Talullah, Louisiana. 1899.
Calogero, his uncles, and cousins are six Sicilian men living in the small town of Tallulah, Louisiana. They work... read full description
Calogero, his uncles, and cousins are six Sicilian men living in the small town of Tallulah, Louisiana. They work... read full description
reviews
Feb 25, 2011
Autumn
rated it: 
This is a beautifully written story, with a heartbreaking finale that sneaks up on you like a gator in dark water. You might see it's yellow eye, or the swirl of water, but by the time you realize what's coming--it's got you.
I started reading Alligator Bayou on a whim, because it had a good title, a lovely cover, and I'm a sucker for Southern fiction. I was immediately impressed with Napoli's lean yet evocative style. Her characters were flesh and blood in my mind with just a few quic More...
I started reading Alligator Bayou on a whim, because it had a good title, a lovely cover, and I'm a sucker for Southern fiction. I was immediately impressed with Napoli's lean yet evocative style. Her characters were flesh and blood in my mind with just a few quic More...
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Feb 05, 2011
Danielle
rated it: 
Calogero lives with his uncles and cousin outside of Tallulah, Louisiana in 1899. Their family runs a grocery store, selling the best fruits and vegetables to members of the town. They are the only Sicilians in Tallulah and therefore a target. Not everyone takes kindly to the immigrants, who aren't white but aren't Negro either. Calogero doesn't fit in anywhere. Until he meets Patricia and her brother. Who happen to be black.
For the first time ever, the Scalise family has friends More...
For the first time ever, the Scalise family has friends More...
Jul 09, 2010
Bailey
rated it:
Since the book was young adult (closer to middle grades fiction, I would guess), the prose was basic, straightforward, and very easy to read. I could have read this in a few hours, but for some reason it just did not flow like that. Calo is a sweet boy with a heart for family and friends, but I find it difficult to believe that he could migrate to Louisiana and have lived there a little while without having an ounce of knowledge about the Civil War or the hostilities of the South at that time. H
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Jun 10, 2010
Margo
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One of the reasons I enjoy historical fiction is that it offers the opportunity to learn about little known episodes in our country's history, wrapped in the context of a compelling story. In writing Alligator Bayou, Donna Jo Napoli was inspired by a newspaper account about five Sicilian grocers in a small town in Louisiana who served a black customer who had entered the store first before a white one--and ended up lynched by a town mob. Many of the characters in the novel are based on the actua
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Jan 06, 2010
Cindy
rated it:
Calogero is a 14-year-old immigrant to Louisiana from Sicily, and he lives in the small town of Tallulah where his cousins and uncles sell groceries and produce. The year is 1899, and the small band of Sicilians find the constraints that won’t let them mingle with whites because their skin is dark also keeps them from socializing with blacks.
Calogero and his 13-year-old cousin Cirone are lonely and want to fit in: they work to learn English, eat American food and try to learn the cus More...
Calogero and his 13-year-old cousin Cirone are lonely and want to fit in: they work to learn English, eat American food and try to learn the cus More...
Jun 25, 2009
Deanna
rated it:
Historical fiction (1899), bigotry, racism, immigration, jim crow laws, young love, friendship, family, lynching.
Based on a true story--6 Italian immigrants grow vegetables in a Louisiana town where they treat Negro people the same as white people and of course the white people are outraged by this behavior. The first 1/2 of the book was very slow. I just couldn't get into it but after the alligator scene I was hooked. Calogero and his cousin go with some Negro friends on a alligator More...
Based on a true story--6 Italian immigrants grow vegetables in a Louisiana town where they treat Negro people the same as white people and of course the white people are outraged by this behavior. The first 1/2 of the book was very slow. I just couldn't get into it but after the alligator scene I was hooked. Calogero and his cousin go with some Negro friends on a alligator More...
May 07, 2011
Kristi
rated it:
What I really liked about this novel was the multicultural layer to the text. It really gave the relationships between the characters an extra intriguing layer. I had not learned about Sicilian prejudice in the South so this novel opened that area up for me. I thought the "love" between Calogero and Patricia was adorable and sweet!
