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Darby
"Darby's first-person narrative is frank and immediate . . . expressing what it's like for an ordinary white kid who suddenly discovers evil — and courage — where she lives." — Booklist
Darby Carmichael thinks her best friend is probably the smartest person she knows, even though, as Mama says, Evette’s school uses worn-out books and crumbly chalk. Whenever they can, Darby and Evette shoot off into the woods beyond the farm to play at being fancy ladies and schoolteachers.
One thing Darby has never dreamed of being — not until Evette suggests it — is a newspaper girl who writes down the truth for all to read. In no time, and with more than a little assistance from Evette, Darby and her column in the Bennettsville Times are famous in town and beyond. But is Marlboro County, South Carolina, circa 1926, ready for the truth its youngest reporter has to tell?
Darby Carmichael thinks her best friend is probably the smartest person she knows, even though, as Mama says, Evette’s school uses worn-out books and crumbly chalk. Whenever they can, Darby and Evette shoot off into the woods beyond the farm to play at being fancy ladies and schoolteachers.
One thing Darby has never dreamed of being — not until Evette suggests it — is a newspaper girl who writes down the truth for all to read. In no time, and with more than a little assistance from Evette, Darby and her column in the Bennettsville Times are famous in town and beyond. But is Marlboro County, South Carolina, circa 1926, ready for the truth its youngest reporter has to tell?
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
19 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Jonathon Scott Fuqua
16 books12 followersJonathon Scott Fuqua has written the highly praised and Alex Award-winning novel, The Reappearance of Sam Webber, as well as the critically acclaimed and recently published book, Gone and Back Again.
He is also the author of three much lauded, award-winning young adult novels: King of the Pygmies, DARBY, and The Willoughby Spit Wonder.
For teenagers and adults, he penned a groundbreaking graphic novel, In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe. All of his published books are available nationally and internationally.
Most recently, Fuqua published his children's book, Calvert The Raven in the Battle of Baltimore. The first installment in his Flying Through History Series, the book commemorates the Battle of Baltimore in the war of 1812, which led to the retreat of the British Armada and inspired the United States national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Fuqua has received two Maryland State Arts Council Awards for fiction writing, and is the writer-in-residence at the Carver Center for the Arts. Both his writings and paintings have appeared in newspapers, magazines, books, on book covers, posters, limited edition prints, postcards, and stationery. A teacher of fiction writing, literature, and art, he lives in Baltimore with his wife and daughter.
He is also the author of three much lauded, award-winning young adult novels: King of the Pygmies, DARBY, and The Willoughby Spit Wonder.
For teenagers and adults, he penned a groundbreaking graphic novel, In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe. All of his published books are available nationally and internationally.
Most recently, Fuqua published his children's book, Calvert The Raven in the Battle of Baltimore. The first installment in his Flying Through History Series, the book commemorates the Battle of Baltimore in the war of 1812, which led to the retreat of the British Armada and inspired the United States national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Fuqua has received two Maryland State Arts Council Awards for fiction writing, and is the writer-in-residence at the Carver Center for the Arts. Both his writings and paintings have appeared in newspapers, magazines, books, on book covers, posters, limited edition prints, postcards, and stationery. A teacher of fiction writing, literature, and art, he lives in Baltimore with his wife and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
December 10, 2020
After a 9-year-old white girl in 1926 South Carolina writes an “opinion piece” in the local paper, innocently wondering why white people and black people can't be friends or lead more similar lives, a grown white man corners her out in public.
He gets in her face and proceeds to tell her that she “wrote a corrosive little article,” and she “best shut [her] bratty mouth.”
This young girl, Darby, who has already been threatened by the KKK and an adult male neighbor at this point, is so disgusted by the unwarranted threats that have resulted from her opinion piece, she surprises herself by telling this adult:
Mr. Waddle. . . . I'm not the one being bratty. You're playing like a big baby 'cause I think different than you. That's brattiness. Not liking me for thinking different is being bratty.
I stopped reading and told my 12-year-old daughter, who was the audience for this one, that I wasn't sure what she thought of this book, but I think this read was worth it, if only for those three sentences:
You're playing like a big baby 'cause I think different than you. That's brattiness. Not liking me for thinking different is being bratty.
I explained to my daughter that we are having a lot of issues in our country right now, because people want to act like children, keep their arms folded across their chest in their defiance and inflexibility, and they want to decide left and right, that they don't want to like someone who thinks differently than they do.
