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How High the Moon
To Kill a Mockingbird meets One Crazy Summer in this powerful, bittersweet debut about one girl's journey to reconnect with her mother and learn the truth about her father in the tumultuous times of the Jim Crow South.
"Timely, captivating, and lovely. So glad this book is in the world." --Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming
In the small town of Alcolu, South Carolina, in 1944, 12-year-old Ella spends her days fishing and running around with her best friend Henry and cousin Myrna. But life is not always so sunny for Ella, who gets bullied for her light skin tone, and whose mother is away pursuing a jazz singer dream in Boston.
So Ella is ecstatic when her mother invites her to visit for Christmas. Little does she expect the truths she will discover about her mother, the father she never knew and her family's most unlikely history.
And after a life-changing month, she returns South and is shocked by the news that her schoolmate George has been arrested for the murder of two local white girls.
Bittersweet and eye-opening, How High the Moon is a timeless novel about a girl finding herself in a world all but determined to hold her down.
"Timely, captivating, and lovely. So glad this book is in the world." --Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming
In the small town of Alcolu, South Carolina, in 1944, 12-year-old Ella spends her days fishing and running around with her best friend Henry and cousin Myrna. But life is not always so sunny for Ella, who gets bullied for her light skin tone, and whose mother is away pursuing a jazz singer dream in Boston.
So Ella is ecstatic when her mother invites her to visit for Christmas. Little does she expect the truths she will discover about her mother, the father she never knew and her family's most unlikely history.
And after a life-changing month, she returns South and is shocked by the news that her schoolmate George has been arrested for the murder of two local white girls.
Bittersweet and eye-opening, How High the Moon is a timeless novel about a girl finding herself in a world all but determined to hold her down.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2019
93 people are currently reading
4235 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
May 18, 2020
For a shorter novel, I was surprised that it took me so long to read this book from start to finish (about nine days). It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it either because I did which you can clearly see from the rating. However, it was a very important story that had some difficult content to read. It was a surprisingly heavy story.
What really breaks my heart is thinking about how some of these events would be the reality for some people in the past and it breaks my heart even more to think that it's still somewhat of a reality for people now. It was inexcusable then and it should be even more so now.
Everything from the writing to the dialogue and setting is beautiful. I could feel the atmosphere of Boston when I was reading about Ella visiting and then I could feel the sense of home that Ella had when she was in South Carolina.
Without giving too much away, I will say that I still wonder about Ella's father and the uncertainty surrounding him and whether that was intentionally left unknown or for the reader to make their own assumptions.
As hard as some of the content within these stories can be to read, I think that it's important that these powerful stories continue to be written.
***Thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review***
What really breaks my heart is thinking about how some of these events would be the reality for some people in the past and it breaks my heart even more to think that it's still somewhat of a reality for people now. It was inexcusable then and it should be even more so now.
Everything from the writing to the dialogue and setting is beautiful. I could feel the atmosphere of Boston when I was reading about Ella visiting and then I could feel the sense of home that Ella had when she was in South Carolina.
Without giving too much away, I will say that I still wonder about Ella's father and the uncertainty surrounding him and whether that was intentionally left unknown or for the reader to make their own assumptions.
As hard as some of the content within these stories can be to read, I think that it's important that these powerful stories continue to be written.
***Thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review***
December 12, 2018
A beautifully-written story about a black family growing up in segregated South Carolina in the 1940s. They're swept up in a terrible murder case, but that's not really the heart of the book - it's all about hope, love and finding your place in the world. (8+)
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*
July 20, 2019
3.75
This is a story of a family and self discovery, but it is also the story of three young people who grow up and remember. In the 1950s and 1960s, they would find their voices and demand the common decency that should be the right of all people, their civil rights, to be treated as equals.
I enjoyed this! I like the southern jazz feel and the message that Parsons was trying to convey. For a debut I thought the writing was really good.
“But what some folks want you to be and what you is...well, sometimes they gonna be two different things. But you will always know who is in here. Got me? This is who you are.”
This is a story of a family and self discovery, but it is also the story of three young people who grow up and remember. In the 1950s and 1960s, they would find their voices and demand the common decency that should be the right of all people, their civil rights, to be treated as equals.
