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Black Angels
A powerful look at race and family at the dawn of the civil rights movement.
Eleven-year-old Celli's summer begins the usual way -- her mother leaves for a month's vacation in Atlanta and Sophie the baby-sitter moves into their house from the other side of town. But this is not a usual summer. Celli has discovered angels that no one else can see -- black angels appearing on the white side of town. And Sophie, part of the family despite the dark color of her skin, has become an outspoken advocate for equal rights. Her daring support of the fledgling civil rights movement embarrasses Celli -- and leaves her an outcast among her friends. As the black community's support for equality swells, Celli feels more embarrassed by Sophie's strident presence in town than supportive of the movement, until her long-lost grandmother from Ohio pays a visit and reveals a secret that will change the way Celli looks at life, color, and family.
From the Hardcover edition.
Eleven-year-old Celli's summer begins the usual way -- her mother leaves for a month's vacation in Atlanta and Sophie the baby-sitter moves into their house from the other side of town. But this is not a usual summer. Celli has discovered angels that no one else can see -- black angels appearing on the white side of town. And Sophie, part of the family despite the dark color of her skin, has become an outspoken advocate for equal rights. Her daring support of the fledgling civil rights movement embarrasses Celli -- and leaves her an outcast among her friends. As the black community's support for equality swells, Celli feels more embarrassed by Sophie's strident presence in town than supportive of the movement, until her long-lost grandmother from Ohio pays a visit and reveals a secret that will change the way Celli looks at life, color, and family.
From the Hardcover edition.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
1 person is currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Rita Murphy
7 books11 followersRita Murphy is the author of Night Flying (2000), Black Angels (2001), Harmony (2002), Looking For Lucy Buick (2005), Bird (2008) and Hurricane Henry (2025).
Night Flying, winner of the Delacorte Press Prize at Random House Children's Books, was voted a Best Book for Young Adults by The American Library Association and Smithsonian Magazine.
Rita studied at the University of Vermont and Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She has been a creative writing instructor at The Monteverde Friends School in Costa Rica, Breadloaf Young Writers Conference in Vermont, and guest author in Vermont Public Schools.
Rita lives with her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Night Flying, winner of the Delacorte Press Prize at Random House Children's Books, was voted a Best Book for Young Adults by The American Library Association and Smithsonian Magazine.
Rita studied at the University of Vermont and Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She has been a creative writing instructor at The Monteverde Friends School in Costa Rica, Breadloaf Young Writers Conference in Vermont, and guest author in Vermont Public Schools.
Rita lives with her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 1, 2022
small book with an incredibly important theme. was a bit confusing at times but still put forward a strong message.
August 4, 2019
We LIVE for short reads which are impactful in the smallest of ways!
January 26, 2017
I really liked this gem of a book, small in size but big in the message it was trying to convey. It's set in summer 1961 in Georgia and the struggles of the people there. The book focuses on the two main characters Celli and Sophie I don't want to give anything away but what happens to both of them changes them and their lives. As one of quotes from the book says "if you know your not alone, if there are folks around you who love you, then you can do just about anything in life. If there is just one person in the world who truly sees you, it can make all the difference". There is more poetic and thoughtful writing throughout this book and I would recommend it to all. I will look out by more by this author.
April 11, 2010
This is the story of a young girl living in Georgia during the civil rights movement. I really enjoyed it. The story is told from a unique perspective which I won't go into detail about as that would spoil it for any of you who choose to read it, and I recommend that you choose to read it! The characters are well developed an the story line is realistic and plausible and entertaining. I miss Celli and Sophie already.
February 27, 2010
A short but important insight into the rally for black rights.
A good story to give to children if you want them to have an understanding of the continuing inequalities that people of other cultures face and the everyday people who stand up to fight for a better future.
A good story to give to children if you want them to have an understanding of the continuing inequalities that people of other cultures face and the everyday people who stand up to fight for a better future.
August 23, 2021
A really unusual take on race and equality. A very imaginative book who discovers, to her shock, that this is the summer the angels came. Only thing is- nobody believes her as she is the only person who can see them. A lovely dive into a growing awareness of race, family and community. This novel is fair to all while still delivering a strong message about being true to yourself. delightful.
March 2, 2026
Enjoyable read, couldn't put it down.
January 27, 2014
This is a book that's been on my to-read list for a very long time, ever since I read the blurb in the back of Night Flying, what - six, seven years ago? It didn't quite live up to my expectations, but only because I was expecting another work of fantasy. What I got was a gritty and actually quite down to earth depiction of Civil Rights era small-town Georgia.
Black Angels has all the strengths of and neatly sidesteps all the hiccups of Night Flying, Murphy's first novel. The characters are all fleshed out, the setting is evocative, and the message is clear without being too ham-fisted. Celli and her family are much more tolerant than most white families in their town, but their are still racist, and Murphy does not shy away from this.
My only real problem with Black Angels was that it stopped too soon. Maybe it's an issue of pacing, but there seemed to be just too much story to fit in to a book this short. It reads almost like the opening section of a longer novel. But then again, it is a children's book; maybe it's the right length as it is.
Black Angels has all the strengths of and neatly sidesteps all the hiccups of Night Flying, Murphy's first novel. The characters are all fleshed out, the setting is evocative, and the message is clear without being too ham-fisted. Celli and her family are much more tolerant than most white families in their town, but their are still racist, and Murphy does not shy away from this.
My only real problem with Black Angels was that it stopped too soon. Maybe it's an issue of pacing, but there seemed to be just too much story to fit in to a book this short. It reads almost like the opening section of a longer novel. But then again, it is a children's book; maybe it's the right length as it is.
February 16, 2016
The faith of the black maid is sympathetically presented and previously skeptical Celi asks Jesus for help in the crisis. The angels are something Celi sees in the garden sometimes that let her know she is not alone. They were the image that got the author started on the story, but ultimately, I think they could be left out without losing much.
March 11, 2016
It's like To Kill A Mockingbird for children - I really enjoyed the way the protagonist was written and there was some lovely imagery in the book. Everything was linked together in the end in a novelistic way and it was an enjoyable read.
October 18, 2008
Briana says: This book is about a young girl who learns to understand the color of her skin, her family, and her life. I highly recommend it and give it 5/5 stars.
February 22, 2009
Read this in 6th grade. Yay...?
June 10, 2010
This is a good introduction for young readers to race prejudice and the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement in the south. I'll bring it to you, Dawn.
April 30, 2017
Beautifully-written story of the Civil Rights Movement in the South, seen through the eyes of an 11-year old white girl. Set in Georgia in 1961.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews