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Crow
The summer of 1898 is filled with ups and downs for 11-year-old Moses. He's growing apart from his best friend, his superstitious Boo-Nanny butts heads constantly with his pragmatic, educated father, and his mother is reeling from the discovery of a family secret. Yet there are good times, too. He's teaching his grandmother how to read. For the first time she's sharing stories about her life as a slave. And his father and his friends are finally getting the respect and positions of power they've earned in the Wilmington, North Carolina, community. But not everyone is happy with the political changes at play and some will do anything, including a violent plot against the government, to maintain the status quo.
One generation away from slavery, a thriving African American community—enfranchised and emancipated—suddenly and violently loses its freedom in turn of the century North Carolina when a group of local politicians stages the only successful coup d'etat in US history.
One generation away from slavery, a thriving African American community—enfranchised and emancipated—suddenly and violently loses its freedom in turn of the century North Carolina when a group of local politicians stages the only successful coup d'etat in US history.
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First published January 1, 2012
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About the author
Barbara Wright
4 books28 followersBarbara Wright grew up in North Carolina and has lived in France, Korea, and El Salvador. Her novels include Crow (Random House) Easy Money (Algonquin) and Plain Language (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster), which won a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. She has worked as a fact checker for Esquire Magazine and as a screenwriter. She lives in Denver with her husband and plays tennis and jazz piano in her spare time.
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November 20, 2024
Did you know that between the years 1892 and 1898 eastern North Carolina elected 4 Black representatives to the U.S. Congress?
Did you know that in 1898 an armed mob of white supremacists killed, maimed, injured and intimidated much of the city of Wilmington, North Carolina in what is now known as “The Wilmington Massacre?”
Did you know that, following this event, not a single Black person from this part of North Carolina was elected to the U.S. Congress for the entire twentieth century?
These were the types of events that never made it into my U.S. History books, while attending public schools in the 1980s, and, apparently, almost no attention was properly given to this historic race riot, until 2006.
So, if you want to call that woke, call it woke, but I call it: slipping major historical events under welcome mats and refusing to speak about them because they make people uncomfortable, and then learning what happened, cringing, and then, hopefully, righting a wrong, by reporting the facts.
There are many, many events that have taken place in this country that no one has wanted to talk about for a l-o-n-g time, but secrets and misdeeds get old, and sometimes they need to be put out in the light so they can finally be processed.
Barbara Wright, a North Carolina native (who, interestingly enough, now lives in Denver—she and I have had opposite journeys!), decided she wanted to tackle this sticky, messy event in history, a breakout of white supremacy in what was once a highly integrated town.
A running motif through the story is one of birds. Birds, harbingers of omens, good fortune, threats of violence, and Ms. Wright beautifully juxtaposes the crow to the seagull, and uses the two birds throughout, in this coming of age story, to depict the lunacy in thinking we could be any other hue than what we are.
“You've heard the saying, 'Every crow thinks her own bird the fairest? It's common to find one's own kind the most beautiful. From the seagull's perspective, white is more natural and beautiful. The opposite is true for crows. Who's to say white is more beautiful than black? Who sets the standard?”
“Ive seen crows and seagulls fighting over scraps at the wharf,” I said.
“That's why we need good government—to make sure things are equal, to counteract man's tendency to grab the spoils for his own kind and cut out the others.”
Ms. Wright does an excellent job of illuminating what HATE can do to negotiations, rational thought and regular neighborhoods. HATE is a terrifying enemy and it is very hard to reconcile.
We can't get anywhere with HATE. It will confuse us, it will cause us to fear, it will keep us from the friendships and the love that we need. That we all need.
This little gem of a juvenile read takes flight as the crow flies. . . trying to reduce the space between us.
Did you know that in 1898 an armed mob of white supremacists killed, maimed, injured and intimidated much of the city of Wilmington, North Carolina in what is now known as “The Wilmington Massacre?”
Did you know that, following this event, not a single Black person from this part of North Carolina was elected to the U.S. Congress for the entire twentieth century?
These were the types of events that never made it into my U.S. History books, while attending public schools in the 1980s, and, apparently, almost no attention was properly given to this historic race riot, until 2006.
So, if you want to call that woke, call it woke, but I call it: slipping major historical events under welcome mats and refusing to speak about them because they make people uncomfortable, and then learning what happened, cringing, and then, hopefully, righting a wrong, by reporting the facts.
There are many, many events that have taken place in this country that no one has wanted to talk about for a l-o-n-g time, but secrets and misdeeds get old, and sometimes they need to be put out in the light so they can finally be processed.
Barbara Wright, a North Carolina native (who, interestingly enough, now lives in Denver—she and I have had opposite journeys!), decided she wanted to tackle this sticky, messy event in history, a breakout of white supremacy in what was once a highly integrated town.
A running motif through the story is one of birds. Birds, harbingers of omens, good fortune, threats of violence, and Ms. Wright beautifully juxtaposes the crow to the seagull, and uses the two birds throughout, in this coming of age story, to depict the lunacy in thinking we could be any other hue than what we are.
“You've heard the saying, 'Every crow thinks her own bird the fairest? It's common to find one's own kind the most beautiful. From the seagull's perspective, white is more natural and beautiful. The opposite is true for crows. Who's to say white is more beautiful than black? Who sets the standard?”
“Ive seen crows and seagulls fighting over scraps at the wharf,” I said.
“That's why we need good government—to make sure things are equal, to counteract man's tendency to grab the spoils for his own kind and cut out the others.”
Ms. Wright does an excellent job of illuminating what HATE can do to negotiations, rational thought and regular neighborhoods. HATE is a terrifying enemy and it is very hard to reconcile.
We can't get anywhere with HATE. It will confuse us, it will cause us to fear, it will keep us from the friendships and the love that we need. That we all need.
This little gem of a juvenile read takes flight as the crow flies. . . trying to reduce the space between us.
September 30, 2014
Have you ever heard about the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 ?
It is the only coup d'etat to ever occur in United States history! It should be as well known as the Rosewood massacre or the Tulsa race riots, but I have never heard of it before I read this book.
This book is truly a gem. It tells of a boy named Moses who is growing up in a fairly harmonious town. His father is a writer and a city alderman. As I read the first chapters of the book, I was amazed that blacks and whites seemed to be getting along with each other so well only a few decades after the Civil War.
Unfortunately, this semi-utopia did not last. Some people (the Democratic party) did not appreciate the fact that members of the black community had political power. Their efforts to end that, resulted in the Insurrection.
This book is about much more than that though. Moses' interactions with his family, his friends, and his community were extremely entertaining. I read this book over a few hours in one day. I just could not put it down. I really loved all of the characters, especially Boo Nanny and her plethora of hard earned common sense.
