A Thousand Never Evers

by Shana Burg

IN KUCKACHOO, MISSISSIPPI, 1963, Addie Ann Pickett worships her brother Elias and follows in his footsteps by attending the black junior high school. But when her careless act leads to her brother’s disappearance and possible murder, Addie Ann, Mama, and Uncle Bump struggle with not knowing if he’s dead or alive. Then a good deed meant to unite Kuckachoo sets off a chain of explosive events. Addie Ann knows Old Man Adams left his land to the white and black people to plant a garden and reap its bounty together, but the mayor denies it. On garden picking day, Addie Ann’s family is sorely tested. Through tragedy, she finds the voice to lead a civil rights march all her own, and maybe change the future for her people.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

I got a job teaching sixth grade at the same elementary school that President John F. Kennedy attended, and organized my wedding in between writing lesson plans and correcting homework. I married Oren in the summer. Little did Oren know at the time that he wasn’t just marrying me—but all the characters from A Thousand Never Evers who lived in my head. Lucky for me, Oren has grown to love Addie Ann, Elias, Uncle Bump, Mama, and Mrs. Jacks as much as I do.

After my fifth year of teaching, I gave birth to my son. Shortly after he was born, I found an agent, sold A Thousand Never Evers, and moved with my family from Boston to Austin, Texas, where I’m currently working on my next book.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slice of Southern life during the Civil Rights era, told from the perspective of little Addie Ann Pickett, who is 12 years old. She lives in Kuckachoo, Mississippi in 1963. Addie Ann is a strong character who tells us about her Mama, Uncle Bump, Flapjack, her cat and her brother Elias. Small moments of happiness and triumph, mixed with lots of worry, unfairness, prejudice, and fear are expressed in Addie's words. As Addie's understanding of segregation and her determination to come out on top and how she finds the courage to make a stand when it really counts. In chapter 26, Addie reflects on the bond she has with her family. "Everything is gone but the circle." This well written historical fiction should be on a must read for young teens.

[Bobby Simic · Rating 2 out of 5]

By-the-book and somewhat lifeless tale of racism in the 1960s South (it owes a lot to "To Kill a Mockingbird," if you ask me). The overstuffed story lurches and never properly builds. It tries too hard to incorporate bits of history with the (too) many instances of racism that Addie Ann's family goes through, and, therefore, lacks momentum. This is on our Mock Newbery list. It shouldn't be honored. Not bad, and its heart is in the right place, but not a stand-out.

[Denise Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to "A Thousand Never Evers" as an audiobook. The narrator was excellent and brought the emotion of the main character, Addie Ann Picket, and of the time to the forefront. The book references many historical events that play a role in the roller coaster ride of events that lead to a satisfying ending.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addie Ann Pickett and her family works as helps in her small town of Kuckachoo, Mississippi. And when the old man with the biggest land in town that Addie works for died, all people of Kuckachoo, black and white, inherited his land. But the whites don't see it that way.

February is Black History Month. And I can see Morgan Freeman in an interview in my head saying that he wasn't too fond of Black History Month because why is it observed in just a month. He was saying that shouldn't the history of black people be observed all the time and just a month?

Well, anyway, I did read this historical fiction about the segregation laws. And I learned so much. And though this is fiction, it doesn't mean that black people didn't experience stuff like this in the same degree, with unfairness and injustice.

I really liked the story very much. Quite crazy that the setting was in the early 1960's. That's basically 50 years ago! And I so hate that there are Jim Crow laws. I am telling you, I learned a lot from this book.

I thought the story was dragging the first quarter of the book. I especially like the climax of the book.

Addie was such a good story teller. You can definitely see that her priorities started from the TV and boys to the people being treated unfairly. We see her grow in her eyes and I love seeing that transformation in that view. At the end of the day, she is a kid, and she sees things differently but to great regard.

It was such a good book.

[Mrs. Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I was told it will be an anchor text for our 7th graders. If I could have given it 3.5 stars, I would have.
The writing is fine, even good! But the beginning just did not grab me, even after what really should have. I could have put the book down and easily walked away forever. But I kept reading. This morning, though, I didn’t want to stop reading and read the last 150 pages in one sitting when I should have been doing other things.
Am I glad I read it? Absolutely! There are so many wonderful things about it.
Should it be a required read? That is a much more difficult question. It is not going to be a good choice for reluctant readers. I don’t think they will ever get to a point where they like it. It is just too slow, and the action is really not very action-y. (A trial over a garden?). I really like the main character, but I don’t think our boys will be at all interested to read about how she is developing hips. As we try to get kids reading, I think we have just lost too many of our students. I don’t think it will work.
But there are students who will love it, and I would definitely recommend it to them.

[Layla Nutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good story but did not have a good plot. Honestly, there were only a few things that happened, I overall did not hate it but it wasn't my favorite.

[Jen Robinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Thousand Never Evers is the story of Addie, growing up in rural Kuckachoo, Mississippi in 1963. Admidst the backdrop of some of the most memorable events in the early Civil Rights movement, Maddie and her family deal with racism on a small town level.