I enjoyed this! I like the southern jazz feel and the message that Parsons was trying to convey. For a debut I thought the writing was really good.
“But what some folks want you to be and what you is...well, sometimes they gonna be two different things. But you will always know who is in here. Got me? This is who you are.”
July 7, 2019
Oh how I wish Parson's editor would have done a better job of steering Ms. Parson to telling one story at a time. "How High the Moon" was a good story on it's own with Ella & Henry & Ella's mom; Lucille's drive to pursue her singing career, the subtle lesbian relationship between Lucille & Helen and the mystery of J.P. All of this was a great story on it's own
But, the story of George Stinney was unnecessarily introduced to make a point about the horrors of being Black in the 40s AND THAT STORY deserved it's own book!! The travesty of young George & the fact that that was a true story gets watered down by being planted in Ella's story. A good editor would have recognized that Ella AND George deserved their own books. One would have made a lovely children's historical fiction story and the other would have been a powerful children's nonfiction book. Both Ella & George deserved better.
But, the story of George Stinney was unnecessarily introduced to make a point about the horrors of being Black in the 40s AND THAT STORY deserved it's own book!! The travesty of young George & the fact that that was a true story gets watered down by being planted in Ella's story. A good editor would have recognized that Ella AND George deserved their own books. One would have made a lovely children's historical fiction story and the other would have been a powerful children's nonfiction book. Both Ella & George deserved better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2024
Stars 4.5
"To Kill a Mockingbird meets One Crazy Summer in this powerful, bittersweet debut about one girl's journey to reconnect with her mother and learn the truth about her father in the tumultuous times of the Jim Crow South."
Roller coaster of emotions. I ran the gamut. Even now, a couple days later I'm heartbroken. The synopsis sums the book up and Parsons gave the story life.
I would gift this to a teacher and be hesitant gifting a parent.
This hit me hard and I have no words. Children are small human beings.
"To Kill a Mockingbird meets One Crazy Summer in this powerful, bittersweet debut about one girl's journey to reconnect with her mother and learn the truth about her father in the tumultuous times of the Jim Crow South."
Roller coaster of emotions. I ran the gamut. Even now, a couple days later I'm heartbroken. The synopsis sums the book up and Parsons gave the story life.
I would gift this to a teacher and be hesitant gifting a parent.
This hit me hard and I have no words. Children are small human beings.
December 24, 2020
This is a story about this young girl named Ella who grew up with her grandparents in Southern Carolina. Her mom on the other hand was busy working hard and pursuing her dreams in boston. One fine day her mother invited her to come and visit boston. She brought ella to the jazz club where she worked. All she wanted to know were clues about her dad, but no sign of it.
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As she got back to her hometown, things changed. A 14 year old murderer killed 2 girls which was devastating. The story gives off the suspense. Pick it up if you want to know more 🤗
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Some of the important topics which the author talked about in the book like black youths were presume of the guilty which they didn't do. Zero crimes were caused by them and yet they were blamed. This book talks loads about HOPE!!!!!
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Thank you for the this lovely copy @times.reads . It is available at all bookstores and libraries.
.
As she got back to her hometown, things changed. A 14 year old murderer killed 2 girls which was devastating. The story gives off the suspense. Pick it up if you want to know more 🤗
.
Some of the important topics which the author talked about in the book like black youths were presume of the guilty which they didn't do. Zero crimes were caused by them and yet they were blamed. This book talks loads about HOPE!!!!!
.
Thank you for the this lovely copy @times.reads . It is available at all bookstores and libraries.
July 5, 2019
1940's/50's Jim Crow South contrasted with Boston. Mixed race identity (unknown white father), hinted-at-but-not-addressed lesbian mother, lynching, and the framing and execution of 14 year-old George Stinney (the only historical figure in the book as a character). That part of the book was especially hard to read after watching "When They See Us." Nothing has changed. Nothing.