I would recommend this book to anyone! I don't know why it isn't more popular. It is very well written and interesting. I would especially recommend this for older middle grade and young adults.
It is the only coup d'etat to ever occur in United States history! It should be as well known as the Rosewood massacre or the Tulsa race riots, but I have never heard of it before I read this book.
This book is truly a gem. It tells of a boy named Moses who is growing up in a fairly harmonious town. His father is a writer and a city alderman. As I read the first chapters of the book, I was amazed that blacks and whites seemed to be getting along with each other so well only a few decades after the Civil War.
Unfortunately, this semi-utopia did not last. Some people (the Democratic party) did not appreciate the fact that members of the black community had political power. Their efforts to end that, resulted in the Insurrection.
This book is about much more than that though. Moses' interactions with his family, his friends, and his community were extremely entertaining. I read this book over a few hours in one day. I just could not put it down. I really loved all of the characters, especially Boo Nanny and her plethora of hard earned common sense.
I would recommend this book to anyone! I don't know why it isn't more popular. It is very well written and interesting. I would especially recommend this for older middle grade and young adults.
February 23, 2012
I wish I were smart enough to write a review on this amazing book. Nothing I would say could do this book justice.
November 27, 2012
Last spring, I accidentally tripped over a Goodreads Newbery 2013 prediction list. This small gem of a list has had me blazing through many great novels the past few months. Actually I was blazing a few months ago. Now I'm snatching time here and there. Anyhoo... check out Crow...a worthy recommendation! It is my latest, all-in-good-fun, guess for the Newbery winner.
I have found it fascinating to read how professional reviewers look at Newbery predictions and discuss the details of what might make or break a Newbery winner as it competes in a pile of high quality contenders. For instance, one reviewer said that The One and Only Ivan had language that was too flowery or contradicted the fact that the gorilla claimed to be simple and plain. Another claimed that Wonder had a point of view that didn't forward the plot. A third stated that Three Times Lucky had plot points that were too unbelievable and clues that didn't always add up. Crow was critiqued by a reviewer who felt the plot was forced with Moses presence at every historical event. Some of these details discussed by reviewers I noticed on my own. Most I didn't. I'm not so great with the details. I tend to go for the overall story. Did I like it? Did it move me? Is the author a stylesmith? Did the plot move forward? Did the characters change? Were their voices strong? Was the story unique? My answer to those questions with Crow is yes, yes, and yes! I'm no good at guessing Newbery winners but I have found the discussions from professional reviewers quite fascinating and it has opened my eyes a crack as to what the process entails in choosing the best fiction book for the year.
Sixth grader Moses lives in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1989, where a black middle class has emerged and holds government and city positions of power. Moses father is the brilliant editor of a black newspaper and a city leader. Moses friend, Lewis, comes from a wealthy black banking family, but Lewis thinks he's more important than Moses because of his dad's position and he is bossy to Moses as they play together in the neighborhood. But Moses doesn't care, he has fun with him and puts up with his attitude. When Johnny, an uppity black boy whose dad runs the port, decides to be friends with Lewis he purposefully excludes Moses and is outwardly prejudice toward him because he is not as wealthy as Johnny or Lewis's family. As Moses deals with the every day issues of friendship there are hints that all is not well in the city. That racial tension is high and hatred simmers under the surface of daily living.
Mose's Grandma, Boo Nanny, foreshadows bad things to come when buzzards appear in the sky. Moses peaceful life is turned upside down as hatred builds in the city to the point where the government is illegally disposed of by a white supremacist group that seizes power. People are murdered in the street, businesses burned, and the black middle class leaders driven out of town during this grim period of history.
The strong characters and inspiring prose kept me flipping through the pages and while the topic is dark it is filled with hope and love as evidenced by Mose's family. The contrasting strong personalities of Boo Nanny and Mose's father add wisdom and depth to the story and while Moses is a good kid, he doesn't always make the right choices. He's very real and I chuckled when he got back at Johnny, then felt ashamed for his behavior afterwards.
The theme of prejudice is not only between races, but between humans regardless of color. People are prejudice because of differences such as status, education, or physical disabilities. The author captures the dichotomy of Boo Nanny being illiterate but a survivor with more street smarts than her highly educated son-in-law, Mose's dad, who fights to create a better future for blacks but doesn't always seem to grasp the extent of people's hatred toward his race. He even tells Moses that hatred can't be fought with reason and he's at a loss as to how to deal with it in the community. But he does deal with it. He insists on fair treatment of colored people in small ways whether that be refusing to step down as Alderman or using a front door instead of a servants door. Boo Nanny, on the other hand, is illiterate and blind; however, when Moses reads an article and marvels that while he understands the words he doesn't get the meaning; whereas "Boo Nanny seemed to grasp it immediately, though she didn't know half the words." Boo Nanny grew up as a slave and she's seen so much hatred she refuses to talk about her past. When Moses is distressed at their quarreling his mother says, "So when your daddy and Boo Nanny quarrel, I want you to think: I'm the luckiest boy alive. 'Cause I got myself two ways of looking at a thing, not just one."
Words are shown to have power and Moses father teaches his son new words from the big dictionary in their house, as well as, shows the value of words that make laws for governing and providing freedom of speech. Words can also hurt and keep people in their place from the mean comments the boys fling at each other to the derogatory comments from white people in the community calling blacks, "Sambo," forcing them to use a different coach on the train, telling them to leave their white neighborhood, and more. Moses dad uses small steps to change people's attitude and not back down when others are not being fair or doing the right thing. He chooses his battles and tries to fight injustice with words. Moses changes throughout the story as he learns to emulate his father.
There is one section regarding the father of Mose's mother. I am not sure kids will understand it because it involves Boo Nanny and her previous slave owner. It isn't explained but an adult can infer what happened; the detail moves the plot forward by showing Boo Nanny's horrible suffering as a slave. Yet... there is an unfinished feel by having no explanation. I'm torn. I really don't want the details but it seems like something should be said. I would love to be a fly on the wall at a Newbery committee meeting.
If you liked Lions of Little Rock , then you'll love this book too. My only complaint is the cover. I think it's ugly. On the positive side many Newbery winners have ugly book covers. I have to really talk up The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Bud Not Buddy to get students to read it. Don't let the cover turn you off. Grab this winner!
Reading Level 4.6
I have found it fascinating to read how professional reviewers look at Newbery predictions and discuss the details of what might make or break a Newbery winner as it competes in a pile of high quality contenders. For instance, one reviewer said that The One and Only Ivan had language that was too flowery or contradicted the fact that the gorilla claimed to be simple and plain. Another claimed that Wonder had a point of view that didn't forward the plot. A third stated that Three Times Lucky had plot points that were too unbelievable and clues that didn't always add up. Crow was critiqued by a reviewer who felt the plot was forced with Moses presence at every historical event. Some of these details discussed by reviewers I noticed on my own. Most I didn't. I'm not so great with the details. I tend to go for the overall story. Did I like it? Did it move me? Is the author a stylesmith? Did the plot move forward? Did the characters change? Were their voices strong? Was the story unique? My answer to those questions with Crow is yes, yes, and yes! I'm no good at guessing Newbery winners but I have found the discussions from professional reviewers quite fascinating and it has opened my eyes a crack as to what the process entails in choosing the best fiction book for the year.