This novel opens with a "Note to the Readers" written by the author, Shana Burg. She writes about the prejudice she experienced as a young girl - a boy drawing a swastika on her notebook in 7th grade, and then goes on to relate her feelings about that to her interest in the Civil Rights movement. This seems like a message to the reader: you can't understand this book unless you've been through some form of prejudice yourself. For a children's book aimed at 9-12 year olds, this might not be the right message. Most striking, however, is the contrast between Burg's experience as a 7th grader and the troubles that Addie encounters -- one some level Burg is attempting to equate when she ought not -- these experiences are not in the same ballpark.

Furthermore, Addie's voice just isn't right. The narration (all supposed to be Addie) swings from sounding like a 30 year old Ivy League educated adult to a young naive girl. Most frustrating though is the dialect - if you are going to use dialect you need to be consistent about it.

I would recommend "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" instead -- same time period - much less contrived.

[Sarah Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely recommend this book to everyone! The writing is not too complex or challenging to follow, but the message comes across well! The main character in this story really explains the life of African American citizens during the time period of the major civil rights movement with Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers. It shows how the white, upper class citizens felt entitled to all things and the " colored" were only there to be servants to them. If you are a reader who really enjoys the history of civil rights with a twist into fiction , I definitely recommend reading this amazing story!

[Gustafson96 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thousand Never Evers
Shana Burg

In Kuckachoo Mississippi, 1963 was a time of racial prejudice. Addie Ann Pickett, a twelve-year-old girl, tries to live a normal life and ignore the slurs that white folk give her. When some older white boys harass her, Addie's brother starts a fight and then flees. He is gone for months and Addie's family doesn't know if he is alive. Later that summer, Addie's uncle is accused of an incident at the white folks' garden and it's up to Addie to save him.
One of the things that I thought the author did well was character development. This is the best coming of age story I've ever read. Burg really stresses the importance of standing up for you and your people. Also, adding that age doesn't matter and you don't have to be going through segregation to take a stand and make a big impact. You can definetly tell by Burg's voice in the story that she went through the same thing. Lastly, not only was the novel entertaining, but it was very informative. I never knew about all of the cross-burnings and church-bombings. I give this book a five out of five star rating.

[Gayle Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's one thing to read about prejudice and injustice and totally different to experience it personally. A Thousand Never Evers introduces young readers to these painful realities through the eyes of twelve-year-old Addie Ann.
Shana Burg manages to conjure the context of race issues in 1963 Mississippi with richness and intensity and has created characters that thrum with emotion--love, jealousy,anger, grief, sadness, terror and courage. The reader feels the interconnectedness of the black and white communities, how inextricably woven and interdependent they are and how fear and power operate to maintain the unjust status quo.
This book will engage readers and while it gets pulses racing, it will open their eyes--and hearts--to important issues of social justice.
I recommend this book.

[Nadia Lotfy · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I didn't like this book that much. This book is about a girl named Addie Ann Pickett and she is a black girl. One day she loses her brother because he hurt a white boy trying to protect her. Ever since then he is hiding and Addie's family doesn't know where he is, and if he is even alive. I don't like this book because it is sort of like history and that is not my type of book, I am more of a fantasy and dystopian sort of book person. I recommend this book to people who like to read about things that could happen and things that were happening back then because that is what this book is about. I give this book 3/5 stars, sorry but this book was lame.

[Jocelyn Aguilar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book but it would be great if people that love like sad or touching books. And that like reading about segregation and stories about how things would be if you were black or white. this book was about a girl named Addie ann and she had to keep some secret from all the people that lived around. And her parents and everyone around her would tell her to tell rich people what they want to hear and she would wonder why.

[Carol Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this middle grade book about a young girl coming of age in Mississippi in the civil rights era. Well written and thought provoking; a good supplemental book for upper elementary and middle school students studying the time period. I particularly liked how Shana Burg portrayed a convincing young heroine who works for what she believes and is an instrument of change in the community.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. My 11 year old daughter read it and loved it, so I wanted to read it too. Deals with the realities of Jim Crow laws in the south. It really put life into what those laws actually meant to African Americans, and the lack of freedom they experienced. Lots of talking points for us to discuss. Highly recommend.

[Kimberly Marksberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geared toward a young audience but I found it immersive, captivating, and didn't want to turn it off (audio book). Found myself becoming truly angry at the injustices and wanting to do something about them. I think it would have the same effect on a child reader and would be a great way to engage them in learning about the civil rights movement.

[Edward Ledesma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was actually kind of neat, it had good writing in it to explain what's going on.This book had really good on telling my how the main character is thinking or feeling. I would give this book kind of an action or adventure.This book is about a girl who is about to go to seventh grade but makes a terrible mistake and know she has to fix it.

[Ashley Guzman · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Thousand Never Evers was about the old days when segregation was still in the law. Addie is a girl who used to work with his Uncle in a house with a kind man. The book made me feel lots of feelings at the same time. I recommend this book to people that are interested in this book I think the book was ok.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read some great reviews of this book, but I don't think it lived up to them. I loved Addie Ann and her family and I think young readers will appreciate the ending, but I don't think this one will stand the test of time like Roll of Thunder has.

