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Between Us Baxters
The story of twelve-year-old Polly, a poor white Southern girl whose close friendship with Timbre Ann, a middle-class black teen, puts both families in danger. As white supremacists set fire to black businesses, Polly struggles to cope with the implications for her family and to understand the true meaning of friendship. Polly's sense of justice threatens to upset the stat...more
306 pages
Published
February 26th 2009
by WestSide Books
(first published 2009)
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Between Us Baxters, by Bethany Hegedus is a diamond waiting for readers to find. It is a tale of familial and cultural relationships brought to a breaking point in 1959 Georgia.
The settings are the white side of town and the Tracks, the black side of town. The conflict builds in intensity from the first page to the last. This is the kind of book that I couldn't wait to get on the subway to read (that's my longest stretch of reading time - as a straphanger) and actually stayed on the platform fo...more
The settings are the white side of town and the Tracks, the black side of town. The conflict builds in intensity from the first page to the last. This is the kind of book that I couldn't wait to get on the subway to read (that's my longest stretch of reading time - as a straphanger) and actually stayed on the platform fo...more
Polly and Timbre Ann are defying the rules during the tense Civil Rights Era by being friends. Polly is white and Timbre Ann is black. The tension immediately escalates as black businesses are burned to the ground in Holcolm County, Georgia and I wondered how long their relationship could possibly survive.
Polly and her mother are alike in who they choose as friends—good, decent people—however racism, dark secrets and fear run in the family. Polly is an impressive, gutsy girl who won my heart. I...more
Polly and her mother are alike in who they choose as friends—good, decent people—however racism, dark secrets and fear run in the family. Polly is an impressive, gutsy girl who won my heart. I...more
This story is not only about the friendship of a young white girl and young black girl growing up in the south in 1959, but it's about family (not just by blood) and deals with the injustice that is racism. As Penny realizes that the friendship with her best friend Timbre Ann may be ending she also has to deal with the issues of her family, which her parents had tried to always hide from her in the past. She also has to come to some harsh social realizations.
This book was so touching. I felt eve...more
This book was so touching. I felt eve...more
As the only “salt and pepper” friends in town, Polly Baxter and Timbre Ann Biggs have seen their share of trouble. When someone begins threatening the black residents and setting fire to their businesses, their relationship is further tested. What role does Polly’s father play in the harassment? Can their friendship survive in a world where blacks and whites are not allowed to exist peacefully?
In the cast of well-developed characters, there are no stereotypes: this page turner is as genuine as...more
In the cast of well-developed characters, there are no stereotypes: this page turner is as genuine as...more
Bethany Hegedus's writing just soars in this book. The story of friendship is told in a tender manner that truly defines the nature of childhood. It's a memorable book and an excellent tool to use in the classroom to promote discussion.
Great writing, Bethany! I'd love to read this with my students...
Absolutely fantastic. This one might be fun to read and compare with The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had (Kristin Levine.) I would recommend this book for any public or school library, particularly in the South.
Bethany Hegedus has written a wonderful book about the power of friendship and family. I fell in love with Polly Baxter on the very first page, and her spirit and determination, in good times and bad, rang true to the story's end.
May 19, 2013
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