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One Crazy Summer Audiobook
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(3.01) - 6,206 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Eleven-year-old Delphine and her younger sisters Vonetta and Fern travel to Oakland to meet their mother, Cecile, who abandoned their family years earlier. But even when Cecile gets them to her house, she shows no interest and seems to view them as nothing but a nuisance. Cecile’s cold, unloving attitude leaves the girls wishing for the mother-daughter connection they’ve never had. But Cecile acts remarkably different after she sees her daughters at the Black Panther rally, where they recite a poem Cecile herself had written. At that point, Cecile’s attitude toward her daughters begins a remarkable change. Rita Williams-Garcia has been a finalist for the National Book Award, and her novel One Crazy Summer was recognized as a New York Times Editor’s Choice. Narrator Sisi Aisha Johnson relates the story with the refreshing honesty of a tale told through young Delphine’s innocent eyes.
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"This book has been on my tbr pile for too long. Having seen it at my Scholastic book fair for the past two years I have finally read it. I enjoyed reading it and am glad I did. While I think it is wonderfully written and had me hooked from the beginning I think my students, 4th and 5th graders, would have a harder time understanding it. This book would be wonderful addition to a middle school library!"
— Meghan (4 out of 5 stars)
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“One Crazy Summer absolutely blew me away. What an amazing and beautifully written story. I find myself still thinking about Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern and all the many other people Rita brought to life. Rita took me right into the world of the Black Panthers and Oakland in the 1960s. This novel is just glorious.”
— Jacqueline Woodson, Newbery Honor author of After Tupac and D Foster -
“One Crazy Summer is a genuine rarity: a book that is both important in its contents and utterly engaging in its characters…with the tremendous bonus of being beautifully written.”
— Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal–winning author of A Single Shard -
“In One Crazy Summer Williams-Garcia presents a child’s-eye view of the Black Panther movement within a powerful and affecting story of sisterhood and motherhood.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Sisi Johnson’s sensitive portrayal of Delphine, mature beyond her years, is pitch-perfect. With deliberate pacing and restrained tonal variations, the other characters are also thoughtfully delineated. Johnson’s delivery places the spotlight on Delphine’s unfolding understanding of her mother as well as her discovery of her place in the African-American community.”
— AudioFile -
“Narrated in Johnson’s warm tones, the novel follows the sisters as they meet their unemotional mother…Civil discontent seen through the eyes of children reveals another side of African-American history in this compelling novel.”
— Booklist (starred audio review) -
“This vibrant novel shows the subtle ways that political movements affect personal lives; but just as memorable is the finely drawn, universal story of children reclaiming a reluctant parent’s love.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Emotionally challenging and beautifully written, this book immerses readers in a time and place and raises difficult questions of the cultural and ethnic identity and personal responsibility. With memorable characters (all three girls have engaging, strong voices) and a powerful story, this is a book well worth reading and rereading.”
— School Library Journal -
“Crystal clear. The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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Winner of the 2011 Coretta Scott King Award
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A 2011 Newbery Honor Book
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One of the 2010 Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books for Children
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Winner of the 2011 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
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A 2010 Publishers Weekly Best Book: Children Fiction
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A 2010 National Book Award Finalist
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A 2011 Audie Award Finalist
One Crazy Summer Listener Reviews
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" Was a great way to go out to the backyard read this book with headphones "
— M S, 4/1/2016 -
" Pretty interesting learning about the Black Panthers, but wasn't really invested in the characters otherwise. "
— Erin, 2/3/2014 -
" Well, written. Very interesting voice from the narrator. Gave me a perspective on the Black Panthers that I've never had, since I don't know much about them, but I'm driven to find out more now. "
— Kitchengrrl, 2/3/2014 -
" Great book...I started reading this book to a third grade class during a long-term subbing and I wish I could have finished it with them. It is a great time piece and indirectly teaches a lot about the 1960s and Black Panther Party. Delphine was my favorite character. I truly enjoyed this book! "
— Mandy, 1/26/2014 -
