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A Summer of Kings
It's 1963 and fourteen-year-old Esther Young is looking for excitement. Cursed with a lack of talent in a family filled with artistic types, Esther vows to get some attention by initiating a summer romance with a black teen accused of murdering a white man in Alabama.
King-Roy Johnson shows up on Esther's doorstep that summer, an angry young man who feels betrayed by the nonviolent teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. Sent north by his mother to escape a lynch mob, he meets a follower of Malcolm X's who uses radical teachings about black revolution to fuel King-Roy's anger and frustration. But with each other's help, both Esther and King-Roy learn the true nature of integrity and find the power to stand up for what is right and true.
National Book Award-winning author Han Nolan brings readers a bold new voice--by turns funny and poignant, innocent and worldly--in this powerful coming-of-age story set during the turbulent struggle for civil rights.
King-Roy Johnson shows up on Esther's doorstep that summer, an angry young man who feels betrayed by the nonviolent teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. Sent north by his mother to escape a lynch mob, he meets a follower of Malcolm X's who uses radical teachings about black revolution to fuel King-Roy's anger and frustration. But with each other's help, both Esther and King-Roy learn the true nature of integrity and find the power to stand up for what is right and true.
National Book Award-winning author Han Nolan brings readers a bold new voice--by turns funny and poignant, innocent and worldly--in this powerful coming-of-age story set during the turbulent struggle for civil rights.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
26 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Han Nolan
15 books223 followersHan Nolan is widely acclaimed for her evocative language, her gritty subject matter, and her ability to plumb the psyche of her characters. Her books include Dancing on the Edge, which won the National Book Award, Send Me own a Miracle, a finalist for the National Book Award, Born Blue, A Summer of Kings, and several other acclaimed novels. She and her husband live on the East Coast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
June 12, 2016
I'm not really the right person to review this book. This book is, at least in part, about the Nation of Islam and the radical black movements of the sixties. I know next to nothing about these movements. Moreover, the book is by a white author, and has a rich white protagonist. I'm a white person, and I know just enough about how black characters should be written to identify potentially bad tropes. But really and truly, I'm not the right person to assess this book to decide whether it's racist or not. And because this book's themes are explicitly race-centered, that makes it overall very difficult to review this book without addressing that. I'd love to direct you to an analysis of the racial politics of this book, but since it's pretty old and obscure, I can't find any. So, I'll have to do my best to review the other aspects of this book. But you should know, going in, that this review is woefully incomplete, and I'm sorry about that.
As a novel, however, this book has a good number of failings. I've read around half of Han Nolen's novels at this point, and I'm starting to notice the same problems over and over. The biggest problem with this book is the same one shared by Born Blue and especially A Face in Every Window: lack of coherency in the plot. There are three mostly-separate plot arcs going on: one regarding Esther's feelings about her mother and sister, one about King-Roy teaching her about black militant movements, and one about Esther's feelings toward her childhood best friend (whose name escapes me). These stories share a couple plot elements, but they don't really accumulate into a coherent character arc for Esther. The conclusion involves learning a lesson for each story - it doesn't feel like a complete novel so much as a few unrelated novellas awkwardly jammed together. Maybe it would've helped if these stories were well-written, but to be honest, they felt kind of awkward. Because each story gets so little attention, it's hard to identify any sort of driving tension in any of them. The story involving Esther's childhood friend felt particularly forced - her friend wasn't a particularly well-rendered character, and he gets so little screentime that it's difficult to tell why Esther was so attached to him.
The other major problem is that Esther isn't a very well-written character. She is fairly well-developed - I got a good sense of who she was and her personality. But time and time again, she makes decisions that just don't make sense with her character in order to advance the plot. She overreacts to almost everything, beyond a believable extent, simply for the sake of forcing the conflict. I don't want to get into too many specifics, lest I get spoilery, but trust me when I say that it got pretty annoying. The other characters are interchangeable, and their dialogue wasn't very well-written. In particular, I recall Esther's mom sounding so much like a stereotypical sixties mom that it was painful to read. It's a shame, because Esther's character development did have some potential. She is a well-rendered character, with a developed voice. This just wasn't a good story to serve that development.
There's a lot more to say about this novel, but as I've thoroughly established, I'm not the one to say it. However, just based on the quality of the writing, I wouldn't recommend this novel. I've said in the past that A Face in Every Window was Nolan's worst novel, but now that I've read this one, I'd say that this is even worse. It's not totally worthless - as usual, Nolan is good at writing well-developed protagonists, and the prose is largely fine. But the plot just doesn't work, no two ways about it. If you want a book about the sixties, This Means War! is aimed at a somewhat younger audience, but I'd still recommend it over this. And if you're looking for a Han Nolan novel, Crazy and Dancing on the Edge are both far better.
This review can also be found on my blog.
As a novel, however, this book has a good number of failings. I've read around half of Han Nolen's novels at this point, and I'm starting to notice the same problems over and over. The biggest problem with this book is the same one shared by Born Blue and especially A Face in Every Window: lack of coherency in the plot. There are three mostly-separate plot arcs going on: one regarding Esther's feelings about her mother and sister, one about King-Roy teaching her about black militant movements, and one about Esther's feelings toward her childhood best friend (whose name escapes me). These stories share a couple plot elements, but they don't really accumulate into a coherent character arc for Esther. The conclusion involves learning a lesson for each story - it doesn't feel like a complete novel so much as a few unrelated novellas awkwardly jammed together. Maybe it would've helped if these stories were well-written, but to be honest, they felt kind of awkward. Because each story gets so little attention, it's hard to identify any sort of driving tension in any of them. The story involving Esther's childhood friend felt particularly forced - her friend wasn't a particularly well-rendered character, and he gets so little screentime that it's difficult to tell why Esther was so attached to him.