Sixth grader Moses lives in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1989, where a black middle class has emerged and holds government and city positions of power. Moses father is the brilliant editor of a black newspaper and a city leader. Moses friend, Lewis, comes from a wealthy black banking family, but Lewis thinks he's more important than Moses because of his dad's position and he is bossy to Moses as they play together in the neighborhood. But Moses doesn't care, he has fun with him and puts up with his attitude. When Johnny, an uppity black boy whose dad runs the port, decides to be friends with Lewis he purposefully excludes Moses and is outwardly prejudice toward him because he is not as wealthy as Johnny or Lewis's family. As Moses deals with the every day issues of friendship there are hints that all is not well in the city. That racial tension is high and hatred simmers under the surface of daily living.
Mose's Grandma, Boo Nanny, foreshadows bad things to come when buzzards appear in the sky. Moses peaceful life is turned upside down as hatred builds in the city to the point where the government is illegally disposed of by a white supremacist group that seizes power. People are murdered in the street, businesses burned, and the black middle class leaders driven out of town during this grim period of history.
The strong characters and inspiring prose kept me flipping through the pages and while the topic is dark it is filled with hope and love as evidenced by Mose's family. The contrasting strong personalities of Boo Nanny and Mose's father add wisdom and depth to the story and while Moses is a good kid, he doesn't always make the right choices. He's very real and I chuckled when he got back at Johnny, then felt ashamed for his behavior afterwards.
The theme of prejudice is not only between races, but between humans regardless of color. People are prejudice because of differences such as status, education, or physical disabilities. The author captures the dichotomy of Boo Nanny being illiterate but a survivor with more street smarts than her highly educated son-in-law, Mose's dad, who fights to create a better future for blacks but doesn't always seem to grasp the extent of people's hatred toward his race. He even tells Moses that hatred can't be fought with reason and he's at a loss as to how to deal with it in the community. But he does deal with it. He insists on fair treatment of colored people in small ways whether that be refusing to step down as Alderman or using a front door instead of a servants door. Boo Nanny, on the other hand, is illiterate and blind; however, when Moses reads an article and marvels that while he understands the words he doesn't get the meaning; whereas "Boo Nanny seemed to grasp it immediately, though she didn't know half the words." Boo Nanny grew up as a slave and she's seen so much hatred she refuses to talk about her past. When Moses is distressed at their quarreling his mother says, "So when your daddy and Boo Nanny quarrel, I want you to think: I'm the luckiest boy alive. 'Cause I got myself two ways of looking at a thing, not just one."
Words are shown to have power and Moses father teaches his son new words from the big dictionary in their house, as well as, shows the value of words that make laws for governing and providing freedom of speech. Words can also hurt and keep people in their place from the mean comments the boys fling at each other to the derogatory comments from white people in the community calling blacks, "Sambo," forcing them to use a different coach on the train, telling them to leave their white neighborhood, and more. Moses dad uses small steps to change people's attitude and not back down when others are not being fair or doing the right thing. He chooses his battles and tries to fight injustice with words. Moses changes throughout the story as he learns to emulate his father.
There is one section regarding the father of Mose's mother. I am not sure kids will understand it because it involves Boo Nanny and her previous slave owner. It isn't explained but an adult can infer what happened; the detail moves the plot forward by showing Boo Nanny's horrible suffering as a slave. Yet... there is an unfinished feel by having no explanation. I'm torn. I really don't want the details but it seems like something should be said. I would love to be a fly on the wall at a Newbery committee meeting.
If you liked Lions of Little Rock , then you'll love this book too. My only complaint is the cover. I think it's ugly. On the positive side many Newbery winners have ugly book covers. I have to really talk up The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Bud Not Buddy to get students to read it. Don't let the cover turn you off. Grab this winner!
Reading Level 4.6
xx-dnf-skim-reference
September 19, 2016*My own reaction:* Important, but not compelling. Given the cover art, I was hoping for something more magical, not just another good but imperfect MG HF. Major Kudos to Wright, though, for covering a period, & event, in history that is much less well-known than some, but influential even today. I hope the intended audience reads this.
February 26, 2016
I Love this book!
This book takes place 1898. A 11 year old boy named Moses is growing up in a small town in North Carolina. It was really was exciting and sad and very interesting. The end of the book is really sad! I need to read more books from her.
This book takes place 1898. A 11 year old boy named Moses is growing up in a small town in North Carolina. It was really was exciting and sad and very interesting. The end of the book is really sad! I need to read more books from her.
March 13, 2022
I was recommended this book from a librarian coworker who heard me talk about how difficult it is for me to read general non-fiction alongside her reading Wilmington's Lie for book club. She told me this is a good starting point, since it's easier for me to read kids books anyway, and while it's not non-fiction, it definitely would highlight the forgotten history.
It's horrific and very sad to see that people (white supremacists and racists) haven't changed in over 100 years. How did the world get to be like this? It's like we learn nothing and keep pushing forward with the same bad ideals and do nothing to change the root of a problem.
The book itself was vibrant and full of life--which made the historical events that much more terrifying and gut wrenching to read. Granted this is written for juvenile audiences, but the author did not shy away from big concepts, big words, big consequences. I could always tell when speeches or newspaper articles were taken from historical documentation because the words used made me literally sick to my stomach to read.
The author's note was informative as well, letting us know that the Black presence in Wilmington was hushed away by history and only recently (in 2006 I believe) did any accounts, preserved documents and the like, get released for public viewing. Reading this definitely pushed me toward being more vocal about preserving and recognizing Black history, especially in America, and using any voice and influence I have as a white person to make sure this country doesn't continue to erase Black history--the good and the bad.
It's horrific and very sad to see that people (white supremacists and racists) haven't changed in over 100 years. How did the world get to be like this? It's like we learn nothing and keep pushing forward with the same bad ideals and do nothing to change the root of a problem.
The book itself was vibrant and full of life--which made the historical events that much more terrifying and gut wrenching to read. Granted this is written for juvenile audiences, but the author did not shy away from big concepts, big words, big consequences. I could always tell when speeches or newspaper articles were taken from historical documentation because the words used made me literally sick to my stomach to read.
