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A Thousand Never Evers
by
Shana Burg
IN KUCKACHOO, MISSISSIPPI, 1963, Addie Ann Pickett worships her brother Elias and follows in his footsteps by attending the black junior high school. But when her careless act leads to her brother’s disappearance and possible murder, Addie Ann, Mama, and Uncle Bump struggle with not knowing if he’s dead or alive. Then a good deed meant to unite Kuckachoo sets off a chain o...more
ebook, 0 pages
Published
June 10th 2008
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
(first published 2008)
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A Thousand Never Evers is the story of Addie, growing up in rural Kuckachoo, Mississippi in 1963. Admidst the backdrop of some of the most memorable events in the early Civil Rights movement, Maddie and her family deal with racism on a small town level.
This novel opens with a "Note to the Readers" written by the author, Shana Burg. She writes about the prejudice she experienced as a young girl - a boy drawing a swastika on her notebook in 7th grade, and then goes on to relate her feelings about...more
This novel opens with a "Note to the Readers" written by the author, Shana Burg. She writes about the prejudice she experienced as a young girl - a boy drawing a swastika on her notebook in 7th grade, and then goes on to relate her feelings about...more
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By-the-book and somewhat lifeless tale of racism in the 1960s South (it owes a lot to "To Kill a Mockingbird," if you ask me). The overstuffed story lurches and never properly builds. It tries too hard to incorporate bits of history with the (too) many instances of racism that Addie Ann's family goes through, and, therefore, lacks momentum. This is on our Mock Newbery list. It shouldn't be honored. Not bad, and its heart is in the right place, but not a stand-out.
"The Supreme Court passed a law that violates our state's right to educate the children of Mississippi as we see fit... Fortunately, I'm in charge of the schools in Kuckachoo, so I'm just not gonna follow that law. Integration here? That ain't nothin' but a thousand never evers!"
This is a story of the Civil Rights Movement in the South, told through the eyes of Addie Ann Pickett. Addie Ann learns of the murder of Medgar Evers from her beloved older brother Elias, and shortly after that, he knock...more
This is a story of the Civil Rights Movement in the South, told through the eyes of Addie Ann Pickett. Addie Ann learns of the murder of Medgar Evers from her beloved older brother Elias, and shortly after that, he knock...more
A Thousand Never Evers
Shana Burg
In Kuckachoo Mississippi, 1963 was a time of racial prejudice. Addie Ann Pickett, a twelve-year-old girl, tries to live a normal life and ignore the slurs that white folk give her. When some older white boys harass her, Addie's brother starts a fight and then flees. He is gone for months and Addie's family doesn't know if he is alive. Later that summer, Addie's uncle is accused of an incident at the white folks' garden and it's up to Addie to save him.
One of the...more
Shana Burg
In Kuckachoo Mississippi, 1963 was a time of racial prejudice. Addie Ann Pickett, a twelve-year-old girl, tries to live a normal life and ignore the slurs that white folk give her. When some older white boys harass her, Addie's brother starts a fight and then flees. He is gone for months and Addie's family doesn't know if he is alive. Later that summer, Addie's uncle is accused of an incident at the white folks' garden and it's up to Addie to save him.
One of the...more
I read some great reviews of this book, but I don't think it lived up to them. I loved Addie Ann and her family and I think young readers will appreciate the ending, but I don't think this one will stand the test of time like Roll of Thunder has.
It's one thing to read about prejudice and injustice and totally different to experience it personally. A Thousand Never Evers introduces young readers to these painful realities through the eyes of twelve-year-old Addie Ann.
Shana Burg manages to conjure the context of race issues in 1963 Mississippi with richness and intensity and has created characters that thrum with emotion--love, jealousy,anger, grief, sadness, terror and courage. The reader feels the interconnectedness of the black and...more
Shana Burg manages to conjure the context of race issues in 1963 Mississippi with richness and intensity and has created characters that thrum with emotion--love, jealousy,anger, grief, sadness, terror and courage. The reader feels the interconnectedness of the black and...more
I listened to "A Thousand Never Evers" as an audiobook. The narrator was excellent and brought the emotion of the main character, Addie Ann Picket, and of the time to the forefront. The book references many historical events that play a role in the roller coaster ride of events that lead to a satisfying ending.
Feb 18, 2009
Donna
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
historical-glimpses
It's my experience that most teens and young people know little to nothing of the days of Jim Crow in this country and the horrible situations that led to the civil rights era. This book fills some of that gap.
The narrator's voice is decidedly female so boys aren't likely to stick with the book. There's much for a male reader though in the roles that black and white men of the South had in those times - whether they liked them or not...
I wish every young person could read this book and that man...more
The narrator's voice is decidedly female so boys aren't likely to stick with the book. There's much for a male reader though in the roles that black and white men of the South had in those times - whether they liked them or not...