The other major problem is that Esther isn't a very well-written character. She is fairly well-developed - I got a good sense of who she was and her personality. But time and time again, she makes decisions that just don't make sense with her character in order to advance the plot. She overreacts to almost everything, beyond a believable extent, simply for the sake of forcing the conflict. I don't want to get into too many specifics, lest I get spoilery, but trust me when I say that it got pretty annoying. The other characters are interchangeable, and their dialogue wasn't very well-written. In particular, I recall Esther's mom sounding so much like a stereotypical sixties mom that it was painful to read. It's a shame, because Esther's character development did have some potential. She is a well-rendered character, with a developed voice. This just wasn't a good story to serve that development.
There's a lot more to say about this novel, but as I've thoroughly established, I'm not the one to say it. However, just based on the quality of the writing, I wouldn't recommend this novel. I've said in the past that A Face in Every Window was Nolan's worst novel, but now that I've read this one, I'd say that this is even worse. It's not totally worthless - as usual, Nolan is good at writing well-developed protagonists, and the prose is largely fine. But the plot just doesn't work, no two ways about it. If you want a book about the sixties, This Means War! is aimed at a somewhat younger audience, but I'd still recommend it over this. And if you're looking for a Han Nolan novel, Crazy and Dancing on the Edge are both far better.
This review can also be found on my blog.
September 4, 2016
A Summer of Kings by Han Nolan
Esther Young is looking forward to this vacation since this time she will be FREE of doing no homework or tutors. She will get to do what she wants instead of what her mother thinks she needs. In her family its her brother, Stewart and her sister, Sophia that have the talents. Her parents usually tell her she is not good enough for anything but yet ask her to take on responsibility then when things don't pan out the way they ought to she gets I'm so disappointed in you rant.
The Young's have a house guest this summer, his name is Roy King Johnson a black teenager from the south. He hails from Alabama and became embroiled in a March for Freedom in which the southern people weren't going to take. His mother sent him north to live with them during the summer. Esther learned quite a lot this summer on the treatment of black people. Not only did she learn from Roy but also from reading of the likes of Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. She dreamed of participating in the March For Freedom and Washington D.C. and thought if people want change to take place then they need to work together to do just that, nonviolently.
Esther Young is looking forward to this vacation since this time she will be FREE of doing no homework or tutors. She will get to do what she wants instead of what her mother thinks she needs. In her family its her brother, Stewart and her sister, Sophia that have the talents. Her parents usually tell her she is not good enough for anything but yet ask her to take on responsibility then when things don't pan out the way they ought to she gets I'm so disappointed in you rant.
The Young's have a house guest this summer, his name is Roy King Johnson a black teenager from the south. He hails from Alabama and became embroiled in a March for Freedom in which the southern people weren't going to take. His mother sent him north to live with them during the summer. Esther learned quite a lot this summer on the treatment of black people. Not only did she learn from Roy but also from reading of the likes of Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. She dreamed of participating in the March For Freedom and Washington D.C. and thought if people want change to take place then they need to work together to do just that, nonviolently.
March 4, 2008
I was seven years old during the summer of 1963, but I remember that the racial tension from news reports (Chet Huntley and David Brinkley) worried me...and I can remember a certain feeling of sympathy for the blacks who were struggling for equality. This book also references period details that are familiar to me (our family owned a Plymouth Fury, for instance)so I related to it perhaps in ways that Young Adults today might not. However, the feelings of growing up and struggling to discover who you are and what you believe are very relevant.
January 18, 2015
A perfect read for MLK weekend, a 14 year old privileged white girl falls in love with an 18 year old black man accused of murder. It's 1963 and they are both trying to find their place in the world, and ways to make the world better. Same goals but different paths, both in experience and intention. Characters lacked depth, but this is a YA novel, could maybe even go to junior fiction, over all it was an inspiring story, with a very unexpected ending. Be the change, and believe in yourself.
March 3, 2023
It is 1963, and a girl named Esther is looking for fun. But, when a black man named King-Roy comes to her house, her life is changed forever. Esther thinks this summer will be filled with a romance between her and King Roy. But when King-Roy hears Malcome X speaking about having to fight for their freedom against whites, his attitude towards Esther changes and King-Roy starts hating whites. Esther is frightened by this hatred, but also curious about the non-violent teachings of Martin Luther King Jr and Gandhi. But as Esther's and King-Roy's friendship grows they have to stand up for what they think is right. This is a great book that I really enjoyed. Esther has an amazing character that describes what a teenager's life might be, but I think that King Roy's character could have been developed more because it doesn't really describe King Roy's character. It was what I expected it to be, it isn't such a long read though. I recommend this book to all readers that would be interested in Historical Fiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2019
4.5 stars.
Holy goodness, Han Nolan can write. RTC.
Holy goodness, Han Nolan can write. RTC.
March 24, 2022
Esther is our main chachter she is in a privileged house a 30 room mansion and she hosts a lot of people. Her dad is an actor and her bro and sis are child actors. She always stays home on summer break and even when they go to Europe she stays in the home there because she was held back in 3rd grade. That's where we meet pip (Jonathan I think was his real name) he is rich too lol. He stayed w her ever since and says he loves her every day she thinks it's annoying one day when they find roadkill to feed Auntie pies hawks they get n n argue and SHe says she's gonna marry this new "negro" that her family specifically her mom wants to host. Pip thinks it's not good and that they should her and him get married. They "break up," Auntie pie notices asks and Esther brushes it off okay done with the beginning. Did I mention it's her first summer not sting home studying?
