One Crazy Summer
In this Newbery Honor novel, New York Times bestselling author Rita Williams-Garcia tells the story of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to meet the mother who abandoned them. A strong option for summer reading—take this book along on a family road trip or enjoy it at home.
This moving, funny novel won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction and the Coretta Scott King Award and was a National Book Award Finalist. Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern's story continues in P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama.
Readers who enjoy Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming will find much to love in One Crazy Summer. Rita Williams-Garcia's books about Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern can also be read alongside nonfiction explorations of American history such as Jason Reynolds's and Ibram X. Kendi's books.
In One Crazy Summer, eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She's had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a radical new life in California. But when the sisters arrive from Brooklyn to spend the summer with their mother, Cecile is nothing like they imagined.
While the girls hope to go to Disneyland and meet Tinker Bell, their mother sends them to a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn much about their family, their country, and themselves during one truly crazy summer.
This novel was the first featured title for Marley D’s Reading Party, launched after the success of #1000BlackGirlBooks. Maria Russo, in a New York Times list of "great kids' books with diverse characters," called it "witty and original."
"This vibrant and moving award-winning novel has heart to spare," commented Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich in her Brightly article "Knowing Our History to Build a Brighter Future: Books to Help Kids Understand the Fight for Racial Equality."
Reviews (179)
Strong to Stronger
I had to think about this book for a couple of days before I felt like I could really review it. I gave it four stars because I think the story was wonderfully told, but to be honest, my heart was breaking for those three little girls. I didn’t know if I should hate their mother just as Big Mama did, or if I should open myself up to forgive her like only a child in want of her mother can. I didn’t know if I should cringe at the rebellious spirit that was being born into those three small children, or if I should celebrate their lessons in standing up for yourself and being confident and who you are. I did not know if I should feel anger at the shame that Delphine felt for always being obedient and responsible, or if I should feel shame with her own acceptance of her circumstances—the oldest sibling, Big Mama’s helper, responsible for everyone around her. However, as I went back through my highlights, I found a quote that helped put this story in perspective: “With Cassius Clay you hear the clash of fists, like the plane getting jabbed and punched. With Muhammad Ali you see a mighty mountain, greater than Everest, and can’t no one knock down a mountain.” This is found at the beginning of the story when Delphine is reflecting on how Big Mama cannot make herself refer to Cassius Clay as Muhammad Ali. Delphine does realize that while the name from before brought forth strong imagery, the new name was even stronger. What changed? His presentation of himself. Changing of names and civil revolution were big themes in the story. Big Mama was unable to change how Southerners viewed her as a black woman, so she taught her grandchildren to respect others and to not rock the boat. While in California with their own mother, they learn to respect others but stand up for your rights; rock the boat peacefully. Their real mother was trying to shake the past and present herself differently by giving herself a new name, but she was still weak until she learns to not hide her past from those who should be closest to her. Big Mama is not a weak character; she is a strong presence to deal with and can come off as harsh at times, but through the eyes of the three sisters, you know that she loves them a great deal. Delphine appeared to be strong at the beginning, but as she goes through the hardships of living with a mom who is neglectful for 28 days, you realize that she is not as strong as she can be. I think that contrast between acceptance and revolution made me struggle through the majority of the text. I felt like the Black Panthers and the events in California made Delphine and the girls looks small and weak; they made it seem that Big Mama and Papa were wrong, but now I know that was not necessarily the case. The love, support, acceptance, and lessons learned from the family that was present in Delphine’s life was foundational to what she learned in California. In California, she learned that she would not always have Big Mama and Papa to shelter them from the negative views of society; she was fully exposed to the racism and to the cajoling of those who felt like they were not racist (the woman who forces them to take nickels, the man who tries to finish his film roll by taking their picture, the group in Chinatown who takes their picture because they are black girls in Chinatown). She had to take the lessons of respect from her Papa and Big Mama and apply them to hose hard situations but then go a step further by standing up for herself and her sisters. She began to lose authority over her siblings, but she still held their respect and was allowed to be more like the eleven year old child that she was. Those who represented violence and hatred as revolutionary weapons became weak and cowardly by the end. Those who promoted respect were strong, but the strongest were those who knew how to take it a step further and ask respectfully for respect back; Not with a sashay of hips as you walk away from being told no and a noticeably fake thank you, but with your head held high and a sincere thank you for taking the time to allow me to voice my concerns and opinions even though they were not accepted and then move on to the next person until there are many that are of one mind. I think Big Mama would be proud of that change in her girls, and I imagine that is exactly what Papa hoped for when he sent his children from NY to CA to get to know a mama that abandoned her three daughters when the eldest was around five years old. However, I was glad when they boarded their plane to return to the safety of Papa and Big Mama’s house.
I really enjoyed this window into a collage of experiences that I
I really enjoyed this window into a collage of experiences that I, as a white person, cannot directly relate to for the most part. Williams-Garcia addresses abandonment, too-early responsibility, and the day-to-day life of the late-60s Black Panther movement in Oakland. While I know something about being the daughter of a woman who is not capable of being a mother, I only know snippets about the Black Panthers, and they are largely shaped by mainstream media. Regarding this theme, there are many nuances to be gleaned between the lines, such as a woman's reticence to fully engage in the movement, or the implications of a child ratting out a fink. Published in 2011, this book still holds current cultural significance for large portions of our society. Personally, this is one of those times when an artful novel brings me some understanding of a life I'll never experience, and hopefully enlarges my own humanity in doing so. May I approach the enlightenment here offered as a fellow being on this planet, and not a sightseer snapping a photo to capture gooey crooning over foreign-to-me cuteness.