" This book caught my attention. It would be a great book to read for diversity and history. I loved all of the characters and how I grew attached to the kids. The mother made me so mad because she didn't care what her kids were doing. I would never be that way with children. I did love how the three girls stuck together even though sometimes they threw an attitude sometimes. The book was great though because the characters were like real children. "
— Courtney, 1/24/2014 -
" A book to show the other side of the Civil Rights Movement. It's anti-Dr. King and though the Black Panthers weren't peaceful in their ways, they still had a very important role in the movement. This book is about young girls and their journey after their mother abandons them for a different cause. This book can be read by ages 9 and up. "
— Katie, 1/15/2014 -
" What an outstanding historical fiction piece of literature. "
— Dawnella, 1/9/2014 -
" Black Panthers, civil rights, and a child's struggle to understand her unusual mother. "
— Mary, 12/31/2013 -
" For me, this was a fantastic eye opening book. I know very little of the 60s and 70s in America, beyond what I have seen in movies. Williams-Garcia brings the reality of this family to life so well, I felt like I knew them. From her language to her imagery, this is a do not miss! "
— Katie, 12/18/2013 -
" Interesting book dealing with black history in the late 1960s. I read it to my 5th grade class at the end of the year, and they were fascinated. "
— Erin, 11/26/2013 -
" I can see why it won awards. Excellent history of the time and great insight to the people who lived it. Very enjoyable n "
— AnnieM, 10/31/2013 -
" This was a great, quick read. I loved the relationship these 3 sisters had. I loved how little by little their mother warmed up to them. This was a touching story. "
— Rosalee, 6/17/2013 -
" great way to teach kids of other side of black panthers history (an inside look) maybe controversial for the classroom with some parents "
— Kayla, 6/13/2013 -
" I learned about this book from the National Book Council--about the need to have more diverse authors. It was a great book--one that we will definitely want in our Esperanza library. "
— Barbara, 7/5/2012 -
" I loved this book. The lives of the girls in this story are so different than my own that this book was a real eye-opener. I would recommend it to my friends. "
— Allison, 3/31/2012 -
" Great book and a great way to introduce/discuss the history with kids! "
— Leigh, 2/10/2012 -
" Fun book for youth. Interesting look at the 70s through the eyes of a little girl. The ending was a little abrupt. "
— Bryan, 9/26/2011 -
" A quick read in the backdrop of the Black Pathers in San Fransisco. "
— Kkeyes, 5/24/2011 -
" Great story of summer adventure set in Oakland, CA in the years of the Black Panter movement. "
— Kaela, 5/23/2011 -
" I took a YA lit class this past semester, and this was one of the novels we read. An excellent read! "
— Helen, 5/22/2011 -
" Quick insightful read, but didn't grab me like other books on a similar topic. If you start- finish through the end- you'll understand the mom more if you read the whole thing. "
— Bekah, 5/21/2011 -
" Fresh, unpredictable plot...well written. Great exposure for kids who have never experienced "the other half" - realistic, not sugar-coated, but not too sad or violent for young ones to handle. "
— Elisabeth, 5/5/2011 -
" Wow! This book really touched me and is an excellent young adult novel. Really touches upon some historical happenings in the 60's and does so in a very eloquent way. You really feel the characters and the struggle with their "mother"... might need to buy a copy of this one :) "
— Becky, 5/4/2011 -
" Don't judge this book by its cover... "
— Anne, 5/2/2011 -
" I read this for my Resources for Children class in our multicultural unit. It was AMAZING! I read it in one day-- which isn't hard to do for a juvenile book, of course, but it was mostly because I couldn't put it down. It was so well written, I really want to read more books by this author. "
— Lori, 5/2/2011 -
" I liked this book, but I'm not sure that kids who have no background knowledge about the Black Panthers and Black Power would understand this book. "
— Georgene, 5/1/2011 -
" I was skeptical about having this book in my library, but there isn't anything offensive in it. I don't think many will check it out here though. "
— Caren, 4/26/2011 -
" Great characters, totally fist pumped Fern's big moment. "
— Eija, 4/20/2011
About Rita Williams-Garcia
Rita Williams-Garcia is the author of the Newbery Honor–winning novel One Crazy Summer, which was also a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, a National Book Award finalist, and winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. She is also the author of several other novels for young adults, including Jumped, a National Book Award finalist; Every Time a Rainbow Dies, a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book; Fast Talk on a Slow Track, an ALA Best Books for Young Adults; and Like Sisters on the Homefront, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. She is on the faculty at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in the program for writing for children and young adults.
About Sisi Aisha Johnson
Sisi Johnson is “a storyteller for a storyteller’s story.” From folksy to urban, her warm blend of bite and sweetness wrapped in an accessible narration style sets the right tone in such award winning books as Francie and Feathers, and notable books like Romiette & Julio, for which she received the AudioFile Earphones Award, and Dr. Mr. President: Letter from a Slave Girl, for which she was selected to be an Audie Award finalist. A long time resident of New York City, she now resides in Los Angeles and happily travels between the two amazing metropolises.