  | Unsung hero of Birdsong USA Author: Woods, Brenda | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
Gabriel, twelve, gains new perspective when he becomes friends with Meriwether, a Black World War II hero who has recently returned to the unwelcoming Jim Crow South.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.90 Points: 5.0 Quiz: 501990 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 3-5 Reading Level: 4.70 Points: 10.0 Quiz: 76469 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (12/01/18)
School Library Journal (02/01/19)
Booklist (01/01/19)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (A) (00/01/19)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 02/01/2019 Gr 4–6—Twelve-year-old Gabriel, who is white, lives in the small, South Carolina town of Birdsong in 1946. His eyes are slowly opened to the realities of Jim Crow through his relationship with Merriweather Hunter, an African American who saves Gabriel's life when he is almost hit by a car. As their friendship deepens and Mr. Hunter and his daughter, Abigail, begin to trust Gabriel, he begins to see some of the oppressive truths of their existence: the need for the Green Book, the danger from white supremacists, the lack of support from the police when they are the victims of crimes, and the need for Mr. Hunter to keep his identity as a World War II veteran secret. When Mr. Hunter and Abigail are targeted by a white supremacist, Gabriel witnesses the fear, pain, anger, and sense of powerlessness faced by African Americans living under Jim Crow. This title presents the reality of racism in the mid-20th century, as seen through the perspective of a young white boy. VERDICT Hand to readers looking for historical fiction or those who enjoy the works of Christopher Paul Curtis and Rita Williams Garcia.—Kristin Lee Anderson, Jackson County Library Services, OR - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
