Revolution (Sixties Trilogy #2)

by Deborah Wiles (Author)

Revolution (Sixties Trilogy #2)
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
Series: Sixties Trilogy
In the second novel of her Sixties trilogy, Wiles takes readers to a small Mississippi town during 1964's Freedom Summer. As young Sunny tries to adjust to her new stepmother and two new step-siblings, her town reacts to students and OagitatorsO who have arrived on buses to register black citizens to vote.
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School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 5-8—In Wiles's second installment of the trilogy, readers are offered two alternate viewpoints from very different worlds within the same Greenwood, Mississippi town during the tumultuous Freedom Summer of 1964. Sunny, a 12-year-old white girl, is worried about reports of "invaders" descending upon the sleepy Southern enclave and causing trouble. Meanwhile, Raymond, a black boy from Baptist Town (known among the white citizens as "Colored Town"), is becoming increasingly aware of all the places (especially the public pool and Leflore's theater) he is barred from attending due to Jim Crow laws. As Sunny's worldview is suddenly expanded as she begins to learn more about the sinister underbelly of her seemingly perfect town, her story intersects with Raymond's. Among the cadre of brave young volunteers working to register black Mississippians to vote—a mix of white and black members of various civil rights associations—is Jo Ellen, the older sister from Countdown (Scholastic, 2010). As in the first book, song lyrics, biblical verses, photographs, speeches, essays, and other ephemera immerse readers in one of the most important—and dangerous—moments during the Civil Rights Movement. While Sunny's experiences receive a slightly deeper focus than Raymond's, readers are offered a window into each community and will see both characters change and grow over the course of the summer. Inclusion of primary source materials, including the text of a real and vile pamphlet created by KKK members, does not shy away from the reality and hurtful language used by bigots during this time period. For those looking to extend the story with a full-sensory experience, the author has compiled YouTube clips of each song referenced in the book on a Pinterest board (http: //ow.ly/vBGTc). With elements of family drama and coming-of-age themes that mirror the larger sociopolitical backdrop, Revolution is a book that lingers long after the last page.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

This second installment of Wiles's Sixties Trilogy begins during the Freedom Summer of 1964, when hundreds of college students and community organizers arrived to help Mississippi's disenfranchised black citizens overcome voting hurdles erected by local officials. Sunny Fairchild, 12, has seen newspaper stories about these "invaders" and feels an affinity: her household has been taken over by her father's new wife, her children, and her elderly mother. Still, Sunny plans a summer floating in the (whites only) municipal pool, listening to the Beatles, and finding adventures. A chance encounter with Raymond, a talented young black athlete, sets Sunny on a dangerous course, one that exposes the poisonous racism that has her small town on the verge of exploding. As in Countdown (2010), Wiles intersperses Sunny and Raymond's story with historic photos, excerpts from speeches and news stories, and song lyrics that add power and heft to the story. Though the novel is long, it's also accessible and moving, and it will open many eyes to the brutal, not-so-distant past out of which a new standard of fairness and equality arose. Ages 8-12. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (May)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

*"Though the novel is long, it's also accessible and moving, and it will open many eyes to the brutal, not-so-distant past out of which a new standard of fairness and equality arose. "- Publishers Weekly, starred review
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780545106078
Lexile Measure
840
Guided Reading Level
Z
Publisher
Scholastic Press
Publication date
May 27, 2014
Series
Sixties Trilogy
BISAC categories
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV016150 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - 20th Century
JUV039120 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism
Library of Congress categories
History
African Americans
20th century
Civil rights
Race relations
Mississippi
Nineteen sixties
African American girls
African American families
Nineteen sixty-four, A.D
Greenwood (Miss.)
Voter registration
Parents Choice Awards (Spring) (2008-Up)
Approved 2014 - 2014
National Book Awards
Finalist 2014 - 2014
Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize
Finalist 2015 - 2015
Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children
Honor Book 2015 - 2015
Golden Kite
Winner 2015 - 2015
Jane Addams Children's Book Award
Honor Book 2015 - 2015
Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens
Recommended 2015 - 2015

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