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January 30, 2019It's 1943 and Ella has finally been invited to go stay with her mama in Boston. Raised by her grandparents in South Carolina, Ella has always dreamed of the day when her mama would send for her. Leaving her small Southern town means leaving her best friend and cousin Henry, but Ella knows this is her chance to get to know her mother better and maybe to get answers to her many questions about the father she's never met. Boston is a completely different world where everyone's in a hurry, all you can see are buildings and you don't have to worry about which water fountain is which. But life in Boston is not exactly what Ella thought it would be. Mama works all the time and won't register her for school. When Ella does have time with her, Mama avoids all questions about her father. And while Ella's experiencing life up North, big changes are happening in her small town home.
This is a historical novel with a lot of heart, told through the eyes of Ella and her cousins Myrna and Henry. It deals with a lot of big, scary issues and would be a great book for discussion. I really appreciated the juxtaposition between African American life in the South and the North in the 1940s. It's billed for fans of One Crazy Summer and Brown Girl Dreaming and I do think fans of those books will also dig this one.
This is a historical novel with a lot of heart, told through the eyes of Ella and her cousins Myrna and Henry. It deals with a lot of big, scary issues and would be a great book for discussion. I really appreciated the juxtaposition between African American life in the South and the North in the 1940s. It's billed for fans of One Crazy Summer and Brown Girl Dreaming and I do think fans of those books will also dig this one.
December 28, 2019
Enjoyable story with a likable character, but it felt like two different arcs were competing with one another rather than telling one cohesive story. I enjoyed the audiobook narrator and the authors note at the end is not to be missed.
May 29, 2024
I felt it was very all over the place. It was hard to keep track of what was going on and I just wasn’t into it. Book club book
December 3, 2025
“Don’t let how nobody treats you in this world make you think that you ain’t worthy.”
So beautiful and sad at the same time, love the way the book doesn’t shy away from talking about topics like racism, segregation and the Klan in a way that is digestible for children but without lessening their atrocities. The relationship between Ella and her mother, and even Ella herself fell a bit flat for me, but everything else in this book was wonderful.
So beautiful and sad at the same time, love the way the book doesn’t shy away from talking about topics like racism, segregation and the Klan in a way that is digestible for children but without lessening their atrocities. The relationship between Ella and her mother, and even Ella herself fell a bit flat for me, but everything else in this book was wonderful.
May 26, 2019
I decided that I needed to read more "own voices" stories this year, which is the reason I picked up Karyn Parsons' "How High the Moon." Her coming of age story gives us a look at the Jim Crow era from the perspective of 11-year-old Ella.
Ella lives in South Carolina with her grandparents and cousins. When her mother sends for her to come to Boston, where she works in the Naval Shipyards and sings in jazz clubs by night, Ella is thrilled. She hopes to learn more about her absent father, and also to live the kind of glamorous life she imagines her mother to have.
It is through Ella's eyes that we see the difference between laws in the North and in the South during the era. For example, she is confused that she can use any public water fountain or restroom that he wishes after a lifetime of being unable to do so.
We also see examples of black youths presumed to be guilty of crimes they did not commit, simply because of the color of their skin, and more.
Parsons has created a likeable young heroine and a host of characters to care about, while highlighting the kinds of social injustice that, while theoretically no longer legal, still go on today in many communities.
Highly recommended.
Ella lives in South Carolina with her grandparents and cousins. When her mother sends for her to come to Boston, where she works in the Naval Shipyards and sings in jazz clubs by night, Ella is thrilled. She hopes to learn more about her absent father, and also to live the kind of glamorous life she imagines her mother to have.
It is through Ella's eyes that we see the difference between laws in the North and in the South during the era. For example, she is confused that she can use any public water fountain or restroom that he wishes after a lifetime of being unable to do so.
We also see examples of black youths presumed to be guilty of crimes they did not commit, simply because of the color of their skin, and more.
Parsons has created a likeable young heroine and a host of characters to care about, while highlighting the kinds of social injustice that, while theoretically no longer legal, still go on today in many communities.
Highly recommended.
June 18, 2019
3.5
A story told in three narratives, the three children in the story. I thought all three perspectives added to the story. Each were human with their own frailties and strengths, they felt real. The weaving of the true story into the book worked well, it never felt forced. The growth of the characters over the year that the story takes place was well paced and believable. The events that take place, though difficult, I don't think are out of the purview or too mature for middle grade readers.
Some issues: It was pretty predictable. Still enjoyable though.