They meet King hes black he's 18 auntie pie goes through his things finds a guy thinks that he's gonna kill them its a false accusation it gets solved.
Esther really is in love with him calls his voice chocolate smooth wow that sounds good now I wanna hear his voice >:C. Anyway, Esther is doing her best to connect with him even though she has a different idea of him a lot of the time( i kinda relate there aha). King shares his hardships of being a black American in the 60s with discrimination and I feel that he feels like if he is to do the slightest wrong thing he could lose everything because black people were put with the Dirty category or they were put in a box where they would be most likely to commit a crime.
Back to Esther, there are lots of conflicts that happen and for Esther, she becomes more open and grows as a character she can empathize with King when he vents to her kinda. Near the end, they move to go do the Martin Luther King jr MArch because she and her family realize that this racism should not be allowed and thats people should and are taking action to stop the disgusting thing.
They meet King hes black he's 18 auntie pie goes through his things finds a guy thinks that he's gonna kill them its a false accusation it gets solved.
Esther really is in love with him calls his voice chocolate smooth wow that sounds good now I wanna hear his voice >:C. Anyway, Esther is doing her best to connect with him even though she has a different idea of him a lot of the time( i kinda relate there aha). King shares his hardships of being a black American in the 60s with discrimination and I feel that he feels like if he is to do the slightest wrong thing he could lose everything because black people were put with the Dirty category or they were put in a box where they would be most likely to commit a crime.
Back to Esther, there are lots of conflicts that happen and for Esther, she becomes more open and grows as a character she can empathize with King when he vents to her kinda. Near the end, they move to go do the Martin Luther King jr MArch because she and her family realize that this racism should not be allowed and thats people should and are taking action to stop the disgusting thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 28, 2015YESSSS. A summer of kings made me cry. I really loved that Ester had so much motivation and potential. That she would fall in love with king-Roy. I brought history before my eyes. I learned a lot from this story including the experience of reading the part where Ester went to Washington to march for equal rights. I did hoped that King- Roy and Ester would fallen in love but the twist was tragic and brought tears to my eyes. What happened to King- Roy was devastating. I just wished it was a better ending for king- Roy but in all i really loved the story.A Summer of KingsHan Nolan
April 3, 2008
This book was super good! It is historical fiction and is set during the Civil Rights Movement. It is written through the eyes of a 14-year-old white girl, who becomes friends with an 18-year-old black boy. The story revolves around their ideas of civil rights and how it should be caried out, but still is interesting.
November 26, 2022
WOW!!! just wow! I loved this book so so so so much. It has been a long long time I finished a book in two days. I have never felt stronger emotion then while reading this book! This was so beautifully written and it is a 10/10 will read again and I strongly recommend any of you reading this rating to read the book!
October 21, 2009
Young girl is the year 1963 Finds a king! Furthermore, She marches in the Civil Rights March on Washington w/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Also has conatations of the Biblical Ester who saved her people.
Family, Friends and Freedom.
Also has conatations of the Biblical Ester who saved her people.
Family, Friends and Freedom.
August 7, 2019
I read this book off and on, having a hard time getting into it at first. It wasn’t that I was particularly bored, just uninterested in the plot of it. From the beginning I was annoyed with Esther, who was just a bland, annoying, hyper-sensitive character. I couldn’t stand her family or her friends. The events that happen in the book do bring out an unseen side of all of them, though, and those parts were very fun to read. The more I got into the book, the more I felt for Esther. Sure, sometimes she was annoying and said/did things in bad taste, but if she hadn’t, the plot would have been drier.
I’m not one for historical fiction, so you could argue that that’s why I didn’t enjoy the book at first, which is fair, considering I had to read it for school. This book held my attention the farther I got into it. The chapters ended right, leaving me wanting to read more. While I didn’t LOVE any of the characters, the book had some quotable parts from the ones I didn’t like all that much, and it had a good message.
If I wasn’t required to read the book I know I never would have. It’s hard to explain, but it’s just one of those books that even if you don’t really enjoy reading it as much as your favorites, in it’s own way it’s unforgettable.
I’m not one for historical fiction, so you could argue that that’s why I didn’t enjoy the book at first, which is fair, considering I had to read it for school. This book held my attention the farther I got into it. The chapters ended right, leaving me wanting to read more. While I didn’t LOVE any of the characters, the book had some quotable parts from the ones I didn’t like all that much, and it had a good message.
If I wasn’t required to read the book I know I never would have. It’s hard to explain, but it’s just one of those books that even if you don’t really enjoy reading it as much as your favorites, in it’s own way it’s unforgettable.
December 1, 2018
I spent a lot of this book not knowing how to feel about this book, but the fact that this book did, indeed, make me feel earns it a four star rating in my book. While the story was not by any means perfect, the young narrator had a voice that gripped me. I admired her honesty. I appreciated her emotion. And she just about gutted me a time or two.
February 28, 2018
It was very insightful on the dichotomy between how blacks and whites were treated during the 1960s. Although the main character, Esther, tried to understand King-Roy it was hard for her to have empathy when her and King-Roy were so different.
September 23, 2017
This gets 5 stars because of the amazing and realistic ending.
July 9, 2018
Beautiful.