That being said, the plot rarely captivated me. The only time I got really caught up in the plot was the last 20 pages or so, where I found myself More...
That being said, the plot rarely captivated me. The only time I got really caught up in the plot was the last 20 pages or so, where I found myself More...
Jan 10, 2010
Larissa
rated it: 
Alligator Bayou takes place in Tallulah, Louisiana. 1899. Calogero – fourteen, recently emigrated from Sicily, Italy. He lives with five other Sicilian men who took him in when his mother died. He works for them selling fruits and vegetables at their stand and grocery store. He has many of the same concerns any other fourteen year old would have. He has strong feeling for Patricia, an intelligent African-American girl and to befriend her brother Charles. Jim Crow laws stated that Sici More...
Aug 02, 2011
Veronica
rated it:
Age of Readership:
12 years and up
Genre:
historical fiction
Diversity:
cultural; race relations at the turn of the century (1899)
Personal response:
It was an enjoyable story, and quite enlightening. Many people do not think about the other minority cultures in this time period, as the majority of history covers the race relations between blacks and whites. I thought some of the narrative was unnecessarily visceral. More...
12 years and up
Genre:
historical fiction
Diversity:
cultural; race relations at the turn of the century (1899)
Personal response:
It was an enjoyable story, and quite enlightening. Many people do not think about the other minority cultures in this time period, as the majority of history covers the race relations between blacks and whites. I thought some of the narrative was unnecessarily visceral. More...
Jul 10, 2010
Nancy
rated it:
This novel of historical fiction tells a familiar tale, but the characters are changed. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of prejudice set in the south - near New Orleans. Instead of blacks being treated horribly by southern whites, this story is of the Sicilians who came to this country around the 1890's to start produce businesses. They were very successful, but threatened the already existing businesses of the whites. The Sicilians are a classless people as they do not mix with the
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Jan 29, 2011
Joy
rated it:
Moments ago I laid down Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli, and I'm still a bit at a loss for words.
The book itself was well-written, engaging--a real page-turner. It was a quick and easy read and should be on any english teacher's list for high school students, especially in Louisiana or anywhere with a Sicilian immigrant presence in the area's history.
Napoli obviously spent much time in researching this book--from the language of the day to the cultural and economic det More...
The book itself was well-written, engaging--a real page-turner. It was a quick and easy read and should be on any english teacher's list for high school students, especially in Louisiana or anywhere with a Sicilian immigrant presence in the area's history.
Napoli obviously spent much time in researching this book--from the language of the day to the cultural and economic det More...
Jan 07, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
Alligator Bayou is a gripping novel based on a little-known, true story of Sicilian immigrants in rural 1899 Louisiana. Fourteen year-old Calogero lives and works with his uncles and cousin, raising fruits and vegetables for their successful grocery business. He tells of sunrise in bayou country, the bounty of nature, sumptuous meals, and the joys and frustrations of family, friendships, and first love. These first-person present tense descriptions are immediate and compelling. The story also ha
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May 26, 2011
Christie
rated it:
Wow...this book was amazing. Maybe it is because it is about Sicilians and it hit home, or maybe i was just a story that stays with anyone that reads it. This is a work of fiction based on a true story of the lynching of 5 Sicilians in Tallulah, Louisiana in 1899. In the afterword we learn that most of the characters were real except the main character in the book, who tells the story.
It is a great story of the relationship of the blacks, whites and Sicilians at the time, along More...
It is a great story of the relationship of the blacks, whites and Sicilians at the time, along More...