The editing - It felt at times that what was needed was a continuity supervisor. Someone to make sure that things didn't change within a scene. There were a few of these instances but the one that I remember best is when Ella is shelling peas, then the next paragraph shucking corn, she dumps the corn on the floor but wait, a few sentences letter it is peas that litter the floor. This of course didn't effect the story, but still how did someone not catch this?
Overall a thoughtful middle grade read.
A story told in three narratives, the three children in the story. I thought all three perspectives added to the story. Each were human with their own frailties and strengths, they felt real. The weaving of the true story into the book worked well, it never felt forced. The growth of the characters over the year that the story takes place was well paced and believable. The events that take place, though difficult, I don't think are out of the purview or too mature for middle grade readers.
Some issues: It was pretty predictable. Still enjoyable though.
The editing - It felt at times that what was needed was a continuity supervisor. Someone to make sure that things didn't change within a scene. There were a few of these instances but the one that I remember best is when Ella is shelling peas, then the next paragraph shucking corn, she dumps the corn on the floor but wait, a few sentences letter it is peas that litter the floor. This of course didn't effect the story, but still how did someone not catch this?
Overall a thoughtful middle grade read.
December 12, 2018
Terrific historical fiction novel about Ella, a young mixed race girl, growing up in South Carolina in 1943. Ella's mother resides in Boston where she is pursuing her dream of making it big in the music industry. For a brief period of time Ella joins her mother where she hopes to uncover clues about her father's identity. Upon returning to the south she is aghast to learn of the arrest of a fourteen-year-old neighbor boy charged with the murder of two white girls.
With shades of To Kill a Mockingbird, this middle grade novel tells the story of resilience and hope even in a very dark time.
With shades of To Kill a Mockingbird, this middle grade novel tells the story of resilience and hope even in a very dark time.
May 31, 2021
it was an okay book i guess. but really i dont like reading books about children going on journeys and things like that because i feel like thats what's in most books and to me it's like we've been surrounded by all theses books that are the same thing at a point it really just was not interesting to me. but anyways overall i think this book was nice i just feel like ive read so many books that are just like this, like when the child says "they've been lying to me this whole time!" i feel like so many books have included this even the ones i enjoyed included this line. yea.
May 7, 2019
2.5 stars. There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with this book story-wise in my opinion, I just didn’t connect with it. I wasn’t very invested and didn’t really find myself interested in the characters. The writing was ok, but not really my style. This book might be great for someone else, but it just wasn’t for me. However, the premise was interesting and I liked the idea of a story taking place in the 1910s-1920s, and the unique situation of the main character!
December 26, 2019
Read for my middle grade book club. This book takes place in segregated, Jim Crow South Carolina in the 1940’s. The characters felt like real people and were very well written. I was shocked and saddened to find that George was, in fact, a real person and his story really happened. The book takes some twists and turns that felt a bit disconnected. There were some intense moments that make this book best suited for older elementary age and up.
March 11, 2019
Every chapter broke my heart and then healed it stronger than it was before. Beautiful.
June 24, 2019
A treat.
July 23, 2019
Compelling story told with warmth, love, and empathy ~ these characters are unforgettable.
January 26, 2020
A touching read about life in South Carolina in the 1940s for young Ella.
Review on my blog soon.
Review on my blog soon.
February 17, 2021
When I taught Social Studies to 8th grade, my students read a brief article about the exoneration of George Stinney Jr., who was 14 in 1944 when he was executed by the state of South Carolina. My then-14-year-old students took it hard. This was a boy their age who was executed for two murders he didn't commit.
It set the stage for a discussion about Black participation in World War II, and why Blacks and other people of color would sign up to fight for a country that not only failed to protect them, but also promulgated a system of inequality, even during war-time. The answer my students came up with was: hope. Hope for change.
And that's how this book ends, on a hopeful note at Christmas, even though there's a ton of heartbreak to get there.
The book is set in Alcolu, South Carolina, a real town, and written from three points of view: 12-year-olds Ella, Henry, and Myrna. Ella dreams of going North, to live with her mom, who performs in Boston as a jazz singer, and wonders who her father might be. She's lighter skinned and considered by many to be prettier than Myrna, whose mother died in childbirth and never told anyone who Myrna's father was. Henry has the soul of an artist and is friends with both girls.