The author's note was informative as well, letting us know that the Black presence in Wilmington was hushed away by history and only recently (in 2006 I believe) did any accounts, preserved documents and the like, get released for public viewing. Reading this definitely pushed me toward being more vocal about preserving and recognizing Black history, especially in America, and using any voice and influence I have as a white person to make sure this country doesn't continue to erase Black history--the good and the bad.
Read
November 6, 2017Ever heard of the "Wilmington Insurrection of 1898?" I hadn't until I read this book. In 1898 white supremacists/Democrats went on the rampage, overthrowing the elected government (which included several Black citizens) of the city of Wilmington, North Carolina in a coup d'etat. They mobbed and set fires and killed dozens of Black leaders and citizens and ran thousands more out of town, marking the beginning of more severe racial segregation, disenfranchisement, and Jim Crow. I def didn't realize this was written by a white woman when I picked it up and I have mixed feelings about that (and there were some slightly annoying messages of "just follow the law and everything will be ok!" when clearly that isn't the case... as the events of the book demonstrate! Oh, also, wouldn't a 12-year-old in 1898 know what lynching was? And prob about how light-skinned babies were born to slaves? I dunno) but I also like seeing MG and YA books that focus on political/racial history in time periods other than the "Civil Rights" decades in the 20th century. Learning about the post-Civil War years is imperative in understanding our current situation in the U.S.!
September 9, 2017
I've never read historical fiction about this time period in the South and really enjoyed learning about the post-emancipation cultural transitions. I particularly liked the generational differences in this family where the grandmother was a slave, the mother was born into slavery but freed as a baby, and the 10 year old protagonist was born free. Recommended. Listened to the audiobook.
September 26, 2012
"I've been naive. I've taught you to live in a world I wanted to exist, not one that actually does."
Nothing makes me happier than to blindly stumble into a great story. With the right recommendation, even the flap is a spoiler. Boo Nanny is the first reason to fall in love with this book. As Moses tells it, she takes in wash from the white people in town which clues us in to the time period. Jack Thomas, dad of Moses, works for a newspaper, the first black daily. Over the next 120 pages we coast through Moses's 5th grade summer, getting a feel for life in post Civil War Wilmington, North Carolina. The black community is thriving. Firefighters, police, lawyers; Jack serves in local government in addition to reporting the news. Race certainly isn't ignored but given the time and location, the lack of animosity is heartwarming.
Boo Nanny's superstitions hint at trouble to come but it isn't until 160 pages in that we get our first taste of just how ugly racism is. Until Moses and his dad wind up caught in the middle of a white supremacy demonstration, injustice was served as something you persevere through. The kind of everyday belittling where you kept your chin up and eventually you would change attitudes. The first half of the book lulls you into a 10 year old child's view of his world. The second half exposes a hatred that forces Moses into adulthood.
For the first few days I had to set goals, fifty pages here, twenty-five there. There was no way I was putting Crow down once Moses and I reached that turning point. And about 3/4 of the way through, I began fearing the worst. That this novel was actually based on true events. Sure enough the historical note is absolutely infuriating.
Barbara Wright took her time suckering us into believing this was a story about the country on its way up. Which it was. Until, through intimidation and violence, the once prosperous city of Wilmington is taken hostage by a vigilante militia. As heartbreaking as the back half of the story was, it's nothing compared to historical events depicted as Crow unfolds. Wright expertly stitches together speeches, documentation, and historical figures to weave a story that reads like fiction. But, as is too often is the case, the facts are far worse than anything invented.
The vigilantes eradicated the city of its upstanding black citizens through threat of violence, re-segregated neighborhoods, and passed legislation stripping black citizens of their votes; effectively laying foundation for the Jim Crow mentality that persisted for another 160 years. And that's not the infuriating part. What causes me the most trouble is that this story remained untold until a commissioned report on the riots was released in 2006.
Crow is brilliantly told. It certainly couldn't have been easy crafting the first half of this story knowing what was about to transpire. It was good enough to make me ignore the warnings peppered throughout. Here's the problem. I desperately want every student to experience and understand this event. Crow delivers the horror of racism directly to the heart. But, this story requires patience. A patience that I'm not sure the majority of my students have.
So, how do we build it? Well, one way would be to make it a required read. However, Diary of Anne Frank is required reading for entering 7th graders and in 5 years, I still haven't found a student that hasn't hated it. That's the problem with forcing people into a story. Then there's reading it aloud. If all you have is 15 minutes a day (max), you're asking kids to stick with you for at least 3 weeks. What about several excerpts from the first half, straight through the second? If you have an opinion, I'd love to hear it.
Nothing makes me happier than to blindly stumble into a great story. With the right recommendation, even the flap is a spoiler. Boo Nanny is the first reason to fall in love with this book. As Moses tells it, she takes in wash from the white people in town which clues us in to the time period. Jack Thomas, dad of Moses, works for a newspaper, the first black daily. Over the next 120 pages we coast through Moses's 5th grade summer, getting a feel for life in post Civil War Wilmington, North Carolina. The black community is thriving. Firefighters, police, lawyers; Jack serves in local government in addition to reporting the news. Race certainly isn't ignored but given the time and location, the lack of animosity is heartwarming.
Boo Nanny's superstitions hint at trouble to come but it isn't until 160 pages in that we get our first taste of just how ugly racism is. Until Moses and his dad wind up caught in the middle of a white supremacy demonstration, injustice was served as something you persevere through. The kind of everyday belittling where you kept your chin up and eventually you would change attitudes. The first half of the book lulls you into a 10 year old child's view of his world. The second half exposes a hatred that forces Moses into adulthood.
For the first few days I had to set goals, fifty pages here, twenty-five there. There was no way I was putting Crow down once Moses and I reached that turning point. And about 3/4 of the way through, I began fearing the worst. That this novel was actually based on true events. Sure enough the historical note is absolutely infuriating.
Barbara Wright took her time suckering us into believing this was a story about the country on its way up. Which it was. Until, through intimidation and violence, the once prosperous city of Wilmington is taken hostage by a vigilante militia. As heartbreaking as the back half of the story was, it's nothing compared to historical events depicted as Crow unfolds. Wright expertly stitches together speeches, documentation, and historical figures to weave a story that reads like fiction. But, as is too often is the case, the facts are far worse than anything invented.
The vigilantes eradicated the city of its upstanding black citizens through threat of violence, re-segregated neighborhoods, and passed legislation stripping black citizens of their votes; effectively laying foundation for the Jim Crow mentality that persisted for another 160 years. And that's not the infuriating part. What causes me the most trouble is that this story remained untold until a commissioned report on the riots was released in 2006.
Crow is brilliantly told. It certainly couldn't have been easy crafting the first half of this story knowing what was about to transpire. It was good enough to make me ignore the warnings peppered throughout. Here's the problem. I desperately want every student to experience and understand this event. Crow delivers the horror of racism directly to the heart. But, this story requires patience. A patience that I'm not sure the majority of my students have.