November 6, 2018
Kinda sad, historical but reflects the realities of life in the USA for both black and white folks.
May 23, 2019
This book Is Very busy, In the book there are multiple conflicts that overlap. But the book is overall very enjoyable.
January 5, 2022
Boring lol
December 12, 2022
Slow start, but overall a well-written story with an important perspective.
February 28, 2023
The book wasn't that interesting in the beginning but the end was amazing and the character growth with her family was great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2015
The book A Summer of Kings by Han Nolan is a book about a young girl named Ester Young and her new house mate, African American King-Roy Johnston. King-Roy was accused of murder, so instead of staying in the south his mom recommends he stays up north with her good friend who happens to be Esters mom. The news of King-Roy coming to their house makes Ester very excited, because she is finally ready to have a different summer for a change with a new person in it. The protagonists name is Ester Young. Ester is 14 years old and has to be grown up and take on a lot of responsibilities throughout the book.
Ester's family is full of performers that are talented and smart when she is not really either of those things. I think the message that the author is trying to express is that racism is not fair nor right. King-Roy doesn't feel safe when he is in a white community; he feels scared that he might take or touch the wrong thing and cause a problem, and that should never be the case. King-Roy should feel safe where he goes or what he does no matter his or anyone's skin color. Ester doesn't understand this concept at first, but throughout the book she grows as a character and starts to realize what the reality of life really is. That the reality is that life is not always perfect, and their are some bumps in the road that we have to get around. I believe the authors wants the readers to take away from reading this book is that anyone can do anything to change the ways of life. Whether it's bringing in a canned good, donating clothes, or even do what Ester or do what Ester's family did. Ester, her family, and King-Roy's family travel from New York City to Washington D.C. to see and experience the Martin Luther King Jr. March to show their support and take action to stop racism around the country. I think Nolan is trying to say that no matter your skin color, imperfections, or whatever you different than someone else, it's ok to be you and fight for what you believe in.
The author uses a powerful theme of using questions throughout the book. I like this in a book because it truly gives all of the characterization of that character and shows if they understand what they are going though in their life. This book takes place during the early 1960's so that means there is still racism, segregationist, only black communities, and only white communities and Ester doesn't understand this concept that well, so she asks questions. She doesn't only ask questions like "why did white people hate black people?" and "have to start wars?" Ester asks more personal questions of "why did the popular kids pick on the unpopular kids?" Ester hasn't grown up yet, but most of her friends and close people to her have all grown up and she just doesn't understand how to grow up herself. During the 1920-30 teens were developed into a category. During that time teenagers had to skip that teenage step and go straight from childhood to adulthood. Their parents thought the kids should be more grownup, to be more like them, and to follow their footsteps. Throughout the book Ester is being constantly asked "why wouldn't you grow up?" and Ester doesn't want to grow up until towards the end of the book when she starts to realize her parents need her help with her younger siblings. It's good to ask questions. If questions aren't ask you are one is always worrying what the answer might be; they can't get it out of their head until it's asked. Even though King-Roy was African American and sometimes rude to Ester, Ester sticks with him no matter what. She protects him, cares for him, loves him, and so much more. I thought this book had a very strong message to walk away from knowing and understanding the concept of racism during this time period. I really liked this book because of it powers lesson and I would recommend it to any middle schooler.
Ester's family is full of performers that are talented and smart when she is not really either of those things. I think the message that the author is trying to express is that racism is not fair nor right. King-Roy doesn't feel safe when he is in a white community; he feels scared that he might take or touch the wrong thing and cause a problem, and that should never be the case. King-Roy should feel safe where he goes or what he does no matter his or anyone's skin color. Ester doesn't understand this concept at first, but throughout the book she grows as a character and starts to realize what the reality of life really is. That the reality is that life is not always perfect, and their are some bumps in the road that we have to get around. I believe the authors wants the readers to take away from reading this book is that anyone can do anything to change the ways of life. Whether it's bringing in a canned good, donating clothes, or even do what Ester or do what Ester's family did. Ester, her family, and King-Roy's family travel from New York City to Washington D.C. to see and experience the Martin Luther King Jr. March to show their support and take action to stop racism around the country. I think Nolan is trying to say that no matter your skin color, imperfections, or whatever you different than someone else, it's ok to be you and fight for what you believe in.
The author uses a powerful theme of using questions throughout the book. I like this in a book because it truly gives all of the characterization of that character and shows if they understand what they are going though in their life. This book takes place during the early 1960's so that means there is still racism, segregationist, only black communities, and only white communities and Ester doesn't understand this concept that well, so she asks questions. She doesn't only ask questions like "why did white people hate black people?" and "have to start wars?" Ester asks more personal questions of "why did the popular kids pick on the unpopular kids?" Ester hasn't grown up yet, but most of her friends and close people to her have all grown up and she just doesn't understand how to grow up herself. During the 1920-30 teens were developed into a category. During that time teenagers had to skip that teenage step and go straight from childhood to adulthood. Their parents thought the kids should be more grownup, to be more like them, and to follow their footsteps. Throughout the book Ester is being constantly asked "why wouldn't you grow up?" and Ester doesn't want to grow up until towards the end of the book when she starts to realize her parents need her help with her younger siblings. It's good to ask questions. If questions aren't ask you are one is always worrying what the answer might be; they can't get it out of their head until it's asked. Even though King-Roy was African American and sometimes rude to Ester, Ester sticks with him no matter what. She protects him, cares for him, loves him, and so much more. I thought this book had a very strong message to walk away from knowing and understanding the concept of racism during this time period. I really liked this book because of it powers lesson and I would recommend it to any middle schooler.
