One Crazy Summer: The Graphic Novel - by Rita Williams-Garcia (Paperback)

About the Book

In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

Book Synopsis

"I wish I didn't know that I was marching my sisters into a boiling pot of trouble cooking in Oakland..."

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 in Oakland, 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 beloved Newbery Honor Book, National Book Award finalist, and Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel about the three unforgettable Gaither sisters has been adapted into a beautiful full-color graphic novel for a new generation, with vibrant art by Sharee Miller.

Review Quotes

"Retaining the lively dialogue and strong characterization of the original, this version is enhanced by the wonderfully expressive drawings and use of vibrant color. A fresh take for a beloved story." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The story balances its sense of history with a sense of compassion...Hand this to readers interested in the civil rights movement or kiddos who've taken on lots of older sibling duties." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

"The -personal is profoundly political, and a specific experience feels universally meaningful in this fantastic graphic novel." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"An important coming-of-age work on social justice, community, family, and forgiveness." - Booklist