I've never thought of this behavior as “bratty” before, but I have thought of it as “childish,” and I'm seeing more and more of it, with each passing year of my life.
This book got me wondering: what if adults stopped being bratty and children wrote the news?
He gets in her face and proceeds to tell her that she “wrote a corrosive little article,” and she “best shut [her] bratty mouth.”
This young girl, Darby, who has already been threatened by the KKK and an adult male neighbor at this point, is so disgusted by the unwarranted threats that have resulted from her opinion piece, she surprises herself by telling this adult:
Mr. Waddle. . . . I'm not the one being bratty. You're playing like a big baby 'cause I think different than you. That's brattiness. Not liking me for thinking different is being bratty.
I stopped reading and told my 12-year-old daughter, who was the audience for this one, that I wasn't sure what she thought of this book, but I think this read was worth it, if only for those three sentences:
You're playing like a big baby 'cause I think different than you. That's brattiness. Not liking me for thinking different is being bratty.
I explained to my daughter that we are having a lot of issues in our country right now, because people want to act like children, keep their arms folded across their chest in their defiance and inflexibility, and they want to decide left and right, that they don't want to like someone who thinks differently than they do.
I've never thought of this behavior as “bratty” before, but I have thought of it as “childish,” and I'm seeing more and more of it, with each passing year of my life.
This book got me wondering: what if adults stopped being bratty and children wrote the news?
September 23, 2014
Darby was extremely eye opening because it shows discrimination from an innocent child's eyes. I always think of racism as a horrible thing and wonder how white people in the early 1900s could have been so cruel to the African American workers. Now I realize why nobody took a stand. You can see Darby always assumed that discrimination is just the way it is because none of the African American people complained and nobody really questioned its existence. It was completely normal to her because she had grown up watching this happen. She only realized it after she talked about what she was seeing in the article she wrote in her local newspaper, causing an uproar in her town. Only then did she realize it was an issue and take a stand against it.
After reading this book, as a high-schooler, I realized that there are probably a lot of things going wrong in our American society that I am not questioning or taking a complete stand against just because it has always been there. Today, nobody really questions traditions because we never even think about it.
This book inspired me to question the obvious ideas that I have grown up with because, like Darby, I hope to realize social issues and change them to make the world a better place.
After reading this book, as a high-schooler, I realized that there are probably a lot of things going wrong in our American society that I am not questioning or taking a complete stand against just because it has always been there. Today, nobody really questions traditions because we never even think about it.
This book inspired me to question the obvious ideas that I have grown up with because, like Darby, I hope to realize social issues and change them to make the world a better place.
June 27, 2010
I purchased this book over a year ago while I was taking an online graduate course on multicultural literature. Unfortunately, I never got around to reading it until my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Barnes, sent it to me in the mail for my birthday.
Darby's story of growing up in Marlboro, South Carolina during the 1920's was heartfelt and sincere. It took me a while to get into the story, but after a few chapters I was hooked. Jonathon Fuqua's use of colloquialisms and local vernacular made me feel like I was eavesdropping on the character's conversations. I loved the roles of the minor characters like her brother, McCall and her teacher, Miss Burstin.
The character that puzzled me the most was her mother. I recognize that her fears of ostracized by the community were a driving force, but I must admit I was disappointed that she blamed her daughter for a societal problem adults had created. Thankfully, Darby’s father was a man of integrity who was willing to take a stand even if it meant putting his family and his career on the line.
Most reviewers compared this children's book to Harper Lee's classic, Too Kill a Mockingbird. I certainly see the resemblance, but I think a child being the heroine makes this story even more powerful. I found myself connecting the text to Andrew Clements book, Extra Credit and the Ruby Bridges story, Through My Eyes. Kids need to know that they have the power to change the world. These stories prove that small acts of courage often have a huge impact. I learned years ago that racism is an adult disease that we spread through children. Stories like this one help us recognize that there is a better way!
Darby's story of growing up in Marlboro, South Carolina during the 1920's was heartfelt and sincere. It took me a while to get into the story, but after a few chapters I was hooked. Jonathon Fuqua's use of colloquialisms and local vernacular made me feel like I was eavesdropping on the character's conversations. I loved the roles of the minor characters like her brother, McCall and her teacher, Miss Burstin.