Mother's hatred is not credible
This book will make you travel to the sixties, and we learn a lot about the struggles that African Americans had to face (and still have to face today). The vivid interesting details of the places make the read compelling. However, I am giving it two stars because Cecile, the mother who abandoned her three daughters, is so full of hatred. The hate she expresses toward her daughters is not credible. I read this book with my twelve year old daughter. The way Cecile treated her daughters made no sense to us. Cecile lost her mother at age 11, and then she was abandoned by her aunt. She became homeless when she was a teenager. This horrible experience does not justify her attitude towards her children. Her sad childhood should have strengthened the bond with her daughters. The harsh circumstances she had to deal with during her adult years do not justify his hate toward her own children either. The first half of the book delineates the characters poorly. They do not feel authentic. In the second half, the characters start to come to life as the writer makes the characters more complex, quirky and interesting. The book taught me something about the Black Panthers. I also noticed that the author shows the sexism ingrained in the culture. If the author had portrayed Cecile in a more realistic way I would have given this book five stars, but she painted her in a dreadful light. Black women already face discrimination on so many levels. (We don't need a book that ignites more hate against women). Cecile's mother-in-law was annoying by being such a conformist and Cecile's ex-husband turned out to be a person who had taken advantage of Cecile. This book is full of bad stereotypes against black people. All in all, if you want to feel hopeless read this book. If you prefer something inspiring, choose something else. I would not recommend this book for middle schoolers unless you read it with them to have a healthy discussion.
This book was all.
All the feelings. All the perspectives. All the interesting facts I needed to know more of. The characters’ voices are strong and deep and the story serves as a perfect timeline to watch them grow, evolve and get to know one another. Being inside Delphine’s head especially made this growth more significant, how she was eleven going on twelve to end up being just eleven. The sisters’ dynamics felt real and good, the community strong bonds were told rightfully so, without much of a fuss. The ending got me teary eyed and I’m only too happy to be recommending this one and the others in the series to my middle grade students and anyone else really.
Spending a summer with a parent who abandoned u!
My son had to read this book , for mandatory summer read this is what he thought about it!- I think it was a good book because it about 3 girl’s that went looking for their mother that abandoned them and at the end at the story the mother got arrested and said those weren’t her kids but only said that cause if she said those were her kids they would of went to Orphanage.
Intelligent & Fun Story Set In 1960s . . . .
When sisters Delphine, Vonetta and Fern go to visit their mother in California for a month, they imagine surfing at the beach, getting autographs from movie stars and going to Disneyland. What they end up doing is going to a Black Panther day camp all month. They also end up eating a lot of Chinese take-out and meals cooked by 11-year-old Delphine; since their poet mother, who abandoned them years earlier, appeared to have little concern about their nourishment needs and safety. She was more concerned they did not end up kowtowing to whites like their paternal grandmother did, and did not end up being subservient females who adopted roles society expected them to adopt. A sad story about motherless girls, right? Wrong. These three girls, who lived in Brooklyn with their father and grandmother, were highly resilient and obviously weren't pining for a loving mother. They knew right off, too, where their mother stood when it came to motherhood, and knew she obviously did not really want them there with her. There were no lies of love to confuse them, and Delphine was used to mothering her younger sisters, and they were used to her taking care of them. Plus, they still had fun anyway they could, and knew there would be plenty to talk about when they got back home, including their important new understanding of the term "black power".
Avoid the attitude
Spreading dysfunction throughout the ages, this book shows how a middle school aged girls is forced to care for her two younger siblings as her mother avoids parenting.
@Rita Williams-Garcia is awesome!!
Can't get enough of my little country gals... Delphine, Vonetta and Afua aka Fern!!! I didn't actually read the book, my daughter did... but with constant communication I could almost feel as if I was in the setting with the little girls. Their mom, Cecile aka Nzila... their grandma, Big Ma and uncle Darnell all came to life to me. Every little black girl need to read these books!! One Crazy Summer Gone Crazy in Alabama P.S Be Eleven We live us some Rita Williams-Garcia!! Please write a book with the girls going to live with their mom... that would be epic!!
I am 56 years old and loved this book.
I loved this book and felt it captured a summer for me in California with my brothers , sister and cousins. We actually went to a black panther summer program and it was unforgettable and life changing. Thank you Rita for writing it. I loved the characters and your words. I had tears in my eyes. I have two more of your books in this series , a gift from a friend who is a teacher. I can't wait to read them!
Learned a lot
Although it took most of the story for me to start caring about Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern, I was glad I read the book. I grew up in a small Midwestern town in the 1960s, and I remember thinking the Black Panthers were violent and destructive. Reading One Crazy Summer cured me of any lingering misunderstandings I still harbored, but I still found it difficult to relate to Delphine's challenges. I liked her, though, and that's what kept me moving. She's strong, believable, and admirable. I always enjoy reading about life experiences different from my own, but I did find this story harder to relate to than most. However, the writing is solid, and I learned more than I expected to learn.
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