Readers are introduced to George at a picnic, where he's tenderly sweet on Myrna. Your readers may not pick up on his identity right away. I know I didn't.
Then, amidst the kids' hopes and dreams, two young white girls, ages 11 and 7, go missing and are later found dead.
It should be an unfortunate tragedy that has no impact on their lives, but George has the misfortune to encounter the searchers and he tells them where he last saw the girls and what direction they were headed. And that is enough to have him arrested, tried and executed.
The friends must deal with separation, because Ella gets her wish to go to Boston, although all doesn't quite work out the way she hoped, including figuring out her father's identity. And there's a lot of anxiety and fear surrounding George's sham trial and pending execution. The friends find courage in Alcolu's darkest hour, although the author deliberately doesn't mention if George ever knows of what they do. Myrna's heartbreak is especially gut-wrenching.
This is an awesome read. Pull up a box of tissues. I cried a ton with this story!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
It set the stage for a discussion about Black participation in World War II, and why Blacks and other people of color would sign up to fight for a country that not only failed to protect them, but also promulgated a system of inequality, even during war-time. The answer my students came up with was: hope. Hope for change.
And that's how this book ends, on a hopeful note at Christmas, even though there's a ton of heartbreak to get there.
The book is set in Alcolu, South Carolina, a real town, and written from three points of view: 12-year-olds Ella, Henry, and Myrna. Ella dreams of going North, to live with her mom, who performs in Boston as a jazz singer, and wonders who her father might be. She's lighter skinned and considered by many to be prettier than Myrna, whose mother died in childbirth and never told anyone who Myrna's father was. Henry has the soul of an artist and is friends with both girls.
Readers are introduced to George at a picnic, where he's tenderly sweet on Myrna. Your readers may not pick up on his identity right away. I know I didn't.
Then, amidst the kids' hopes and dreams, two young white girls, ages 11 and 7, go missing and are later found dead.
It should be an unfortunate tragedy that has no impact on their lives, but George has the misfortune to encounter the searchers and he tells them where he last saw the girls and what direction they were headed. And that is enough to have him arrested, tried and executed.
The friends must deal with separation, because Ella gets her wish to go to Boston, although all doesn't quite work out the way she hoped, including figuring out her father's identity. And there's a lot of anxiety and fear surrounding George's sham trial and pending execution. The friends find courage in Alcolu's darkest hour, although the author deliberately doesn't mention if George ever knows of what they do. Myrna's heartbreak is especially gut-wrenching.
This is an awesome read. Pull up a box of tissues. I cried a ton with this story!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
June 14, 2023
This was a really great book!
I feel like this book is intended for middle grade readers but the content is very intense and painful. Unfortunately, I also feel like this kind of content is more commonplace for Black kids and kids in other POC homes to be familiar with at much younger ages than I was in a white home. Reading this made me realize the huge amount of privilege I grew up with that I didn’t have to face realities like those described in this book until I was much older.
The story follows Ella and her friends (ages around 11-14) in 1940s South Carolina. There are some really great subplots in the book such as Ella’s relationship with her mother and her (surprise queer rep!) girlfriend. This book also really skillfully handles colorism within the Black community itself as well as the difficulties of being a biracial child.
However, the most impactful storyline in this book, for me, revolves around George Stinney. Yes, the character in this book is the same as the real life little boy who was accused of murdering two white girls and who eventually was executed via the electric chair. I’ve known George’s story for many years and when I realized who Ella’s friend was meant to be, my heart sank. George’s is one of the most heartbreaking injustices I believe I’ve ever encountered. The images of his small body strapped to an electric chair have lived with me since the first time I saw them years and years ago. His part in this story is just as difficult to sit with.
Alongside the pain, How High the Moon is a wonderful book that showcases each of these characters as full human beings with lives and families and loves and wants and desires. The author very pointedly makes you encounter just how real these people are and just how dismissive almost every white character in the book is to their humanity.
I would highly recommend this story for any age because despite its classification, this book carries very real weight and depth and nuance. I was moved to tears multiple times and deeply interested in the story every step of the way. I am very happy I got the opportunity to read it!