I wish every young person could read this book and that man...more
This book was an interesting complement to the adult book The Help; there are many parallels. Much of the action takes place in 1963, a very tumultuous year in Mississippi (and the US). I really enjoyed the book, and it could provide much background for students. I am surprised that many of them seem to know so little about this time period and the extent that segregation and Jim Crow laws affected the culture and relations in our country. The book could have used a bit more editing; I found my...more
After the richest man in town, who bequeaths his land to everyone in Kuckachoo so that, "together whites and Negroes shall plant a garden, the whites deny blacks access to the garden. Addie's uncle is arrested and in danger of being lynched. Blacks in the community organize to win their rights. The author's father was a civil rights attorney in the south and Burg grew up hearing about all of the major cases that were going down.
I think the reader of this book is fantastic. Kenya Brome's voice is...more
I think the reader of this book is fantastic. Kenya Brome's voice is...more
Great book! Although this particular story never happened, you know a thousand situations similar to this one did happen in the Jim Crow South. Set in 1963, the winds of change are sweeping all over the South and in Addie's town. Spurred to action by the assassination of Medgar Evers and the bombing of the 16th Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, Addie emerges as a leader to take stand against her town's long accepted discrimination of African Americans. I agree with a previous reviewer; this b...more
Very much in the tone of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird or John Grisham’s A Time To Kill, this exposé of the climate of the South in 1963 reveals the social and racial tension 100 years after slavery had been banned. The mentality of the African American community is still too often that of passive-aggressive servitude, and taking that final step to bridging the gap proves to be more of a mountain than it should be. The White community is often both cruel and two-faced when it comes to their...more
This novel told in present tense is emotional and powerful.
I like the Notes to Readers before, rather then after, the story. It sets the stage and does not pretend to be true but it presents enough historical connection to the story. The author is very good with language and very appropriate figure of speech for Addie Ann.
The one thing that I don't quite get is why Addie has to have the issue with ""quivering lower lip"" -- and on page 251 when there is serious danger, she does not mention qui...more
I like the Notes to Readers before, rather then after, the story. It sets the stage and does not pretend to be true but it presents enough historical connection to the story. The author is very good with language and very appropriate figure of speech for Addie Ann.
The one thing that I don't quite get is why Addie has to have the issue with ""quivering lower lip"" -- and on page 251 when there is serious danger, she does not mention qui...more
Jan 01, 2009
Kate Hastings
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Grades 4-8 civil rights african-americans
Shelves:
historicalfictionj,
middle-school
A painfully beautiful story of a 12 year-old African-American girl coming of age in a small Mississippi town in 1963.
Addie Ann Pickett lives a good life. They live in a snug home with dirt that peeps through the floor boards. Her daddy died before she was born, her brother works taking in the harvest and she and her Mama work taking care of rich white folks in their homes. She and her brother attend school, walking past white schools three miles to get junior high. But her whole life changes whe...more
Addie Ann Pickett lives a good life. They live in a snug home with dirt that peeps through the floor boards. Her daddy died before she was born, her brother works taking in the harvest and she and her Mama work taking care of rich white folks in their homes. She and her brother attend school, walking past white schools three miles to get junior high. But her whole life changes whe...more
Burg, Shana A Thousand Never Evers! 320pgs. Delacorte Books for Young Readers Language~PG, Sexual Content~G; Violence~PG-13
“IN KUCKACHOO, MISSISSIPPI, 1963, Addie Ann Pickett worships her brother Elias and follows in his footsteps by attending the black junior high school. But when her careless act leads to her brother’s disappearance and possible murder, Addie Ann, Mama, and Uncle Bump struggle with not knowing if he’s dead or alive. Then a good deed meant to unite Kuckachoo sets off a chain of...more
“IN KUCKACHOO, MISSISSIPPI, 1963, Addie Ann Pickett worships her brother Elias and follows in his footsteps by attending the black junior high school. But when her careless act leads to her brother’s disappearance and possible murder, Addie Ann, Mama, and Uncle Bump struggle with not knowing if he’s dead or alive. Then a good deed meant to unite Kuckachoo sets off a chain of...more
I finished this wonderful book last night. This is Shana Burg's first time out as an author and I never really trust white people writing about the Black experience in America but after reading the author's profile (albeit) just from the back cover I liked the events in her life that brought her to writing this story. This is a great book with wonderful believable characters who fit into Civil Rights history where black people are trying to make their dreams come true even while many stand in th...more
This book takes place in Mississippi in 1963. There is segregation, but change is in the air. Addie Ann Pickett is black and because of a mistake that she made, her brother disappears. The story details the events in Kuckachoo when the black citizens decide to stand up for their rights. The author is white, but her father was a civil rights lawyer. This apparently influenced her a great deal. The back of the book continues a chronology of events related to the civil rights movement.