The character that puzzled me the most was her mother. I recognize that her fears of ostracized by the community were a driving force, but I must admit I was disappointed that she blamed her daughter for a societal problem adults had created. Thankfully, Darby’s father was a man of integrity who was willing to take a stand even if it meant putting his family and his career on the line.
Most reviewers compared this children's book to Harper Lee's classic, Too Kill a Mockingbird. I certainly see the resemblance, but I think a child being the heroine makes this story even more powerful. I found myself connecting the text to Andrew Clements book, Extra Credit and the Ruby Bridges story, Through My Eyes. Kids need to know that they have the power to change the world. These stories prove that small acts of courage often have a huge impact. I learned years ago that racism is an adult disease that we spread through children. Stories like this one help us recognize that there is a better way!
January 24, 2018
First off I would like to say that I gave this book a 4 star rating isn't because I didn't like it that much but because it wasn't one of those books that you would go bonkers over and read it again, again, and again. The book was wonderful it was just that others were better. I hope you get what I'm saying. So anyway back to the real review. I just love the idea of the character Darby. I love her personality. It is so amazing. What I really love about this book is that the author tells it so well and you can really imagine what is going on and where everything is and how everything looks. This book is like one of those books when you feel like you are right there beside the character watching their every move. You can sometimes even feel yourself wanting to shout things like, "No don't do that!" or "I can't believe this is happening!" This is such a heart felt book because you can feel what is unfair and the shock and devastation that is going on. So you should read this book if you feel like your having a bad life. It makes you think about other people and their lives. Please read this book. It will and I say will change the way you look at things.
February 5, 2013
I really enjoyed this story, it was a sort of To Kill a Mockingbird for children. I loved Darby's voice, the author really created great voices for each of the characters. It was beautiful in it's simplicity; a 9 year old girl experiences the effects of writing innocently about civil rights in her town newspaper in the 1920's south.
April 30, 2009
The book wasn't worth reading in my opinion
January 29, 2018
This book was amazing. I picked it up as a book club book, with three other group members- finding that it was a gem. I have never read anything by Jonathon Scott Fuqua (now that is a good last name), but I was not disappointed by her skills. I loved almost everything about this text. The premise, the characters, the setting. It made me both emotional and thoughtful. It was quite sad, but in that sadness was beauty and hope. I'll start with the main character, Darby. Her narration made this story complete- as it was a different, inspiring look on the issues discussed in the text. I thought she was an interesting character, but I hated the way she seemed to fit into the stereotypical image of "how a girl should be" in parts. She was shy and quite dainty in a way, something that disappointed me. I love reading about strong, fierce role models for myself, although I am aware that girls can be emotional (I certainly am...;D). In addition, I love the setting of the book. It was described in such an uplifting way that I just want to go there!
Wowee! That was quite a bit to say, but I needed to say it. This book is amazing. I would recommend it to everyone in this entire world. Thanks, Jonathon Scott Fuqua.
Wowee! That was quite a bit to say, but I needed to say it. This book is amazing. I would recommend it to everyone in this entire world. Thanks, Jonathon Scott Fuqua.
March 28, 2022
Set in the southern USA in 1926, Darby finds life can be confusing and harsh. Her friend Evette is black and goes to a different school. She is clever and wants to be a newspaper girl – a journalist.
Evette convinces Darby that it is a fine career, as evidenced by her aunt, a journalist in New York. Evette's aunt is in a great job. She owns a house and drives a car. Neither is anything Darby has seen black people do in her little town.
Darby writes for the local newspaper and gets quite the following.
A black boy is beaten to death on the farm next door by his white boss.
Darby's third article threatens her family, Evette's family, and their little town. What did she write?
I enjoyed the strong southern voice of the characters and insights into life for Darby and her friend Evette in 1926.
Recommended for Middle Grade and tween readers 10-13 years.
Evette convinces Darby that it is a fine career, as evidenced by her aunt, a journalist in New York. Evette's aunt is in a great job. She owns a house and drives a car. Neither is anything Darby has seen black people do in her little town.
Darby writes for the local newspaper and gets quite the following.
A black boy is beaten to death on the farm next door by his white boss.
Darby's third article threatens her family, Evette's family, and their little town. What did she write?
I enjoyed the strong southern voice of the characters and insights into life for Darby and her friend Evette in 1926.
Recommended for Middle Grade and tween readers 10-13 years.