February 4, 2016
Lauren Alexander
A Summer of Kings
By: Han Nolan
Goodreads Review
This story takes place in New York City. It is about this teenage boy, King-Roy Johnson. King-Roy was accused of killing a white man in Alabama. Before anyone could catch him his mother sent him to live with Esther Young and her family in New York. Esther has a huge crush on King-Roy all throughout the book. When she told her best friend Pip, he freaked out saying stuff like “You think you and this cold blooded killer are going to become a couple? He’s a Negro and a cold-blooded killer. Are you crazy?” Esther was always forgotten in her family. Her little brother, Stewart and her little sister, Sophia were the stars of the family. Esther was never a star in her parents eyes for various reasons. A few of them being she wasn’t the best student, didn’t have a talent, and wasn’t girly. The only person that favored her was Auntie Pie. Esther was always a huge help to Auntie Pie.
2) The characters in the book seem very real. Esther’s family seems like any other family. Esther is unique though. Throughout the book, King-Roy mentions someone named Ax. Ax is trying to convert King-Roy to a different belief. Esther didn’t want that for King-Roy. So, she insisted on going to a march in Washington. A march against segregation, even though she was white.
3) Esther looks like someone with long blond hair, and brown eyes. She looks like someone that would wear a t-shirt, light wash jeans, and some beat up Keds. King-Roy looks like someone with short black hair, and brown eyes. He looks like someone who would wear glasses, a nice polo shirt, with nice jeans, and some tennis shoes.
4) On page 260, it states “It’s time to march, not write. Sometimes I think we have to come out from behind our desks and come out of our houses and just march.” Esther was not going to give up her dream of marching against segregation. Esther was trying to be strong for King-Roy. King-Roy had marched before. His mother told him to not let go of his siblings. While marching, a white man came and sprayed him with a firehouse and that disconnected him from his siblings. He just ran away and left them there. The water that the white man sprayed ended up killing his baby sister. King-Roy never wanted to march for anything ever again. Esther did, even if it meant her life.
SPOILER ALERT:
5) Something Esther did that was important was go and march against segregation. She got to listen to Martin Luther King Jr. and got to march. Everybody at the march was astonished to see a white person marching for their rights. She believed everybody should have the same rights as one another. King-Roy did something unimaginable. White people came to King-Roy's door after he had returned home to Alabama. They wished to speak with King-Roy. King-Roy was pretty afraid of white people because a white person had killed his sister. He grabbed his gun but immediately put it down. When he answered the door, he realized his brother had picked up the gun and was about to shoot. When he shot, King-Roy blocked the white people and was shot. He died shortly after.
6) I did thoroughly enjoy this book. I enjoyed it because it showed that true friendship between a white and black person is possible. Esther knew that as soon as she had met him she knew he wasn’t a killer. She made it her mission to help end segregation.
7) I think the theme of this novel is to stand up for what you believe in. Esther never gave up her dream of marching to help end segregation. She knew that she could get in trouble with the law but she insisted on doing it. Nothing was going to change her mind. She even got her family and Pip to march with her after convincing her parents that segregation should be stopped. During the march, her parents realized that segregation should be stopped.
A Summer of Kings
By: Han Nolan
Goodreads Review
This story takes place in New York City. It is about this teenage boy, King-Roy Johnson. King-Roy was accused of killing a white man in Alabama. Before anyone could catch him his mother sent him to live with Esther Young and her family in New York. Esther has a huge crush on King-Roy all throughout the book. When she told her best friend Pip, he freaked out saying stuff like “You think you and this cold blooded killer are going to become a couple? He’s a Negro and a cold-blooded killer. Are you crazy?” Esther was always forgotten in her family. Her little brother, Stewart and her little sister, Sophia were the stars of the family. Esther was never a star in her parents eyes for various reasons. A few of them being she wasn’t the best student, didn’t have a talent, and wasn’t girly. The only person that favored her was Auntie Pie. Esther was always a huge help to Auntie Pie.
2) The characters in the book seem very real. Esther’s family seems like any other family. Esther is unique though. Throughout the book, King-Roy mentions someone named Ax. Ax is trying to convert King-Roy to a different belief. Esther didn’t want that for King-Roy. So, she insisted on going to a march in Washington. A march against segregation, even though she was white.
3) Esther looks like someone with long blond hair, and brown eyes. She looks like someone that would wear a t-shirt, light wash jeans, and some beat up Keds. King-Roy looks like someone with short black hair, and brown eyes. He looks like someone who would wear glasses, a nice polo shirt, with nice jeans, and some tennis shoes.
4) On page 260, it states “It’s time to march, not write. Sometimes I think we have to come out from behind our desks and come out of our houses and just march.” Esther was not going to give up her dream of marching against segregation. Esther was trying to be strong for King-Roy. King-Roy had marched before. His mother told him to not let go of his siblings. While marching, a white man came and sprayed him with a firehouse and that disconnected him from his siblings. He just ran away and left them there. The water that the white man sprayed ended up killing his baby sister. King-Roy never wanted to march for anything ever again. Esther did, even if it meant her life.
SPOILER ALERT:
5) Something Esther did that was important was go and march against segregation. She got to listen to Martin Luther King Jr. and got to march. Everybody at the march was astonished to see a white person marching for their rights. She believed everybody should have the same rights as one another. King-Roy did something unimaginable. White people came to King-Roy's door after he had returned home to Alabama. They wished to speak with King-Roy. King-Roy was pretty afraid of white people because a white person had killed his sister. He grabbed his gun but immediately put it down. When he answered the door, he realized his brother had picked up the gun and was about to shoot. When he shot, King-Roy blocked the white people and was shot. He died shortly after.