I feel like this book is intended for middle grade readers but the content is very intense and painful. Unfortunately, I also feel like this kind of content is more commonplace for Black kids and kids in other POC homes to be familiar with at much younger ages than I was in a white home. Reading this made me realize the huge amount of privilege I grew up with that I didn’t have to face realities like those described in this book until I was much older.
The story follows Ella and her friends (ages around 11-14) in 1940s South Carolina. There are some really great subplots in the book such as Ella’s relationship with her mother and her (surprise queer rep!) girlfriend. This book also really skillfully handles colorism within the Black community itself as well as the difficulties of being a biracial child.
However, the most impactful storyline in this book, for me, revolves around George Stinney. Yes, the character in this book is the same as the real life little boy who was accused of murdering two white girls and who eventually was executed via the electric chair. I’ve known George’s story for many years and when I realized who Ella’s friend was meant to be, my heart sank. George’s is one of the most heartbreaking injustices I believe I’ve ever encountered. The images of his small body strapped to an electric chair have lived with me since the first time I saw them years and years ago. His part in this story is just as difficult to sit with.
Alongside the pain, How High the Moon is a wonderful book that showcases each of these characters as full human beings with lives and families and loves and wants and desires. The author very pointedly makes you encounter just how real these people are and just how dismissive almost every white character in the book is to their humanity.
I would highly recommend this story for any age because despite its classification, this book carries very real weight and depth and nuance. I was moved to tears multiple times and deeply interested in the story every step of the way. I am very happy I got the opportunity to read it!
February 10, 2022
“How were you supposed to move about in the world if every step you took, and the safety of those steps, was determined by strangers who decided who you were just by looking at you?”
How High the Moon is a middle grade historical fiction novel set in Jim Crow era South Carolina, where 12 year old Ella and her cousins Henry and Myrna spend their summers fishing and running around without a care. Ella is bullied for her light skin tone, and spends a lot of time wondering about her father, spends a month with her mother in Boston where everything is different than she expected but when she returns home everything has changed because of the heartbreaking news that her school friend George has been arrested for the murder of two white girls.
in her authors note Karyn Parsons said she set out to understand how her mother could have had a happy childhood while living in the era of segregation. How High the Moon really does show children being children, the fun and games, the happiness, the things they don’t really understand, but it especially shows the heaviness that comes with growing up as a Black child. I also really appreciated the way the author portrayed both the north and the south during this time period. This is a truly beautifully written and hopeful story. I especially think fans of Jacqueline Woodson will enjoy this book.
How High the Moon is a middle grade historical fiction novel set in Jim Crow era South Carolina, where 12 year old Ella and her cousins Henry and Myrna spend their summers fishing and running around without a care. Ella is bullied for her light skin tone, and spends a lot of time wondering about her father, spends a month with her mother in Boston where everything is different than she expected but when she returns home everything has changed because of the heartbreaking news that her school friend George has been arrested for the murder of two white girls.
in her authors note Karyn Parsons said she set out to understand how her mother could have had a happy childhood while living in the era of segregation. How High the Moon really does show children being children, the fun and games, the happiness, the things they don’t really understand, but it especially shows the heaviness that comes with growing up as a Black child. I also really appreciated the way the author portrayed both the north and the south during this time period. This is a truly beautifully written and hopeful story. I especially think fans of Jacqueline Woodson will enjoy this book.
July 15, 2023
I really enjoyed the book How High the Moon by Karyn Parsons. Especially during a time like this I think it is a good way to educate or spark interest on the issues of systemic racism and life in the US. It is also a very good book for all ages to read even though it is an easy read. Some may find it more suitable for younger viewers. I believe it is important to sometimes put ourselves in a young person's shoes once again and see their perspective, especially in a time like the 1940s and the oppression someone as young as 11 had to face. Side note - I used to watch Karyn Parsons as 'Hilary Banks' on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and when I saw she wrote a book I was excited. :) I also love reading books like How High the Moon because I constantly want to read about other experiences, educate myself and find out ways to use privilege to dismantle a very racist system and to abolish white supremacy.