Oct 15, 2008
george
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
juvenile,
read-in-2008
It's 1963 and Addie is twelve in Kuckachoo, Mississippi. Living with her mother, older brother, and uncle, Addie's life is starting to change. The Civil Rights Movement is starting to happen all around them in response to the horrific activities performed on blacks in the South. Addie is soon smack in the middle of it when her brother disappears after "attacking" a white boy. And soon her uncle is accused of a crime against the town. Addie doesn't know it yet, but it may be all up to her to save...more
Listening to this while the hype about "The Help" movie has been going on, it was great to remind myself how horrible white people were to black people in 1963 (well, before and since, as well) It's so bizarre to me that hate crimes happen. If someone mistreats me, then I would not feel too kindly toward them but just prejudging based on the color of their skin is wrong and it saddens me that it still goes on. Great writing and it didn't sugarcoat the reality of the Civil Rights Movement.
The narrator is a 12-year-old girl from Mississippi in 1963 who tells her story with an individuality and unique perspective fun for the reader. However, she must deal with life and death issues, as well as the everyday kicks of institutionalized racism which frustrated me in the same way I felt as I read "The Help." Highly recommended. My 12-year-old son also enjoyed this book.
May 03, 2009
Molly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
character-trait,
chapter-books
A young girl living in the south during Emmett Till and the Civil Rights movement. This is a powerful chapter book that shows how easy it was to have trouble come your way if you were African American at that time. Seen through the eyes of a young girl whose brother runs away/or is killed after he broke the arm of a football player who was hurting his sisters cat. The nice thing is that she is still a normal girl who has crushes and misunderstandings so you can get to know this character.
Grades...more
Grades...more
Moving story of a young girl in Mississippi during the civil rights movement. If I remember correctly, one of my favorite lines was: it's easier to hate than to understand. I'm sure I've misquoted, but this book is a great one for shedding a little understanding on some of the really horrible injustices that are part of our American history.
This book is set in 1962 in the south and shows how rampant racism was even then through the eyes of an African American girl and her wonderful family. I'm very much enjoying it, perhaps because I was about the age of the main character then but had no idea what racism was, so it's like learning what history was going on around my little bubble.
Loved this book. My 11 year old daughter read it and loved it, so I wanted to read it too. Deals with the realities of Jim Crow laws in the south. It really put life into what those laws actually meant to African Americans, and the lack of freedom they experienced. Lots of talking points for us to discuss. Highly recommend.
A Civil Rights book from the perspective of a young girl. Would be a great book for young adults as it doesn't go into great detail describing the many abuses African Americans endured, and the language is appropriate. I liked the family dynamics, and the community of people conquering their fears to do what is right.
Growing up in Mississippi in 1963, Addie Ann Picket is faced with injustice. For instance, she must attend a segregated colored school and her "colored" part of town hasn't had their electricity fixed in along time. But when a few unjust events penetrate her family, she is forced to grow up fast and fight the injustice.
YA - An excellent read for a middle schooler to learn about the Civil Rights struggle of the South in the 1960's. Reflective in parts of a To Kill A Mockingbird and bits of The Help, this book captures the injustices toward the black citizens and how a 7th grade girl tries to understand it all while doing her part to make positive change.
Well-written and absorbing story of racial prejudice in a Southern town, told through the eyes of a young girl. Justice triumphs in the face of overwhelming odds, when a court proceeding ends in a ruling that all of the town's residents are entitled to work in and harvest from a community garden.
This book is a must read for any student or person who doesn't quite understand what life was like for the African American in the 1960s US South. It is from the perspective of a girl going into and then in 7th grade. It doesn't sugar coat a thing, but it doesn't directly point them out.
Jun 08, 2011
Megan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
hoosier-book-award,
historical,
intermediate,
library,
multicultural,
civil-rights,
realistic,
young-adult
3 1/2 stars
Follows Addie Ann Pickett through the summer and fall of 1963. It's a time when racial tensions are running high in the south; in fact the book opens with the death of Medgar Evers and mentions Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Birmingham church bombing through the course of events. Things really hit home for Addie when her older brother comes to her defense in a confrontation with a couple of white boys, and then is forced to flee when one of the white boys is seriously injured. Life g...more
Follows Addie Ann Pickett through the summer and fall of 1963. It's a time when racial tensions are running high in the south; in fact the book opens with the death of Medgar Evers and mentions Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Birmingham church bombing through the course of events. Things really hit home for Addie when her older brother comes to her defense in a confrontation with a couple of white boys, and then is forced to flee when one of the white boys is seriously injured. Life g...more
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I got a job teaching sixth grade at the same elementary school that President John F. Kennedy attended, and organized my wedding in between writing lesson plans and correcting homework. I married Oren in the summer. Little did Oren know at the time that he wasn’t just marrying me—but all the characters from A Thousand Never Evers who lived in my head. Lucky for me, Oren has grown to love Addie Ann...more
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