6) I did thoroughly enjoy this book. I enjoyed it because it showed that true friendship between a white and black person is possible. Esther knew that as soon as she had met him she knew he wasn’t a killer. She made it her mission to help end segregation.
7) I think the theme of this novel is to stand up for what you believe in. Esther never gave up her dream of marching to help end segregation. She knew that she could get in trouble with the law but she insisted on doing it. Nothing was going to change her mind. She even got her family and Pip to march with her after convincing her parents that segregation should be stopped. During the march, her parents realized that segregation should be stopped.
April 15, 2013
It's been a few years since I read this book, but everything I remember about it was amazing and beautiful and heartbreaking.
The hatred that humankind can feel towards a people group is unbelievable, this book showed that it's possible to overcome.
I need to buy this and read it again. It was definitely one I want to own, and I'd recommend it highly. It's a book that's been in the back of my mind since the day I read it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4/13/13 -- Bought the book. Re-read it. New review:
This story was incredible. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed. It's phenomenal how much emotion can be packed into one book. If I had the ability to force people to read, I'd make everyone read this book.
The book takes place in the summer of 1963 where racial segregation and hatred was still very prominent in the US. Because of tragic circumstances King-Roy Johnson comes to stay with Esther Young's family for the summer. Living in a wealthy neighborhood in the North Esther doesn't see or understand the oppression of Black Americans. King-Roy lets Esther inside his life and she is slowly introduced to the horrifying reality that she has always been a part of.
Martin Luther King Jr. preaches nonviolence and a peaceful revolution. King-Roy has proven that to be wrong. He then hears the teachings of Malcolm-X and buries his grief in violence and hatred. The forgiveness and healing MLK Jr. stands for no longer has any significance to King-Roy.
Esther doesn't know who she is. She's talentless, ignored, and being left behind by everyone in life. She finds herself in her passions and beliefs. As the summer goes on, King-Roy changes for the worse and Esther for the better. The more she tries to convince King-Roy that peace is the answer, the further she finds herself in the middle of a problem. While the white Americans in her community do not openly hate black Americans, they do nothing to solve the problem of segregation. Then she hears about the dangerous March on Washington. This is the opportunity she's been looking for. Esther realizes that to make any difference at all, she cannot be passive any longer. She's going to have to fight for what she believes in, even if it kills her.
This story was well crafted and just beautiful. I mostly cried for Esther through the book, to be honest, but that's because I related with her. And so I don't sound like a horrible person I also cried for King-Roy, though in my defense his story was a very small part of the actual book.
I kinda just want to shove a copy of this into every hand I pass and make people read and understand our history and how tragic it really was at times. This book definitely wakes you up to how far we've come and how far we still have to go.
The hatred that humankind can feel towards a people group is unbelievable, this book showed that it's possible to overcome.
I need to buy this and read it again. It was definitely one I want to own, and I'd recommend it highly. It's a book that's been in the back of my mind since the day I read it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4/13/13 -- Bought the book. Re-read it. New review:
This story was incredible. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed. It's phenomenal how much emotion can be packed into one book. If I had the ability to force people to read, I'd make everyone read this book.
The book takes place in the summer of 1963 where racial segregation and hatred was still very prominent in the US. Because of tragic circumstances King-Roy Johnson comes to stay with Esther Young's family for the summer. Living in a wealthy neighborhood in the North Esther doesn't see or understand the oppression of Black Americans. King-Roy lets Esther inside his life and she is slowly introduced to the horrifying reality that she has always been a part of.
Martin Luther King Jr. preaches nonviolence and a peaceful revolution. King-Roy has proven that to be wrong. He then hears the teachings of Malcolm-X and buries his grief in violence and hatred. The forgiveness and healing MLK Jr. stands for no longer has any significance to King-Roy.
Esther doesn't know who she is. She's talentless, ignored, and being left behind by everyone in life. She finds herself in her passions and beliefs. As the summer goes on, King-Roy changes for the worse and Esther for the better. The more she tries to convince King-Roy that peace is the answer, the further she finds herself in the middle of a problem. While the white Americans in her community do not openly hate black Americans, they do nothing to solve the problem of segregation. Then she hears about the dangerous March on Washington. This is the opportunity she's been looking for. Esther realizes that to make any difference at all, she cannot be passive any longer. She's going to have to fight for what she believes in, even if it kills her.
This story was well crafted and just beautiful. I mostly cried for Esther through the book, to be honest, but that's because I related with her. And so I don't sound like a horrible person I also cried for King-Roy, though in my defense his story was a very small part of the actual book.
I kinda just want to shove a copy of this into every hand I pass and make people read and understand our history and how tragic it really was at times. This book definitely wakes you up to how far we've come and how far we still have to go.