[Heidi Busch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a good book for older children to get an idea of what life was like for young African American children in the 1960's. The author's notes at the beginning and end of the book were interesting as well.

[Aparna Manoj · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like how this book described the times of integration. I actually had to read this book in school for an assignment. Frankly, I kind if dozed of in the middle of this book.

[Samantha Peters · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't even finish it it was that boring and those no me knows that I love to read

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't finished this book, in fact I only heard a few minutes but right away I was interested.

[Mila Mielke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Thousand Never Evers
By: Shana Burg

A Thousand Never Evers, by Shana Burg, is a very interesting book. In the book, Addie Ann goes through a lot. Her family slowly falls apart more and more throughout the story. Addie has to face many difficult challenges throughout the story while also being put against white supremacy. She has to overcome the obstacles in her way, but some obstacles are larger than others. Addie Ann has to save her uncle from being wrongly accused of something he didn’t do. She also has to have hope in her brother that went missing because of her. The struggles she faces are things that she shouldn’t have to, but back then, it was something that happened daily across the country.
This is a window book for me, because it is like me looking into someone else's life. It isn’t a mirror, because I can’t compare my life to Addie Ann’s and it isn’t a door, because it isn’t a brand new world. Looking through the window I see things that I know I never experienced. Those things are bad things and throughout the story, Addie Ann has to try to fix those bad things. I learned how hard it must have been to live as a black person back then, because it is something I didn’t understand that well before I read the book.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about civil rights or what life was like back then. This book is very meaningful and can teach you a lot of things you probably wouldn’t know otherwise. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars, because although it was a great book, I personally am not a big fan of historical fiction. I think the book really does help people grasp a better understanding of certain things though. This book overall was pretty good.

[Roisin Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shana Burg, the author of A Thousand Never Evers, does an exquisite job of portraying real-life emotions in this book. A Thousand Never Evers is a book about a girl named Addie Ann Pickett and all of the awful things that happen in her life. Addie Ann goes through many things such as her father's murder, her brother protecting her and then having to leave, her house being burned to the ground, and her uncle is accused of ruining a butter bean field. These events changed and shaped how Addie had to live her life. In the end, Addie Ann’s life gets changed for the better and she is happily living her life.
This book is very good. There are a few spots where the book becomes slow. It covers very heavy topics like segregation, racism, and unfair treatment to people of different races. The overall skill level it takes to read this is a little bit higher than a regular book because of the language and topic. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5. I left out the .5 because certain spots are slow. The target audience, I would say, is about 7th to early high school students.
I learned lots of interesting things by reading this book. First of all, I get a deeper view of how rude people can be. The racism and segregation just in where they live is ridiculous. For example, the town of Kuckachoo is split in half and the brighter prettier side goes to the white people and the duller side goes to the African-American people. Also, all the stores and markets are kept on the white side. These examples show how bad times were for people just based on skin color.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 1963 and twelve-year-old Addie Ann Pickett lives in Kuchachoo, Mississippi with her mom, brother Elias, and Uncle Bump. They all work for Mr. Mudge, a rich white man, until he suddenly dies. A lawyer invites Addie and her family to attend the reading of the will where they learn Addie has inherited Mr. Mudge's television and Uncle Bump inherits a gold pocket watch. The entire community inherits the land where "white and Negroes hall plant a garden."

But the whites are determined that Uncle Bump turn over the garden gate keys, while the Negroes are just starting to learn how to exercise their civil rights, including Addie, whose eyes linger too long on a hat a white woman is wearing and now Elias stands up for his sister. After Elias disappears, the community makes accusations against Uncle Bump and Addie is determined to take a stand.

The story had elements of To Kill A Mockingbird, and The Help, which I enjoyed. The Note to Readers was in the front of the book, which was a good setup for the story.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked this book and felt that its message was an important one, there were a few issues that prevented it from being rated higher. First, I did like the main characters, but it did feel like Addie Ann was older than her years. Tons of idioms spewed from this child. It felt unnatural and unlike an authentic child's voice.

Plotwise, there were far too many coincidences and instances of people acting outside of their best interests that, again, felt inauthentic.

Read only if you're interested in USA race relations in the 1960s, but be prepared to have to suspend your disbelief.

3 out of 5 stars

[Natasha Hagen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I randomly picked up this book from my pile to read. What a story! With everything going on in the world this book could not be more fitting to the times. I have always believed that everybody should be treated fairly and the same no matter what. This book is a big reminder of how hard black people had to fight in the 1960's to be heard and treated with respect. Today it seems we are right back where we started 60 years ago.

This is a great read about a family who stood up to what was right and did what they thought would help change the movement and thoughts of people.

[Suzannegurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is the daughter of a Jewish lawyer who moved his family from NY to Alabama after hearing about the injustices prior to, and during, the Civil Rights movement. The story is historical fiction.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

A weak 2.5. Not as well-written as some other YA books. Wish the voice of Addie was more consistent.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent audio book.