Summary:Two girls separated by race form an unbreakable bond during the tumultuous integration of Little Rock schools in 1958 Twelve-year-old Marlee doesn’t have many friends until she meets Liz, the new girl at school. Liz is bold and brave, and always knows the right thing to say, especially to Sally, the resident mean girl. Liz even helps Marlee overcome her greatest fear – speaking, which Marlee never does outside her family. But then Liz is gone, replaced by the rumor that she was a Negro girl passing as white. But Marlee decides that doesn’t matter. Liz is her best friend. And to stay friends, Marlee and Liz are willing to take on integration and the dangers their friendship could bring to both their families.
Putnam’s Sons
Filed under: 2012-2013 Club, Mock Newbery Picks Tagged: | 2012, Friendships, middle school, race relations, School integration
I think this book is the best book I have read so far! It’s not afraid to state the horrors of segregation in the south, and it paints a very accurate picture of what happens. The author does a fair amount of research and she makes the book so interesting! I love it! This definitely deserves a chance for a Newbery.
The book was interesting and I learned a lot that I didn’t know about that time from this book. I agree that this is a winner.
This is a newbery winner, the plot was great, and the characters were not flat at all, one of the best books this year.
I really liked this book a lot. The characters where not flat and the plot was interesting. I did get a little bored toward the end when they started talking about all the politics and different people and all that stuff. Overall it was a great book that definitely has a chance at the newbery.
I think it’s the best book this year in it’s category. It’s definitely in my top seven, and I wish I had read it sooner. I do think it has a very good shot at winning.