 | Invincible summer of Juniper Jones Author: McQueen, Daven | |
| Price: $9.01 | ||
Summary:
Ethan Charlie Harper is a bi-racial teen growing up with a black mother and a white father, and when he leaves his hometown to spend a summer with his aunt in the deep south, he comes up against racial prejudice in ways that he's never faced before. When he forms an unlikely friendship with Juniper Jones, the town's resident oddball, the pair search together for their place in a world bent on rejecting them.
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 05/01/2020 Gr 7–10—After getting in trouble for punching a bullying classmate, Ethan, 14, is sent to the small town of Ellison, AL, to stay with his Aunt Clara and Uncle Rob. It is the summer of 1955, and Ethan, whose father is white and mother is Black, grew up in the relatively integrated town of Arcadia, WA, and has never experienced the racism and segregation of the Jim Crow South. Not long after his arrival, he meets Juniper Jones, a flame-haired free spirit (think Anne of Green Gables meets Stargirl) who immediately declares them friends and starts to plan the "invincible" adventures they'll have. What follows is a sweet, heartwarming account of two friends discovering the innocent pleasures of summer shenanigans: They roll down the steepest hill, climb the tallest tree, and have picnics in the middle of the lake. Despite their budding friendship, the reality of Ethan's life in the Deep South lurks just outside of their pleasant bubble as small-town racists and a trip to the segregated city of Montgomery jolt him to his core. Striking a lovely balance between exuberant joy and piercing heartbreak, this story will make an impact with many readers. Juniper is a somewhat familiar character type, but the sensitive, well-drawn portrayal of Ethan stands out. His delicate shifting from anger to love to resentment to confusion will linger after reading. The writing is clear and evocative, bringing to life the lush countryside of Alabama in full summer and never veering into melodrama, despite the book's high emotional content. VERDICT A gorgeous, memorable story that deserves a place on both school and public library shelves. —Kristy Pasquariello, Westwood Public Library, MA - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 05/15/2020 Ethan Harper is a biracial teenager forced to spend the summer of 1955 with his white aunt and uncle in Ellison, Alabama, after getting in a fight at school. After he arrives, Ethan learns the hard way that people who look like him are not welcome in town. He resigns himself to boredom in his uncle's malt shop until he meets Juniper Jones, the town misfit. Described as, “in equal parts, a gift and a natural disaster,” Juniper befriends Ethan, and they set out to have what she calls “an invincible summer.” Their days are spent seeking the good in a town filled with hate, until a tragic event changes their lives forever. In this story set during the early years of the civil rights movement, McQueen weaves a heartfelt narrative that examines friendship, otherness, and forgiveness. Though some of the plot seems far-fetched, the strength of this book lies in the relationship between Ethan and Juniper. Recommended for readers mature enough for narratives that contain some of the more violent elements of the civil rights movement. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