How High the Moon is a book set in the 40s about a young black girl (Ella) in a Southern town in the US (Alcolu, South Carolina). She spends her days mainly at school, helping her grandparents with chores, but mainly spending time with her cousin and best friend Henry. Life was not always sunny in Alcolu as there was a huge racial tension separating everyone in town. Ella lives with her grandparents as her Mother, Lucille, moved to Boston to try and pursue her dream of making music. When she got an invitation to move to Boston to stay with her mother for a while, as she is now grown enough to go, she is amazed by what she sees in Boston. Everyone drinks from the same fountain, the segregation wasn't as bad as Alcolu, the city was busy and bustling with people - very different to South Carolina. The city life. She also had another issue of figuring out who her father was as he left her as her mother was pregnant with her. Her mother and friend, Helen, had to work at the Naval Yard and make ships during WW2 in the mornings and her Mum would sing in the club at night looking for her big break so Ella was often left alone in their apartment. As there is a twist in the book, Ella had to move back to South Carolina, only to find out that a student from her school (and this is based on a true story), George Stinney Jr., was accused of murdering two white girls. The story combines a fictional family and their relationship with George Stinney Jr. and the tension everyone in town is feeling. It also focuses on the lives of Ella's cousins, Myrna and Henry, and how they are coping with everything that is going on while trying to balance their own lives.
I was going to rate this book 4 stars as I think that in a part towards the end of the book there was not a detailed enough connection (it was quite short) between what happened to George Stinney Jr and life after (Don't want to give too many spoilers but many of us know the story of George Stinney Jr and what happened with him which was horrific). The ending could have made more of a statement, even though it was a sweet ending with a happy event during a tough times, there could have been a general more powerful statement, something the viewer can almost use as a quote, to end the book.
I ended up giving the book 4 stars because it was very creative and unique. Karyn Parsons really did her research and the way she managed to create a whole fictional story but connect it to a true story was really well done. I also really enjoyed the fact that she used her mother's experiences to write some of this story. She mentioned in her author's note that her mother said she had a happy childhood in the 40s in Southern US. Parsons wondered how that could be and thought that that was the reality and people had to live with it with all the injustices. She needed to see how one could live through those times and 'Ella' was born through how family and community could make you feel loved and important. I love the morals of the story and the way it could give adults a perspective but at the same time educate young children on the issues of racism without them not understanding a perspective of an adult and without it being like a lecture, but more of a journey. Children learn and love stories, it's very effective. It's not too harsh for children but it will make them wonder and explore how other children are treated horribly simply because of the colour of their skin and will evoke sadness and despair. I personally felt very heartbroken reading a lot of this book as the issues spoke about sometimes were unbearable. It could also make you tear up in certain parts. Another aspect that was very well done was the connections of each chapter and how it showed three different perspectives of similarly aged characters who were family and that brought life to the story. It also showed that character's perspective on the other main character's perspective and life. It also spoke very briefly about colourism which is so important and needs to be talked about more, and demonstrates a conflicting idea Ella has as she faces an event in the book and talks about mixed race children and her conflicting her identity asking about 'black and white' and how mixed race children feel.
Overall the novel was so clever, imaginative and requires talent to be able to connect such a harsh true story to a fictional family and makes you wanting more constantly, making it flow very well, evokes so many emotions at the same time and educates you at the same time while following a journey. This was also on my list of books to read if you want perspective and a journey of education. If you also want to start reading more on the issues of racism, this was one of the books on my list that you can start with. Would definitely recommend!!!
How High the Moon is a book set in the 40s about a young black girl (Ella) in a Southern town in the US (Alcolu, South Carolina). She spends her days mainly at school, helping her grandparents with chores, but mainly spending time with her cousin and best friend Henry. Life was not always sunny in Alcolu as there was a huge racial tension separating everyone in town. Ella lives with her grandparents as her Mother, Lucille, moved to Boston to try and pursue her dream of making music. When she got an invitation to move to Boston to stay with her mother for a while, as she is now grown enough to go, she is amazed by what she sees in Boston. Everyone drinks from the same fountain, the segregation wasn't as bad as Alcolu, the city was busy and bustling with people - very different to South Carolina. The city life. She also had another issue of figuring out who her father was as he left her as her mother was pregnant with her. Her mother and friend, Helen, had to work at the Naval Yard and make ships during WW2 in the mornings and her Mum would sing in the club at night looking for her big break so Ella was often left alone in their apartment. As there is a twist in the book, Ella had to move back to South Carolina, only to find out that a student from her school (and this is based on a true story), George Stinney Jr., was accused of murdering two white girls. The story combines a fictional family and their relationship with George Stinney Jr. and the tension everyone in town is feeling. It also focuses on the lives of Ella's cousins, Myrna and Henry, and how they are coping with everything that is going on while trying to balance their own lives.
