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The importance of friends helping individuals deal with life's hardships is shown through the friendship between Crenshaw and Jackson.

A story of three kids, Ally, Keisha, and Albert, who “set the world on fire” as they overcome challenges and conflicts. The plot begins with Ally refusing to try at school because of her learning disabilities, but a new teacher will make a big difference. “Everyone is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it’ll spend it’s whole life thinking it’s stupid” (p. 159). 

Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. And even though Delphine must look after her sisters during a summer trip to California to visit Cecile. When they arrive on the West Coast, their mother decides that they will attend a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, the three sisters learn much about their family, their country, and themselves. Scholastic

 Newbery Honor novel
Coretta Scott King Award winner 
Scott O'Dell Award winner for Historical Fiction

Sequel to One Crazy Summer, The Gaither sisters continue to tell a story from their point of view. The historical novel, set in the 1960s, features vivid characters, insight into family relationships, and a strong sense of place.

Coretta Scott King Award