. Unexpectedly (to him, not to the reader), Dit and Em
More...
Sep 28, 2011
Stacy
rated it:
I am always little conflicted when reviewing children's books. I generally have two opinions: my adult response and my "what-I-think-kids-will-think" response.
For children, the author very successfully presented the topic of race relations. The language was concise, accessible, and the story intriguing. The main character, Dit, was well developed. I liked that he didn't always make the right choice. I think kids will really respond to him and injustice presented in the pl More...
For children, the author very successfully presented the topic of race relations. The language was concise, accessible, and the story intriguing. The main character, Dit, was well developed. I liked that he didn't always make the right choice. I think kids will really respond to him and injustice presented in the pl More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 25, 2011
Claire
rated it:
Harry "Dit" Simms is a regular boy growing up in a mixed-up town Down South in the early 1900s. When there's news of a new postmaster coming to town, everyone gets exited, especially Dit. He's hoping for a boy his age to be friends with, but what he gets instead is a smart-mouthed, brainy, fast-talking Emma Walker. Dit hates her right on sight- and being African American doesn't help Emma earn the respect of Dit or the townspeople, either. Soon, however, against all odds Dit and Emma b
More...
Oct 31, 2009
Sandra
rated it:
In an age when it is not good for a black girl and a white boy to be seen together, Dit and Emma find themselves thrown together to stand up for the rights of one of their friends. Henry Otis, known as dit is excited when he finds out that their new postmasterhas a son. Finally he has someone that he can pal around with all summer. To his surprise the postmaster doesn't have a son, he has a daughter named Emma. Worse yet, Dit's mother has decided that her son should be a gentleman and show Emma
More...
Feb 22, 2011
Kate
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. It felt similar to Mildred D. Taylor's books. It deals with a difficult time in history for black/white relations. One review that I read said that you have to "suspend belief" at the end. Yes, things tend to work out neatly, but that is a style that some people like and others don't. Another review said that the first part was long and cumbersome before you get to the meat of the plot. I disagree. The story is very character driven. Dit has to change before
More...
Nov 06, 2009
Sandy
rated it:
I was hooked on this book pretty much from start to finish and am pleased to announce that this is yet ANOTHER winner from a first-time author this year. I loved the way that the story handled race relations in a realistic yet accessable way for kids, and I definitely see why this one has been talked about as a Newbery contender.
This one might be a hard one to get to kids though just because the cover is really unappealing. It looks more like an inspirational memoir than anything I More...
This one might be a hard one to get to kids though just because the cover is really unappealing. It looks more like an inspirational memoir than anything I More...
Oct 14, 2009
Abby
rated it:
Twelve-year-old Dit is hoping that the new postmaster for his small Alabama town will have a boy just his age so they can play baseball all summer long. It's Dit's bad luck that the postmaster turns out to have a daughter instead. Emma and Dit become friends despite their different races (Emma is black, Dit is white) and when racial tensions escalate in the town, they must figure out how to make things right.
The plot meanders until about halfway through when it seems like the real meat More...
The plot meanders until about halfway through when it seems like the real meat More...
Sep 17, 2011
Ken
rated it:
I stayed up until one in the morning because I couldn't put this book down. This is such a simple story with such a powerful meaning behind it. It is always hard for me to decribe the emotions I get when I read a book involving the tragedies of life. When at the same time, rising from those tragedies pours out overwhelming compasion. The lessons of life that this book brought out were beautiful and heartwarming. My wife is a librarian at an elementary school from K-6. I personally struggle
More...
Aug 30, 2010
Jacki
rated it:
Rather than paint a black versus white picture of the pre-civil-rights South, Levine uses the story of the friendship between a black teenage girl and a white teenage boy to explore the different shades of prejudice of the time period. Everything from acceptance to the ugliest bigotry is present.
The hero acts mostly as an observer of prejudice. His fairly liberal family has not raised him to be racist, and he already has black friends when Emma moves to town. His main objection to he More...
The hero acts mostly as an observer of prejudice. His fairly liberal family has not raised him to be racist, and he already has black friends when Emma moves to town. His main objection to he More...