April 1, 2015
In the novel A Summer of Kings, by Han Nolan, the author's main message is that one should always be one's self and should not care if other people think differently. This story was written in first person from Esther's perspective. The protagonists in this novel are a 14 year old girl named Esther and a teenage boy named King Roy. Esther lives in Westchester county with her mom, her aunt, and her two siblings, Sophia and Stewart. She does not have a lot of friends and is not talented compared to the rest of the family. Sophia is a singer and actress and Stewart does ballet. Esther's only true friend is a young boy named Pip. King Roy is an African American teenage boy who is from Alabama. King Roy's mother sent him away to Westchester County to live with Esther in an attempt to escape a lynch mob in Alabama. Before he came to live with Esther and her family, he was accused of murdering a white man in Alabama. Everyone in Westchester believes that he murdered a white man, but King Roy did not commit the crime. Esther is a lonely girl, because she does not have very many friends at all. She falls in love with King Roy, because she is so desperate to have somebody like her. That plan does not work very well, because she tries to force the relationship between both of them by saying that she loves him, when he does not feel the same way about her. Esther perseveres throughout the entire novel by trying to impress her parents with tap dancing, because her parents think she is not very talented, and she wants to prove to them that she is. Also, she never gives up on searching for friends, such as King Roy and Pip. Esther is a young, tough girl who fights for what she believes in.
This is one of my favorite novels so far this year. I enjoyed this book, because it teaches the reader to always be one's self instead of dissimulating in order to please others. A Summer of Kings is a very inspirational book for everybody. My favorite part is when Esther comes up with this brilliant idea to put on a show for her mother using Stewart, Sophia, and herself. She conjures up this idea, because she wants to show her parents that Stewart should continue taking ballet classes, Sophia is an amazing actress and singer, and that Esther has a talent for tap dancing. She wants to prove to her parents that everyone in her family has a talent that they should be proud of themselves. At the end of the show, their parents gave a round of a applause to all three of them and smiled. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes reading suspenseful novels.
This is one of my favorite novels so far this year. I enjoyed this book, because it teaches the reader to always be one's self instead of dissimulating in order to please others. A Summer of Kings is a very inspirational book for everybody. My favorite part is when Esther comes up with this brilliant idea to put on a show for her mother using Stewart, Sophia, and herself. She conjures up this idea, because she wants to show her parents that Stewart should continue taking ballet classes, Sophia is an amazing actress and singer, and that Esther has a talent for tap dancing. She wants to prove to her parents that everyone in her family has a talent that they should be proud of themselves. At the end of the show, their parents gave a round of a applause to all three of them and smiled. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes reading suspenseful novels.
October 18, 2010
It is summer of 1963 and fourteen-year-old Esther Young wants some excitement in her life. Overshadowed by her family of talented performers, Esther yearns for attention and is determined to get it by initiating a romance with King-Roy Johnson, a black teen accused of killing a white man in Alabama. King-Roy shows up on Esther's doorstep an angry young man who feels betrayed by the nonviolent teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. His anger and frustration are fueled by one of the followers of Malcolm X, a man who endorses black revolution. Both fascinated and frightened by King-Roy's hatred of white people, Esther is empathetic even though she contemplates his beliefs. As their friendship grows, Esther and King-Roy each find the strength and courage to stand up for what is actually important.
History is one of my favorite subjects and I have always wanted to go back in time and witness all these important historic events. This book did just that for me. The plot was so interesting and detailed that I felt that I traveled back in time to 1963 and witnessed the important events of the Civil Rights Movement such as the March on Washington. I saw and felt everything from Esther's point of view. I feel like I can relate to Esther as we are both about the same age and are in that stage where we are transitioning from childhood to adulthood. I feel that Han Nolan did a great job of narrating the story.
I am giving this book a thumbs up for doing a great job of describing the spiritual struggles adolescents typically face through Esther and King-Roy’s perspectives. The plot was way different than the plot of a typical historical fiction book dealing with the Civil Rights Movement. Most books talk about the Civil Rights Movement from a black person's perspective but it was also interesting to hear it from a white person's perspective. I would strongly recommend this book for boys and girls in middle school and high school who are into reading historical fiction as they can relate to both the characters Esther and King-Roy and the struggles that they face.
History is one of my favorite subjects and I have always wanted to go back in time and witness all these important historic events. This book did just that for me. The plot was so interesting and detailed that I felt that I traveled back in time to 1963 and witnessed the important events of the Civil Rights Movement such as the March on Washington. I saw and felt everything from Esther's point of view. I feel like I can relate to Esther as we are both about the same age and are in that stage where we are transitioning from childhood to adulthood. I feel that Han Nolan did a great job of narrating the story.
I am giving this book a thumbs up for doing a great job of describing the spiritual struggles adolescents typically face through Esther and King-Roy’s perspectives. The plot was way different than the plot of a typical historical fiction book dealing with the Civil Rights Movement. Most books talk about the Civil Rights Movement from a black person's perspective but it was also interesting to hear it from a white person's perspective. I would strongly recommend this book for boys and girls in middle school and high school who are into reading historical fiction as they can relate to both the characters Esther and King-Roy and the struggles that they face.
April 5, 2015
In the book A Summer Of Kings by Han Nolan, the message is one should not be judged on appearance or race, but should be judged on their morals and personality. Esther is the protagonist. She has an authoritative mother, an aggressive but kind father, a sweet intelligent younger brother named Stewart, and a bratty yet talented younger sister named Sophia. Esther is not considered the brightest in her family, in fact her mother tells her that it is okay is she is a gym teacher, while she tells her younger siblings to chase their dreams. Secondly, Esther's two best friends have abandoned her, but luckily she still has her faithful and mostly reliable friend Pip. This story is told from the point of view of an excluded and discouraged fourteen year old during 1963. Thankfully, Esther is given hope when the eighteen year old, black, and accused murderer, King Roy Johnson, arrives at her home, and gives her a summer she will never forget.