So, how do we build it? Well, one way would be to make it a required read. However, Diary of Anne Frank is required reading for entering 7th graders and in 5 years, I still haven't found a student that hasn't hated it. That's the problem with forcing people into a story. Then there's reading it aloud. If all you have is 15 minutes a day (max), you're asking kids to stick with you for at least 3 weeks. What about several excerpts from the first half, straight through the second? If you have an opinion, I'd love to hear it.
May 7, 2012
Highly flawed: the author wanted to provide the reader with a historical fiction account of the events leading up to and during the Wilmington Race Riot of 1898. Her choice to present the account in the first person perspective of a 12 year old boy forced her to explain him into situations. The way he 'just happened to be there' became extremely tedious and unbelievable as the story wore on. Eye-roll inducing.
The voice of the main character was terribly inauthentic throughout - a 12 year old publicly educated black boy in 1898 North Carolina would never say "the dress had ... a single skirt, with a continuous line of ruffles around the bottom, ending halfway down the calf, shorter than what was considered modest for any but the youngest girls" or "it held the monstrous hydraulic machine that smashed the loose bales of cotton from the gin into denser blocks to be loaded onto foreign-bound vessels." For the amount of description needed to describe the setting, a first person narrative just does not work.
Until the race riot situation comes to a head, the book feels like unconnected collection of stories - some characters and conflicts are introduced and then never mentioned again, or details already described are repeated in another section.
Redeeming qualities: some of the scenes and dialogue do a fine job of portraying the scary antics of the white supremacist "red shirts" in 1898, something that children may have a hard time imagining today. The relationship between Moses and his father was well done, with some great dialogue about being a stand-up man.
The voice of the main character was terribly inauthentic throughout - a 12 year old publicly educated black boy in 1898 North Carolina would never say "the dress had ... a single skirt, with a continuous line of ruffles around the bottom, ending halfway down the calf, shorter than what was considered modest for any but the youngest girls" or "it held the monstrous hydraulic machine that smashed the loose bales of cotton from the gin into denser blocks to be loaded onto foreign-bound vessels." For the amount of description needed to describe the setting, a first person narrative just does not work.
Until the race riot situation comes to a head, the book feels like unconnected collection of stories - some characters and conflicts are introduced and then never mentioned again, or details already described are repeated in another section.
Redeeming qualities: some of the scenes and dialogue do a fine job of portraying the scary antics of the white supremacist "red shirts" in 1898, something that children may have a hard time imagining today. The relationship between Moses and his father was well done, with some great dialogue about being a stand-up man.
May 6, 2012
A troubling book without easy answers, but I'm not sure of its audience and/or whether it's hitting that audience. I feel like the best reader would be older than the eleven-year-old protagonist. In particular, I'm not sure how many kids would understand the implication (or facts) about who Moses's grandfather is and what that means. I was surprised that this plot point wasn't revisited.
For the first half or so I kept getting confused about when this book was set, but that may be my own fault--since there are many more civil rights books set in the 1930s and 1950s-60s than 1898--rather than any lack in the book.
What keeps this book away from more stars for me is the feeling that it's kind of a jumble, without the clear narrative arc that I think is preferable in children's books. Also, the father's character (particularly in comparison to those of Moses, his mother, and his grandmother) felt pretty much like an Atticus remix, rather than a real person.
For the first half or so I kept getting confused about when this book was set, but that may be my own fault--since there are many more civil rights books set in the 1930s and 1950s-60s than 1898--rather than any lack in the book.
What keeps this book away from more stars for me is the feeling that it's kind of a jumble, without the clear narrative arc that I think is preferable in children's books. Also, the father's character (particularly in comparison to those of Moses, his mother, and his grandmother) felt pretty much like an Atticus remix, rather than a real person.
March 14, 2012
". . . you got a mess of trouble coming to your door.". "Bad times a-comin." These are only a couple of the warnings given out by 11 year-old Moses's grandmother Boo Nanny in this story about the events leading up to the Wilmington Massacre of 1898.
The story is slow for the first 50 pages or so before it becomes a page turner as Boo Nanny gives out more and more ominous warnings to Moses and his parents, a successful black alderman and a light-skinned Negro woman.
The story is slow for the first 50 pages or so before it becomes a page turner as Boo Nanny gives out more and more ominous warnings to Moses and his parents, a successful black alderman and a light-skinned Negro woman.
February 26, 2016
This is a great story about a young boy figuring out the world in a very harsh manner.
July 11, 2018
Reading this story, told through the voice of a 10(ish) year old boy named Moses Thomas, was one of the most impactful events I have experienced in 2018 so far. Wright’s ability to meld historical events with non-fiction, in a way that keeps the reader intrigued, is un-dismissible. Truthfully, I have never been interested in many books about history or non-fiction, but “Crow” was not a book I could easily put down. If you’re looking for a good read about racial tension in the late 1800’s, black politics, or just a story about an African-American boy battling with what he is just learning about the country that is raising him, pick it up. You won’t regret it.
May 8, 2017
There's some pretty intense stuff here for elementary students, but it's so important to tell the truth about tragic events like these. The author did a good job putting human faces on the Wilmington coup d'état and ending on a surprisingly hopeful note.
December 27, 2020
I enjoyed this book set in Wilmington, South Carolina. The year was 1889, shortly after slavery had ended. Barbara Wright uses the voice of an invented 11-year-old boy to set the scene and to describe the a race-fueled riot that actually occurred. It is a nice little story.
April 7, 2017
In the Non-Fiction book "Crow", by Barbara Wright, there was a message of treat others the same as you would like to be treated, Simple but deep. In my opinion I would give this book a Three star rating because I thought it was hard to understand and get what was happening. This book took place way back when slavery was abolished only a little while ago, when blacks were being discriminated. The Main character is Moses Thomas and is faced with problems of being discriminated. In chapter four the white boys were throwing stuff at the black kids and saying very harsh things. In my recommendation read this book if you are a good reader and likes historical events or Non-Fiction. This books Publication date is 2012.
April 2, 2012
Richie’s Picks: CROW by Barbara Wright, Random House, January 2012, 304p., ISBN: 978-0-375-86928-0
“She grew up on a plantation by the ocean and knew an awful lot for someone who couldn’t read or write. She taught me things that Daddy, with all his degrees, didn’t know: that the full moon pulls the tides higher; that star formations appear in different parts of the sky depending on the season; that conch shells hold the sound of the ocean inside them; that the tiny beads of silver that twinkle at the water’s edge are actually alive.
“’How do you know these things?’ I asked, carefully unhooking the devil’s pouch from the seaweed. I would dry it out and add it to the treasures on my windowsill.