Apr 07, 2010
Amy
rated it:
This book started a little slow, but the ending was incendiary. The book is set in Louisiana in the 1890s and follows the life of a 14-year-old Sicilian immigrant, Calogero. The Sicilians are men without a country, caught between the whites (who mistrust and look down on them) and the Blacks (who simpathize with Sicilians, but are in danger of white retaliation for befriending them.) Napoli does a solid job of making the characters come alive. By the end, events set in motion from page 1 spi
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Dec 20, 2009
Ricki
rated it:
14-year-old Calogero is a recent Sicilian immigrant to Louisiana from Sicily in 1898. He struggles to understand the Jim Crow laws as he doesn't seem to fit in with the blacks or the whites. This historical fiction is based on a newspaper article Napoli read and researched. The story is beautifully written. I felt some of the characters were more developed than others, but the story was interesting and engaging for me. I did feel a bit anxious as I read it, as Napoli seems to frequently foreshad
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May 13, 2009
Erin
rated it:
This was a great book. It's a very fast read and the world in which you are transported to is well described and easy to fold into. It's a fantastic historical fiction (based on true events) about a little know time and place - Sicilians in Louisiana - who were caught square between the problems that whites had with blacks, the Jim Crow laws etc. The characters are vivid and the amount of facts and details conveyed without feeling teachy or preachy is impressive. The author does a great job
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Jul 16, 2010
Jacki
rated it: 
I'm a fan of Donna Jo Napoli and couldn't wait to read this story. The library edition I checked out had no blurb, and the mystery heightened my anticipation. Sadly, I was disappointed this time.
Her trademark lyrical writing style was conspicuously absent and made me wish she had written in third person instead of first. I'll take her style over a believably-voiced third-person narrator any day. While I believed the narrator's voice, I didn't quite believe his naivete. Children from More...
Her trademark lyrical writing style was conspicuously absent and made me wish she had written in third person instead of first. I'll take her style over a believably-voiced third-person narrator any day. While I believed the narrator's voice, I didn't quite believe his naivete. Children from More...
Nov 02, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
Genre: Historical fiction/realistic fiction
Copyright: 2009
Calogero is a fourteen year old Sicilian who comes to America to help family friends with their business and start a new life for himself after the death of his mother at the turn of the 20th century. Calogero sees life differently than the people in Tallulah, Louisiana. The townsfolk view Sicilians as dirty competition for the businesses in town, and people's friendships and partnerships are tested to the limit in this More...
Copyright: 2009
Calogero is a fourteen year old Sicilian who comes to America to help family friends with their business and start a new life for himself after the death of his mother at the turn of the 20th century. Calogero sees life differently than the people in Tallulah, Louisiana. The townsfolk view Sicilians as dirty competition for the businesses in town, and people's friendships and partnerships are tested to the limit in this More...
Sep 10, 2010
Bill
rated it:
Overall, not such a great read. It's written at about the 450 lexile range and is definitely meant for junior high readers. The ending is quite dramatic, but seems to come from out of the blue and is a little unbelievable as a result. Much of the book meanders through a somewhat insignificant plot and highlights several characters that do not end up mattering at all. The alligator hunting scene is exciting, but this one bayou scene hardly justifies the title Napoli has chosen. Apparently, o
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Sep 05, 2011
Kimberly
rated it:
Historical fiction/Multicultural 2009 With school starting this week, I thought I'd pick this up to get started before time gets busy. I devoured it and am anxiously awaiting our discussion. The experiences and emotions Caolgero, a young Sicilian boy in the south during 1899, experiences are so vividly and eloquently written by Napoli. I found myself crying and laughing and yelling out of anger! This book was an eye opener in regards to the vast array of cultural groups treated with hate and dis
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Sep 23, 2009
Marcia
rated it:
Genre: Historical Fiction
This book is based on true events that occurred in Louisiana in the 1890's. The main character is a fourteen year old Sicilian immigrant to the United States who helps his uncles in the grocery/farming business. At the same time he is finding friendship and exploring romantic feelings for a beautiful black girl, racism, economic competition, and misunderstandings simmer together to create frightening circumstances that can change his future. The book is slo More...
This book is based on true events that occurred in Louisiana in the 1890's. The main character is a fourteen year old Sicilian immigrant to the United States who helps his uncles in the grocery/farming business. At the same time he is finding friendship and exploring romantic feelings for a beautiful black girl, racism, economic competition, and misunderstandings simmer together to create frightening circumstances that can change his future. The book is slo More...