This is one of my favorite reads this year, and possibly one of my favorite books of all time. I liked the description of how Esther felt during stressful times, but how King Roy was always a sense of hope. The only critic I have is how spoiled Sophia was. I think she ruined some important parts of the plot, and once Esther was happy Sophia tended to put a damper on the event. My favorite character was Stewart. This is because he was rude to Esther at the beginning of the story, but by the end Esther helped him, and he helped her in return. Also, because he is not openly spoiled, and when Sophia is mean to Esther, he is the only person to stand up for Esther. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a relatable, jaw dropping novel.
This is one of my favorite reads this year, and possibly one of my favorite books of all time. I liked the description of how Esther felt during stressful times, but how King Roy was always a sense of hope. The only critic I have is how spoiled Sophia was. I think she ruined some important parts of the plot, and once Esther was happy Sophia tended to put a damper on the event. My favorite character was Stewart. This is because he was rude to Esther at the beginning of the story, but by the end Esther helped him, and he helped her in return. Also, because he is not openly spoiled, and when Sophia is mean to Esther, he is the only person to stand up for Esther. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a relatable, jaw dropping novel.
December 8, 2012
A Summer of Kings isn't just about a girl in the 1960's that falls in love with an African-American man, but it goes into the cultural depths and problems that the characters face throughout the book. In the time period, African American people were treated very poorly and this book goes into some different ways they are mistreated. When I think of that time, I think of them just not being able to get a good paying job and having to sleep eight to a bed, but this book goes on about the marches and Muslim society and how they play into it. But it's not just a historical book, this is one of the best books in the way that they combine so many different genres and ideas. There's romance between King-Roy and Esther, at least in Esther's mind there is. There's the suspense of never knowing what Ax and Malcolm X are going to put in King-Roy's head to do. But the history that Han Nolan put into it is so real and the way she describes some of the flashbacks King-Roy has are just so amazingly detailed. It's like i'm there. It seems like a story my great-grandpa would tell. The only thing I didn't like was that Esther's only real motivation to do anything, besides trying to please her parents, is for King-Roy. She tap danced for him and she dreamed about them being together. She basically spent every minute thinking about him and when she wasn't, she was thinking his past and how she could help him. Over all, this book gives good insight into how things were like for a rich, privileged family in New York and what happens when an eighteen year old, African American man that has been accused of killing a white man, comes to live with them.
October 10, 2011
Historical Fictions always never fail well at least from my point of view. So when I checked out this book last summer I was determined I was going to like it, firstly because It's a historical fiction and I love history and secondly because it's about a teenage girl around my age which made me eager to read it. I enjoyed reading this book very much because of how similar I was to the main character. A Summer of Kings by Han Nolan is a novel about 14 year old girl named Esther Young who blames her self for being the untalented one in her family. She believes it's all because she failed a grade in elementary school that her family views her as the "not so smart one." So in the Summer of 1963 Esther is happy that she doesn't have to take summer courses and has more time to do things she likes like running with her best friend. But then during her summer when someone named King-Roy Johnson a Black Teenage Boy who moves in with Young family because of an accused murder, Esther believes that she is meant to be with this King-Roy Johnson and falls in love with him before she even meets him. She ignores the fact that he is black and that she lives during the time where racial discrimination is present. Mostly because her family have nothing on racism and believe it's wrong and because they believe that King-Roy is innocent which is why they brought him to hide in their house. The story then brings two teenager's lives during the civil rights movements and one of the most important time periods in all of American History to the haunting question of every teenager's life. Who Am I?
September 10, 2012
Well, this was another love/hate book. I didn't care for the beginning. I know of this author because we read her Holocaust novel "If I Should Die" at our school and it is superb, so I thought I'd give this one a try. After much character development in the beginning with the main character, Esther and her crazy friend Pip, and her new summer love, King-Roy Johnson. But then it started to get interesting as the events of 1964 unfold with the inequalities of blacks and whites. A paragraph that struck a cord with me:
"Is it our fault we don't get paid same as you for doing the exact same job, only we're doin' it two times better? Is it our fault we build the buildings, plant the crops, lay out the roads and the train tracks all over this country, but we can't get a decent place to live and our own roads aren't paved and the food we get at the grocer is half rotten and full of worms? You tell me that. Is that our fault?" (King-Roy) So, instead of a romance filled summer, Esther is faced with major questions: "Why did we have wars? Why did people hate? Why did white people hate black peole?" The plot really thickens when Esther is determined to "Be the Change" in the world. In the end, tragedy strikes, her wish comes true, she writes about her summer and most importantly she is filled with hope for the country. I would recommend this books to middle schoolers--good for social justice or civil rights unit. I'm glad I stuck with this novel. I'm going to try Han Nolan's, 'Crazy' novel next!!
"Is it our fault we don't get paid same as you for doing the exact same job, only we're doin' it two times better? Is it our fault we build the buildings, plant the crops, lay out the roads and the train tracks all over this country, but we can't get a decent place to live and our own roads aren't paved and the food we get at the grocer is half rotten and full of worms? You tell me that. Is that our fault?" (King-Roy) So, instead of a romance filled summer, Esther is faced with major questions: "Why did we have wars? Why did people hate? Why did white people hate black peole?" The plot really thickens when Esther is determined to "Be the Change" in the world. In the end, tragedy strikes, her wish comes true, she writes about her summer and most importantly she is filled with hope for the country. I would recommend this books to middle schoolers--good for social justice or civil rights unit. I'm glad I stuck with this novel. I'm going to try Han Nolan's, 'Crazy' novel next!!
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