August 27, 2021
Despite the rose-colored ending that relies on unrealistic optimism about people's ability to react rationally to arguments against racism and change their behavior (and one glaring editing fail towards the end), I really enjoyed this book. Fuqua provides a poignant portrayal of childhood and of connection to a place despite its flaws (something as a frequent mover I have trouble grasping), and the story offers a lot of jumping-off points for deep discussions with my son.
May 31, 2019
Wasn't really expecting much when I picked this up, but I was pleasantly surprised! Think "To Kill a Mockingbird," but for a younger set. The main character is 8, turning 9 in 1920's South Carolina. I liked the way Darby and other children are portrayed, as well as the changing southern community. This would be a nice choice for a kid who has to read a historical fiction.
January 10, 2018
What I like about this book is that it is in the time of 1926 where there was no equality and how racism we were back then.This book is interesting because the main character Darby went through a lot since her dad helps somebody with color.I would recommend this book to a person who likes the past behind history and how we were treated back then.
April 5, 2021
Really short read, didn't really grab my attention from the beginning, but as I read on, Darby got more and more intresting. Would't read again, but I recommend it too anyone who likes a good story about the 1920's-30's and the troubles that people went through.
October 2, 2024
Could a young child make this much of difference in her community? Even if that seems implausible, the rest of this story of the racially divided deep South of 1926 rings true. The author does claim research.
June 12, 2017
In 1928 NC, Darby discovers writing about racial equality can really cause trouble
January 24, 2018
I think this is a very good book for social issues and the book has many fetchers. and i think a lot of people will like this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2018
A read aloud for our Build Your Library grade 6 history curriculum. Definitely felt a little like a children’s version of To Kill A Mockingbird.
March 1, 2019
Lovely book. Very historical.
June 30, 2019
It was a really good story TBH I don't have much at all to say about it other than it was good haha.
December 17, 2019
Darby, a young girl in South Carolina in the 1920s, wants to become a newspaper writer. Her third column, about racial discrepancies, sets the town on fire. An interesting read.
February 11, 2021
It was a good book but wasn't really my style of reading
May 14, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
i don’t usually read these kind of books since it’s not my favorite genre but i did like this book. it had a good message and i saw a lot of character development which i loved.
i don’t usually read these kind of books since it’s not my favorite genre but i did like this book. it had a good message and i saw a lot of character development which i loved.
May 2, 2025
I'm so glad Build Your Library introduced me to Darby! It struck me as a sort of middle grade To Kill a Mockingbird that takes place in South Carolina.
November 9, 2016
It was confusing but good
June 30, 2011
Author Fugua bases this book on oral history interviews of folks living in Marlboro County, South Carolina. It is 1926 and Darby lives with an extended family on a large plantation now farmed by black tenant farmers. Her father runs a store in town where he allows people to sign for supplies for which they cannot pay. Although Darby lives in a majestic, large home, the paint is peeling on the outside and everyone in the family works to make ends meet. Darby has two best friends: schoolmate Beth is the daughter of the community's lawyer and she lives in a grand home in town; Evette lives on Darby's land in a shack and attends the school for blacks.
Evette proposes the idea of Darby becoming a journalist like Evette's aunt in New York. Darby composes a short article about the myth of toads causing warts and Mr. Salter, the editor of the local paper, includes it in the next issue. When Darby's blind Great-Uncle Harvey visits, she chooses to write about his heightened sense of smell and sound and his sightless life. However, when she shares the article with Evette, she edits the article, greatly improving the style and correcting Darby's spelling and grammar. Mr. Salter immediately recognizes the improved writing style and Darby gives credit to Evette. When Mr. Salter learns that Evette is a black girl, he chooses to leave off her last name to hide her identity.
Very quickly, the story becomes more complex. As Great-Uncle Harvey's hearing and smell improved after he lost his sight, Darby's new journalistic efforts and inquiries make her acutely conscious of the injustices and the prejudice around her. The simplicity and tranquility of life on the plantation with her family disappears when a black boy beaten by a neighbor dies and Mr. Salter publishes Darby's wish for a more peaceful co-existence between blacks and whites.
Readers will quickly learn how the Ku Klux Klan worked in the South and how the quality of life for blacks varied regionally. Darby's voice is strong and true throughout the book, always expressing the fears, the hopes, and the beliefs of a young girl. The book is compelling because of the strength and goodness of Darby and the people in her life and because of the malice and prejudice of others. Fuqua's writing is wonderful, bringing in delightful pieces of life from that time and using work-perfect imagery to describe it. It's a quiet book that packs a wallop.