Dec 29, 2010
Carol
rated it:
Alligator Bayou tells the story of orphaned Calo who emigrates from Sicily in 1899 to Louisiana. He is taken in by five men and one boy, Cirone, all of whom were friends of his father. The story came from a newspaper article which Napoli found detailing how five Sicilian grocers were lynched when they served a black customer before a white one. From that tiny piece of information flows a book that is beautifully written, despite its shocking story.
This is a story of bigotry, jealous More...
This is a story of bigotry, jealous More...
Dec 16, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by LadyJay for TeensReadToo.com
It is the year 1899. Calogero, a 14-year-old Sicilian immigrant, lives in Tallulah, Louisiana, with his uncles and cousins.
They have all come to America seeking a better life. They do well for themselves, selling fruits and vegetables from a corner grocery store. They do not seek out trouble, but it always has a way of finding them.
Calo and his family do not discriminate between blacks and whites. They sell to anyone who More...
It is the year 1899. Calogero, a 14-year-old Sicilian immigrant, lives in Tallulah, Louisiana, with his uncles and cousins.
They have all come to America seeking a better life. They do well for themselves, selling fruits and vegetables from a corner grocery store. They do not seek out trouble, but it always has a way of finding them.
Calo and his family do not discriminate between blacks and whites. They sell to anyone who More...
Nov 18, 2008
Claire
rated it:
A Louisiana story set just after the civil war. The Americans have settled in Louisiana, they are asserting their ownership of the former French colony and their position in the society and economics of the area. Times are grim in Italy for Cologaro's family and he crosses the ocean to join fellow Sicilians in a small town north of New Orleans. Industrious, savvy, ambitious and knowledgeable his little 'family' has a farm, a fruit stand and a store that are profitable and thriving. What they don
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Apr 07, 2009
Meri
rated it:
Another excellent piece of historical fiction from one of my favorite YA authors, this one talks about a little known slice of our past--the story of Italian immigrants who came to New Orleans. The main character, Calogero, and his family deal with feelings of isolation in the hostile post civil war South, and find companionship among the African Americans. The ending is very harsh, which is about all I can say without spoiling it, but Napoli makes a good argument in the afterword for why she
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Mar 11, 2009
Hollie
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 30, 2009
Jill
rated it:
It was slow, but interesting. A good lesson for all of us in how we treat one another. I think we can all see tendencies or worse towards prejudice, even in our own lives, and it made me examine what I'm teaching my kids thru words AND actions that might give them an inclination one way or the other. A good story that deserved to be told. Bravo Donna Jo for taking it on. I wouldn't say that it's 4 star writing, and I don't envision reading again, but the subject deserves it.
May 08, 2009
Rosie
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This was a fast read about a Sicilian family who comes to America in the late 1800's and faces racism and prejudice. Focuses on Italian lynchings and the horrors of the south for immigrants and African Americans during the time period. It is interesting to learn about a minority group that is not discussed very much during that time, but the book was kind of dry and lacked substance. I enjoyed her other book, The King of Mulberry Street, which is also about Italian immigrants a lot more.
Nov 09, 2010
Anna
rated it:
In the Louisiana swamps, where segregation is still the way of life, young Calogero, a Sicilian, falls in love with Patricia, a young African American girl, disregarding the censure and disapproval of the community.
Though this book does a great job exposing readers to the little known history of Sicilians in the south and the injustices they faced, the writing is a bit weak and the pacing tends to be rather slow.
Though this book does a great job exposing readers to the little known history of Sicilians in the south and the injustices they faced, the writing is a bit weak and the pacing tends to be rather slow.
Sep 29, 2011
Jesika
rated it:
This book took a long time to get into. I felt like I had been reading it forever. I think this happened because the setting and the use of different language. The names were hard to pronounce as well. Once I made it to a certain point I could not put this book down. The author does a fantastic way of describing the situation, getting emotions to come off the page and show compassion. Napoli did extensive research to obtain the most correct information she could find to contain in this nove
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