Apr 23, 2009
Talia
rated it:
Dit, who lives in a small town in 1917 Alabama, is initially excited when he hears the new postmaster coming to town has a son his age. But when the postmaster and his family arrives, Dit is dismayed to learn that not only is the postmaster’s child a girl, but the family is black. Despite their stark differences in appearance and personality, Dit and Emma become friends, and grow up a little bit as they learn from each other and the world around them over the course of a year.
I reall More...
I reall More...
Mar 21, 2009
Betsy
rated it:
Slow to start but the characters were so endearing it became a page turner.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 09, 2011
Cheryl
rated it:
I LOVED this book! It shows, once again, that you can have a wonderful friendship with a person that is totally different than you and learn so much from each other. I loved that Dit was still friends with Emma, even though it was frowned upon and he was teased because of this friendship. If only more of us could be like Dit. As an elementary school librarian, I know that kids (and adults) do judge a book by the cover. I wasn't crazy about this cover until the very end of the book. I liked
More...
May 09, 2011
Terrie
rated it:
Twelve year old Dit was mighty disappointed when the new Postmaster's boy who was also twelve, turned out to be a girl. A colored girl. Not that Dit and his family are prejudiced, but lots of folks in Moundville, Alabama in 1917 are. An unlikely friendship evolves between Dit and Emma as he teaches her how to skip rocks, play baseball, and fish. What she teaches him and what they learn together make for an excellent and moving story.
Other reviewers have called this novel a cross betw More...
Other reviewers have called this novel a cross betw More...
Mar 09, 2010
Eva
rated it:
12-year-old Dit is thoroughly bummed when his tiny Alabama town's new postmaster doesn't have a boy his age but rather a daughter named Emma. Not only that, she's black - and in 1917, this can have ramifications. Tensions lead to a horrible situation - and it is Dit and Emma who manage to patch up the fallout. Although that sounds grim, the book's overall tone is easy-going. Dit is just a boy who wants to play baseball, do okay in school, and do the right thing. Emma, luckily, can help him with
More...
Mar 14, 2011
Amber
rated it: 
While this book certainly kept my attention, I couldn't help but question the basis of this book: a friendship between a white boy and a black girl in the South after WWI. I mean, I couldn't quite buy into Dit and his family (his father especially) being so color blind. I mean it was the South. In 1917.
I think it would have been more believable for me if Dit's family (being white) exhibited some sort of inner turmoil regarding their views on race, which I imagine was quite an anamol More...
I think it would have been more believable for me if Dit's family (being white) exhibited some sort of inner turmoil regarding their views on race, which I imagine was quite an anamol More...
Jun 29, 2010
Kris
rated it:
Recommended for gr. 4-8. The bad luck of the title shows up as the new postmaster arrives in Dit Sims' town. Instead of a son, the new postmaster has a daughter, thus dashing Dit's hopes for a new friend. The new family is black, and in 1917 Alabama, this makes them suspect in the town and the daughter, Emma, is lonely. Despite the fact that Dit is into outdoor pursuits including baseball and Emma prefers to read books, they become friends. Several instances of racial injustice occur, and i
More...
Dec 04, 2009
Kimberly
rated it:
A wonderful coming-of-age story, this book is narrated by 12 year old Harry--nicknamed "Dit"--who is one of 10 children, loves baseball, is great with a slingshot and anxious for his father's approval and love. It is 1917 and Moundsville, Alabama is getting a new postmaster. Dit goes to meet the train with his family and when the train arrives, so does his "best bad luck"--instead of a 12 year old son, out climbs a daughter. And she is black. A smart girl from Boston, Emm
More...
Feb 07, 2011
Donna
rated it:
Set in the south (Alabama) in 1917-1918, this is a story about friendship, specifically the beautiful friendship between "Dit" Sims and Emma Walker. Dit is a white boy, one of ten children, and Emma is an African-American girl, an only child. Her father is the new postmaster in Moundsville, and they have arrived from Boston. At first, Dit is disappointed that the postmaster's child is a girl, and he is reluctant to be friends with Emma. But Emma is smart, and tough, and the two end
More...