Evette proposes the idea of Darby becoming a journalist like Evette's aunt in New York. Darby composes a short article about the myth of toads causing warts and Mr. Salter, the editor of the local paper, includes it in the next issue. When Darby's blind Great-Uncle Harvey visits, she chooses to write about his heightened sense of smell and sound and his sightless life. However, when she shares the article with Evette, she edits the article, greatly improving the style and correcting Darby's spelling and grammar. Mr. Salter immediately recognizes the improved writing style and Darby gives credit to Evette. When Mr. Salter learns that Evette is a black girl, he chooses to leave off her last name to hide her identity.
Very quickly, the story becomes more complex. As Great-Uncle Harvey's hearing and smell improved after he lost his sight, Darby's new journalistic efforts and inquiries make her acutely conscious of the injustices and the prejudice around her. The simplicity and tranquility of life on the plantation with her family disappears when a black boy beaten by a neighbor dies and Mr. Salter publishes Darby's wish for a more peaceful co-existence between blacks and whites.
Readers will quickly learn how the Ku Klux Klan worked in the South and how the quality of life for blacks varied regionally. Darby's voice is strong and true throughout the book, always expressing the fears, the hopes, and the beliefs of a young girl. The book is compelling because of the strength and goodness of Darby and the people in her life and because of the malice and prejudice of others. Fuqua's writing is wonderful, bringing in delightful pieces of life from that time and using work-perfect imagery to describe it. It's a quiet book that packs a wallop.
Read
January 1, 2017Autographed
November 7, 2015
I expected this book to be a bit more something because of it's catchy tagline and nice preview. Apparently, I got disappointed. The book was a nice read and my time wasn't wasted but it's not the type of book I'd recommend to my friends. Anyway, here's one of the few parts I liked in the book:
"Thing is, I don't care if I ever gets married. It don't matter to me so much."
"You don't want kids?" Beth asked.
Evette shrugged. "Not so much."
"Why not?"
Evette stuck a finger through a big hole in her dress. Then she found another hole and even two more after that. "If...if I could have kids that was treated like white kids, I might want 'em okay. But black kids round here don't got much chance to do nothing and not much chance to own nothing either."
Beth asked, "What stuff don't you guys have?"
Evette lifted a finger that was stuck through one of the holes in her dress. She pointed off toward the tenant house her daddy rented from my daddy. "We don't got a real home. We don't got good clothes. We don't got books at school. We don't got jewelry and cars and any land or money, and when daddy goes into town, he can't shop in the white stores and has to take off his hat when he passes white folk and say ma'am and sir to 'em even if they's real young."
"Is it terrible being a black girl?" Beth asked.
Evette looked down at the dirt. "It ain't so bad. It's just you don't ever get things you wants. But my daddy and mama, they say we should be real proud about our place and keep our self-respect. They say that's more important than having. That's what they say."
"Maybe."
We stayed quiet for a little while. Then Evette looked at me and Beth. "What's it like to be white girls?"
I thought about it,, but I didn't have any answer. "It's not like anything. It's just the way I am."
"It's true," Beth said.
Evette kicked dirt with her raggy shoes. "That's 'cause y'all don't gotta think about it. You don't gotta know all the time you're a white girl. That's why I don't want no kids, 'cause they'd always know that they's black."
"Thing is, I don't care if I ever gets married. It don't matter to me so much."
"You don't want kids?" Beth asked.
Evette shrugged. "Not so much."
"Why not?"
Evette stuck a finger through a big hole in her dress. Then she found another hole and even two more after that. "If...if I could have kids that was treated like white kids, I might want 'em okay. But black kids round here don't got much chance to do nothing and not much chance to own nothing either."
Beth asked, "What stuff don't you guys have?"
Evette lifted a finger that was stuck through one of the holes in her dress. She pointed off toward the tenant house her daddy rented from my daddy. "We don't got a real home. We don't got good clothes. We don't got books at school. We don't got jewelry and cars and any land or money, and when daddy goes into town, he can't shop in the white stores and has to take off his hat when he passes white folk and say ma'am and sir to 'em even if they's real young."
"Is it terrible being a black girl?" Beth asked.