I was going to rate this book 4 stars as I think that in a part towards the end of the book there was not a detailed enough connection (it was quite short) between what happened to George Stinney Jr and life after (Don't want to give too many spoilers but many of us know the story of George Stinney Jr and what happened with him which was horrific). The ending could have made more of a statement, even though it was a sweet ending with a happy event during a tough times, there could have been a general more powerful statement, something the viewer can almost use as a quote, to end the book.
I ended up giving the book 4 stars because it was very creative and unique. Karyn Parsons really did her research and the way she managed to create a whole fictional story but connect it to a true story was really well done. I also really enjoyed the fact that she used her mother's experiences to write some of this story. She mentioned in her author's note that her mother said she had a happy childhood in the 40s in Southern US. Parsons wondered how that could be and thought that that was the reality and people had to live with it with all the injustices. She needed to see how one could live through those times and 'Ella' was born through how family and community could make you feel loved and important. I love the morals of the story and the way it could give adults a perspective but at the same time educate young children on the issues of racism without them not understanding a perspective of an adult and without it being like a lecture, but more of a journey. Children learn and love stories, it's very effective. It's not too harsh for children but it will make them wonder and explore how other children are treated horribly simply because of the colour of their skin and will evoke sadness and despair. I personally felt very heartbroken reading a lot of this book as the issues spoke about sometimes were unbearable. It could also make you tear up in certain parts. Another aspect that was very well done was the connections of each chapter and how it showed three different perspectives of similarly aged characters who were family and that brought life to the story. It also showed that character's perspective on the other main character's perspective and life. It also spoke very briefly about colourism which is so important and needs to be talked about more, and demonstrates a conflicting idea Ella has as she faces an event in the book and talks about mixed race children and her conflicting her identity asking about 'black and white' and how mixed race children feel.
Overall the novel was so clever, imaginative and requires talent to be able to connect such a harsh true story to a fictional family and makes you wanting more constantly, making it flow very well, evokes so many emotions at the same time and educates you at the same time while following a journey. This was also on my list of books to read if you want perspective and a journey of education. If you also want to start reading more on the issues of racism, this was one of the books on my list that you can start with. Would definitely recommend!!!
December 11, 2020
3.5 because maybe my expectations were perhaps too high based on reviews? The story is meaningful, but be warned very heavy. Ella, the main character struggles with her identity as she is biracial, so I think she could help many readers. Also the book brings attention to the long history of the USA's deeply troubled and racist criminal justice system through a character in the book, George Stinney. The reason I didn't love the book is despite the meaningful plot, I just didn't feel a connection to the characters as I would have expected with such a great storyline. Also, the bar is high!. A great read though and lots of people do love it, so perhaps you will as well.
March 16, 2022
I appreciated this book but I don't know if I enjoyed it. What I liked was getting to see what the world looked like in the days of racial segregation from the eyes of a young Black girl, although it was often a very heavy book to read. What I didn't like was that it felt as if I was jumping from one story to the next and when it would have been better to have some more structure to how these tales were told.
March 8, 2021
middle grade historical fiction...
woah.
a bit heavy.
interesting.
+ well written.
idk it wasn't bad, i just don't really recommend?
*me trying to come up with a good review and failing haha*
woah.
a bit heavy.
interesting.
+ well written.
idk it wasn't bad, i just don't really recommend?
*me trying to come up with a good review and failing haha*
February 14, 2023
The premise and setting was interesting to me--a young girl growing up in the Jim Crow era south--but there wasn't much plot to it. Also, there were some "adult situations" mentioned that really weren't necessary to the story and seemed a little inappropriate to me. I'm not sure young readers would find it all that interesting, but they might.
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March 18, 2019Available to read in the SEC at Harcourt Hill Library now! :)
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