“’I use my own two eyes. All you gots to do is look. Now, your daddy could talk a possum out of a tree, but sometimes he can’t see what’s dead straight in front of his nose if it ain’t in a book. Knowing’s first and foremost ‘bout seeing what’s in front of you,’ she said.
“The walk to the shore was always easier than the walk back. Each year the journey got a little harder for Boo Nanny, and this year was the hardest of all. We had to stop many times to rest. Even with all her potions and tonics, she was getting weaker and more bent over. I wasn’t sure how many more years she would be able to make the trip.”
In the summer of 1898, soon-to-be sixth-grader Moses Thomas is living a relatively idyllic life for being a boy of color in the South. While his family is not sufficiently well-off for his being able to own a bicycle, as his good friend does, the fact that his father is an educated man, a city alderman, and a reporter for the Wilmington Daily Record – “the only Negro daily in the South” – means that his family is known and respected – at least in some quarters.
Living with his mother, who is a domestic employee for a white family; his compassionate and book-wise father; and his experience-wise maternal grandmother, a former slave, Moses gets to soak in the respective wisdom and love of each of them. Racial division is very clear to all in this time and place, but Moses has gained the smarts to form summertime alliances and even modest friendships with a few of the white boys – even as he sees the racism around him.
“”’When men attribute qualities to others that take away from a person’s dignity – words like brute or beast – it’s easier to treat that person as less than human. A mob can develop a mind of its own and act in ways that fly in the face of justice,’ Daddy said.
“’Like what?’ I asked.
“’That child don’t need to know about such hateful things.’ Mama said.
“’I’m trying to explain lynching in a way that makes sense,’ Daddy said.
“’You find that way, you be sure to let me in on de education,’ Boo Nanny said.”
Things are to fall apart for the family and the community this summer when White Supremacists take over the town by armed force. In a story based upon ugly and deadly racist incidents from the history books, Moses’s world is going to thoroughly disintegrate.
Now, to me, this is tale very much about something that we don’t actually read about in the book. It’s very much an extension of what happened two years earlier when the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its despicable and infamous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson. The highest law of the land, as interpreted by old white guys appointed for various reasons by various presidents said that white people and black people are not the same.
And so, this story takes place at the same time as when, thanks to the Plessy decision, profession baseball was becoming white professional baseball. (See Kadir Nelson’s WE ARE THE SHIP.)
In undertaking a quick bit of research in order to see which presidents were responsible for appointing the seven racists on the Supreme Court who joined in on the majority decision in that case, I was particularly horrified to read about one of those seven. Associate Justice David Dudley Field was actually appointed by Abraham Lincoln for the sake of providing regional and political balance for the Court. Field then aspired to become the longest-serving Justice in history, and refused to resign from the Court when his colleagues pressured him to do so, given that he was intermittently senile!
“’But we’re up against something I don’t understand and don’t know how to adapt to. I’ve sheltered you from it, and in the process have made you more vulnerable.’
“’What’s that?’
“’The intractability of hate,’ he said.”
Like a number of other distinguished historical stories that reveal how ugly people in this country can become, CROW is a book that upset the heck out of me.
Richie Partington
Richie’s Picks http://richiespicks.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/middle...
http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
“She grew up on a plantation by the ocean and knew an awful lot for someone who couldn’t read or write. She taught me things that Daddy, with all his degrees, didn’t know: that the full moon pulls the tides higher; that star formations appear in different parts of the sky depending on the season; that conch shells hold the sound of the ocean inside them; that the tiny beads of silver that twinkle at the water’s edge are actually alive.
“’How do you know these things?’ I asked, carefully unhooking the devil’s pouch from the seaweed. I would dry it out and add it to the treasures on my windowsill.
“’I use my own two eyes. All you gots to do is look. Now, your daddy could talk a possum out of a tree, but sometimes he can’t see what’s dead straight in front of his nose if it ain’t in a book. Knowing’s first and foremost ‘bout seeing what’s in front of you,’ she said.
“The walk to the shore was always easier than the walk back. Each year the journey got a little harder for Boo Nanny, and this year was the hardest of all. We had to stop many times to rest. Even with all her potions and tonics, she was getting weaker and more bent over. I wasn’t sure how many more years she would be able to make the trip.”
In the summer of 1898, soon-to-be sixth-grader Moses Thomas is living a relatively idyllic life for being a boy of color in the South. While his family is not sufficiently well-off for his being able to own a bicycle, as his good friend does, the fact that his father is an educated man, a city alderman, and a reporter for the Wilmington Daily Record – “the only Negro daily in the South” – means that his family is known and respected – at least in some quarters.
Living with his mother, who is a domestic employee for a white family; his compassionate and book-wise father; and his experience-wise maternal grandmother, a former slave, Moses gets to soak in the respective wisdom and love of each of them. Racial division is very clear to all in this time and place, but Moses has gained the smarts to form summertime alliances and even modest friendships with a few of the white boys – even as he sees the racism around him.
“”’When men attribute qualities to others that take away from a person’s dignity – words like brute or beast – it’s easier to treat that person as less than human. A mob can develop a mind of its own and act in ways that fly in the face of justice,’ Daddy said.
“’Like what?’ I asked.
“’That child don’t need to know about such hateful things.’ Mama said.
“’I’m trying to explain lynching in a way that makes sense,’ Daddy said.
“’You find that way, you be sure to let me in on de education,’ Boo Nanny said.”
Things are to fall apart for the family and the community this summer when White Supremacists take over the town by armed force. In a story based upon ugly and deadly racist incidents from the history books, Moses’s world is going to thoroughly disintegrate.
Now, to me, this is tale very much about something that we don’t actually read about in the book. It’s very much an extension of what happened two years earlier when the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its despicable and infamous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson. The highest law of the land, as interpreted by old white guys appointed for various reasons by various presidents said that white people and black people are not the same.
And so, this story takes place at the same time as when, thanks to the Plessy decision, profession baseball was becoming white professional baseball. (See Kadir Nelson’s WE ARE THE SHIP.)
In undertaking a quick bit of research in order to see which presidents were responsible for appointing the seven racists on the Supreme Court who joined in on the majority decision in that case, I was particularly horrified to read about one of those seven. Associate Justice David Dudley Field was actually appointed by Abraham Lincoln for the sake of providing regional and political balance for the Court. Field then aspired to become the longest-serving Justice in history, and refused to resign from the Court when his colleagues pressured him to do so, given that he was intermittently senile!
“’But we’re up against something I don’t understand and don’t know how to adapt to. I’ve sheltered you from it, and in the process have made you more vulnerable.’
“’What’s that?’
“’The intractability of hate,’ he said.”
Like a number of other distinguished historical stories that reveal how ugly people in this country can become, CROW is a book that upset the heck out of me.
Richie Partington
Richie’s Picks http://richiespicks.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/middle...
http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
May 28, 2014
This is a solid young adult book, full of historical information and racial conflict. Wright does a great job of presenting some tough themes through a child narrator.
She describes the North Carolina city of Wilmington which (accurately, per her historical note in the afterword) had a remarkable black middle class in 1898: “two years shy of the twentieth century, people of color would hold four of ten seats on the Board of Alderman”.
Moses is very conscious (even before the riots) of his place in society. His family is better off than some of the blacks in town (and his father gently reminds him not to feel too superior to those less fortunate), but he is not as well off as his friend Lewis and nemesis Johnny. He is also very clear on the placement of the blacks as less privileged than the whites: even the poor white trash are allowed to look down on the wealthy blacks. He is also aware of his grandmother’s history as a slave and the constant tension between her and Daddy over education vs. folk knowledge. I enjoyed the scenes in which he worked on teaching Boo Nanny to read and found his observation that “the trick was to modify your language depending on who you were around” to be rather astute.
He is also aware of his own educational advantage and he is responsible and hardworking. There are a few moments when he feels guilt over things that are not really his fault (like not coming to the aid of the injured folks on the marsh), and those that are (like playing a trick on Tommy). The complexities of his character are well defined and feel accurate. Oftentimes kids are not sure (especially at this age), how much they are expected to do. They want to be treated as adults and are on the cusp of being able to grasp adult problems, but they are also still innocent.
Daddy sheds lots of wisdom and gives some great advice, most especially I liked: “Alone, it’s harder for an individual to be hateful, eye to eye, to his fellow man” and
“I raised you in the belief that what it took to succeed in life was the same thing that it took to be a good man: honesty and hard work, courage and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism.”
Wright made me laugh out loud a few times (tough to do given the content of the book) at Moses’s inability to grasp some of the sexual content: “I knew about sex; Lewis had told me. Men and women got together, and had sex and made babies. Lewis’s next-door neighbor, a white woman named Mrs. Roberts, was a sex maniac, because she had six children and had done it six times.”
I was a bit annoyed at a few of the conveniences in the story and the way that Moses was able to be involved in all the riots. It seemed especially fishy that he would spot the mob headed to the newspaper offices AND be involved in smuggling Manly out of town, but certainly there are some issues with having a first person child narrator. It might have been better if Daddy was involved in these things and rather than seeing it through Moses’s eyes, we heard the story through eavesdropping when Daddy told Mama later in the night.
Overall it is highly recommended. I have told my 6th grader that it is mandatory reading before I return it to the library.
She describes the North Carolina city of Wilmington which (accurately, per her historical note in the afterword) had a remarkable black middle class in 1898: “two years shy of the twentieth century, people of color would hold four of ten seats on the Board of Alderman”.
Moses is very conscious (even before the riots) of his place in society. His family is better off than some of the blacks in town (and his father gently reminds him not to feel too superior to those less fortunate), but he is not as well off as his friend Lewis and nemesis Johnny. He is also very clear on the placement of the blacks as less privileged than the whites: even the poor white trash are allowed to look down on the wealthy blacks. He is also aware of his grandmother’s history as a slave and the constant tension between her and Daddy over education vs. folk knowledge. I enjoyed the scenes in which he worked on teaching Boo Nanny to read and found his observation that “the trick was to modify your language depending on who you were around” to be rather astute.
He is also aware of his own educational advantage and he is responsible and hardworking. There are a few moments when he feels guilt over things that are not really his fault (like not coming to the aid of the injured folks on the marsh), and those that are (like playing a trick on Tommy). The complexities of his character are well defined and feel accurate. Oftentimes kids are not sure (especially at this age), how much they are expected to do. They want to be treated as adults and are on the cusp of being able to grasp adult problems, but they are also still innocent.
Daddy sheds lots of wisdom and gives some great advice, most especially I liked: “Alone, it’s harder for an individual to be hateful, eye to eye, to his fellow man” and
“I raised you in the belief that what it took to succeed in life was the same thing that it took to be a good man: honesty and hard work, courage and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism.”
Wright made me laugh out loud a few times (tough to do given the content of the book) at Moses’s inability to grasp some of the sexual content: “I knew about sex; Lewis had told me. Men and women got together, and had sex and made babies. Lewis’s next-door neighbor, a white woman named Mrs. Roberts, was a sex maniac, because she had six children and had done it six times.”
I was a bit annoyed at a few of the conveniences in the story and the way that Moses was able to be involved in all the riots. It seemed especially fishy that he would spot the mob headed to the newspaper offices AND be involved in smuggling Manly out of town, but certainly there are some issues with having a first person child narrator. It might have been better if Daddy was involved in these things and rather than seeing it through Moses’s eyes, we heard the story through eavesdropping when Daddy told Mama later in the night.
Overall it is highly recommended. I have told my 6th grader that it is mandatory reading before I return it to the library.
September 3, 2012
Although this book is marketed as middle-grade fiction, it has a depth and complexity that I believe will appeal to sophisticated readers in all age groups. Filtering the story of the little-known Wilmington Massacre and the events leading up to it through the eyes of a boy of eleven-going-on-twelve was an inspired choice. Moses learns about racism in a similar way to that in which a younger child discovers there is no Santa Claus, only it's a much ruder awakening. To feel the confusion of a boy who can't participate in a writing contest because even though he's the right age "there could be other restrictions," or who can't understand why he and his father have to sit in the dirty car at the back of the train, is to be reminded of the irrational nature of prejudice in all its forms.
Tensions in Moses' town rise during an election season, as the white community spreads rumors that the black community is plotting to take their women, their jobs, and their political power. Their only evidence is the willingness of a few educated black men to exercise their rights to free speech and participate in the local government and economy. Irrational fear spirals into violence. The people the mob wants to drive out of town are not the poorly educated or the criminal, as they claim, but the most highly educated and respected men in the African-American community.
I was struck by the timely implications of this story as our country today navigates a contentious political season in which, for better or worse, race has taken center stage. I felt a chill at reading how quickly a nervous coexistence can explode into us-versus-them violence. But I was grateful that author Barbara Wright pulled this forgotten historical event out from under the rug so that we could learn from it. I was even more grateful that her choice of a child's-eye view allowed me to witness the human capacity for growth. In the end, I felt hope. This is an important story that deserves a wide audience.
Tensions in Moses' town rise during an election season, as the white community spreads rumors that the black community is plotting to take their women, their jobs, and their political power. Their only evidence is the willingness of a few educated black men to exercise their rights to free speech and participate in the local government and economy. Irrational fear spirals into violence. The people the mob wants to drive out of town are not the poorly educated or the criminal, as they claim, but the most highly educated and respected men in the African-American community.
I was struck by the timely implications of this story as our country today navigates a contentious political season in which, for better or worse, race has taken center stage. I felt a chill at reading how quickly a nervous coexistence can explode into us-versus-them violence. But I was grateful that author Barbara Wright pulled this forgotten historical event out from under the rug so that we could learn from it. I was even more grateful that her choice of a child's-eye view allowed me to witness the human capacity for growth. In the end, I felt hope. This is an important story that deserves a wide audience.
August 26, 2013
Well, I believe this book deserve to receive that award.
This event might be one of the turning point that cause more than 50 years of racial discrimination in USA (I think).
It's 1898. Some twenty years after Civil war. It was a new era for African American community. No more slavery. They were recognized as USA citizen. They can hold positions in government and study freely. It's a hopeful period. The segregation was still happening but a peace understanding between the white and black communities existed.
But after this event, that hatred is not even disguised anymore. The intimidation and the robbing of the rights are out in the open. BTW, I didn't get why the central government didn't reprimand or even take action on the states' government. The oppresion would continue for more than 50 years after this event.
Another nugget of information I really didn't know before I read this book is the fact that at this point of time the Democrats was the white supremacist party. Kind of surprised me because I always thought that Democrats is the liberal party and the Republicans is the one more right wing. It shows that anyone can have a dark past/history. But, I am not a US citizen so you can take my statements above as some oversimplifications from an unknowing outsiders. May be all US citizens will know better the real difference between Democrats and Republicans.
This event might be one of the turning point that cause more than 50 years of racial discrimination in USA (I think).
It's 1898. Some twenty years after Civil war. It was a new era for African American community. No more slavery. They were recognized as USA citizen. They can hold positions in government and study freely. It's a hopeful period. The segregation was still happening but a peace understanding between the white and black communities existed.
But after this event, that hatred is not even disguised anymore. The intimidation and the robbing of the rights are out in the open. BTW, I didn't get why the central government didn't reprimand or even take action on the states' government. The oppresion would continue for more than 50 years after this event.
Another nugget of information I really didn't know before I read this book is the fact that at this point of time the Democrats was the white supremacist party. Kind of surprised me because I always thought that Democrats is the liberal party and the Republicans is the one more right wing. It shows that anyone can have a dark past/history. But, I am not a US citizen so you can take my statements above as some oversimplifications from an unknowing outsiders. May be all US citizens will know better the real difference between Democrats and Republicans.
April 26, 2012
A bookseller friend recommended this middle-grade book of historical fiction, and when I glanced at the flap copy, I was startled by the reference to the Wilmington (NC) Massacre of 1898. My husband is a North Carolina native and, while he knew about this dramatic bit of history, I did not. Barbara Wright brings the era and true events to life by telling the story through the eyes of an African-American boy, Moses Thomas. HIs gritty and superstitious grandmother, Boo Nanny, adds texture to the novel, along with Moses' gifted parents. His father is a newspaperman and his mother, though lacking in formal education, is a talented musician. It is the very fact of his father's talent and integrity that ultimately spells trouble for the family and puts them in jeopardy as the city erupts in violence against African-Americans. The pace is a tad slow in the opening pages, but the writing is quite lyrical. This book documents a fascinating and disturbing era in American history.
Read
March 13, 20124.5 stars.
Fine, moving and tragic historical told from the POV of 12/13 YO Moses Thomas. He and his loving family live in 1898 Wilmington NC at the time of Wilmington Massacre and coup d'etat when white supremacists overthrew the diverse local government, ran local officials out of the city and gunned down Blacks in the streets with a Gatling gun, while the state governor and President McKinley did nothing. I particularly loved the characters of Moses; his father, a local alderman; and his maternal grandmother, a former slave, Boo Nanny. Highly Recommended & a must for Newbery consideration.
Would love if future editions could feature a bibliography.
Kirkus Star
Horn Book Star
PW Star
SLJ Star
Fine, moving and tragic historical told from the POV of 12/13 YO Moses Thomas. He and his loving family live in 1898 Wilmington NC at the time of Wilmington Massacre and coup d'etat when white supremacists overthrew the diverse local government, ran local officials out of the city and gunned down Blacks in the streets with a Gatling gun, while the state governor and President McKinley did nothing. I particularly loved the characters of Moses; his father, a local alderman; and his maternal grandmother, a former slave, Boo Nanny. Highly Recommended & a must for Newbery consideration.
Would love if future editions could feature a bibliography.
Kirkus Star
Horn Book Star
PW Star
SLJ Star
May 25, 2012
Moses is a good character, but Nanny Boo is an absolutely fabulous one. What a woman! I thought the story was very interesting and it really brought the Wilmington Race Riots to life. I didn't know what the book was about and the first pages didn't really establish the period, so it wasn't until page 23 when Moses mentions riding in a carriage that I realized I was picturing the wrong century altogether. My only complaint is that I thought the way that the tragedy touched Moses' family was rather cliché. Totally what I expected and yet not entirely realistic. However, I did like the way the author brings the Red Shirts and their leaders to life. What a sad and scary moment of North Carolinian history!
October 20, 2016
My son read this for Battle of the Books at school and said it was about the city we live in so I was curious and read it. It was facinating! Even though the author is white she is able to completely capture the black language and thoughts. I never knew our city had race riots in 1898! Prior to that Wilmington was progressive for the times and had blacks (one generation removed from slavery) in political and governmental positions! In the SOUTH! It angered me that the white supremacy could do so much damage, destruction and murder just because they felt threatened. I was so fascinated I googled more and looked at pictures, saw some videos about it and read more historical accounts. Excellent book.
April 21, 2012
I think what I liked best about this was the way each character represented a group - like a stereotype, I suppose, but not so cliche - and the interactions between the characters told the bigger story of this period of American History. In 1898, Wilmington, NC, had educated black men serving in elected positions, but the Civil War was still a fresh memory. Moses' father was one of these educated black men. His mother and grandmother represented the former slave, and Moses was a merging of old and new. Scary, exciting and very difficult to be on the cusp of an evolutionary change. I would include it in a reading list for children, and possibly even for adults.
May 24, 2012
I picked the book because it was mentioned in a list of Newbery Award hopefuls only knowing that it was about African Americans in the South in the late 1800s. True to form I didn't read the jacket. As a result, I couldn't figure out where the book was going for the first 40-50% (reading via Kindle!). When the story shifted to the coup d' etat, it picked up speed and got much more interesting. I hadn't known about this part of history. Google it, if you didn't either! ;-)
March 29, 2015
One of those books that makes you seethingly angry at the sheer stupidity and horrors of prejudice. The writing was pretty bland and simple, but it's quality historical fiction with realistic conflicts and characters, good historical details (and real figures), and overall it's an entertaining way to explore a fascinating event of American history that probably tends to be overlooked.
February 26, 2016
it is amazing 92 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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