Evette looked down at the dirt. "It ain't so bad. It's just you don't ever get things you wants. But my daddy and mama, they say we should be real proud about our place and keep our self-respect. They say that's more important than having. That's what they say."
"Maybe."
We stayed quiet for a little while. Then Evette looked at me and Beth. "What's it like to be white girls?"
I thought about it,, but I didn't have any answer. "It's not like anything. It's just the way I am."
"It's true," Beth said.
Evette kicked dirt with her raggy shoes. "That's 'cause y'all don't gotta think about it. You don't gotta know all the time you're a white girl. That's why I don't want no kids, 'cause they'd always know that they's black."
Read
January 9, 2011Teton County Library Call #: YA FUQUA
No rating
This book was described to me as "To Kill a Mockingbird," for younger readers. It does a great job of introducing readers to the injustices of racial prejudice, but ends on a much lighter note than the previously mentioned classic. In addition, the author makes a special note that he has chosen to leave out historical (and now considered perjorative) terms in a conscous effort to deter derogatory language for younger readers.
Taking place in South Carolina in the 1920's, the main character, Darby Carmichael, has two best friends: Beth, white, and the daughter of a prestigious lawyer, and Evette, black, and the daughter of share croppers on the Carmichael's property.
Through Evette, Darby learns that black people in the north have cars and houses - an idea she has never thought of before, as she has only seen black people who are poor. She begins to realize that life doesn't seem fair for people with darker skin and she sets out to write a column for the local newspaper describing her newly enlightened views. The result is a town split apart by Darby's article-some threatening her family to keep their views to themselves (including the cross burning KKK, others proud of her for speaking her mind. A good read about the power of friendship, race, and self-confidence. A recommended read!
No rating
This book was described to me as "To Kill a Mockingbird," for younger readers. It does a great job of introducing readers to the injustices of racial prejudice, but ends on a much lighter note than the previously mentioned classic. In addition, the author makes a special note that he has chosen to leave out historical (and now considered perjorative) terms in a conscous effort to deter derogatory language for younger readers.
Taking place in South Carolina in the 1920's, the main character, Darby Carmichael, has two best friends: Beth, white, and the daughter of a prestigious lawyer, and Evette, black, and the daughter of share croppers on the Carmichael's property.
Through Evette, Darby learns that black people in the north have cars and houses - an idea she has never thought of before, as she has only seen black people who are poor. She begins to realize that life doesn't seem fair for people with darker skin and she sets out to write a column for the local newspaper describing her newly enlightened views. The result is a town split apart by Darby's article-some threatening her family to keep their views to themselves (including the cross burning KKK, others proud of her for speaking her mind. A good read about the power of friendship, race, and self-confidence. A recommended read!
July 5, 2009
This is a phenomenal book about a young girl, circa 1920's South Carolina. She begins to write newspaper articles at the idea of her young black friend. Her articles go from simple to controversial quickly, without her understanding why. Darby, her family and friends all have a new outlook on life when the KKK makes themselves known to the community, through cowardly actions not conversation. A part of US history that I think is overlooked by many teachers until our children are too old. Could easily be incorporated into any US history or Civil War lesson, not to mention a great read-aloud for any class during Black History Month. Highly recommended for fun or classroom reading.
April 16, 2011
What an unexpected book! One of you out there in Good Reads land posted this on your "to-read" list and I added to mine and had the chance to read it this week. It is a beautiful story! I loved it. This is a book that I wish I had when I was teaching US history in 5th grade. It does an eloquent job of describing some of the attitudes and challenges facing many rural communities in the early 1900's as they dealt with issues of race and discrimination. But most of all, it demonstrates the power for good that one person can have...however small a voice we think we have. It was a moving, well-written, powerful story!
October 22, 2010
A better rating would be 3.5 stars but that's not an option so there we are. I appreciated the authenticity of Darby's voice. That isn't something you always get from and adult male author. I also liked how the issue of racism was addressed. Because it was told through a 9 year olds voice, there wasn't a real heavy handed or self-righteous message.
This book lost half a star because I didn't find it to be particularly gripping. It would be a good addition to a booklist for a fourth or fifth grade class studding racism in the early 1900s.
This book lost half a star because I didn't find it to be particularly gripping. It would be a good addition to a booklist for a fourth or fifth grade class studding racism in the early 1900s.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews