Miami Jackson Gets It Straight

Miami Jackson #1

by Patricia C. McKissack, Fredrick L. McKissack

MIAMI JACKSON CAN’T wait for school to end. But who ever thought five days could be so long? His teacher is leaving for Ghana, his arch-enemy, Destinee Tate, is on his case, and now Miami’s keeping secrets from his best friend, String. Summer can’t come soon enough!

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Chapter Books

96 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 1999

About the author

Patricia C. McKissack was the Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Award-winning author of The Dark-Thirty and Porch Lies an ALA Notable Book. She collaborated with Jerry Pinkney on Goin' Someplace Special (Coretta Scott King Award winner) and Mirandy and Brother Wind (Coretta Scott King Award winner and Caldecott Honor Book).

Reviews

[Sonia Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

In re-reading the books in the Miami Jackson series, I'm still amused by Patricia and Frederick McKissack's flair for bringing humor and delight to the protagonist Miami. In Miami Gets It Straight, readers are drawn to Miami's quick wit and observations of his mother, sister, and best friend String. Miami's nemesis name Destinee challenges his ability to find an ideal farewell gift for their third-grade teacher. Miami's out-loud funny quirky events leading up to giving the teacher the gift are quite entertaining. This fictional story is not lengthy and can appeal to beginning to intermediate level readers.

[Jennybeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great, short little book about the last few days of 3rd grade before summer, saying goodbye to a good teacher and friendships. The boys and girls have a significant rivalry, and Miami hates the leader of the girls, Destinee. His best friend String says that he should give her a chance, and when a gift buying shopping expedition for the teacher goes awry, he learns they have more in common than he thought.

[Rever Wesley · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was very very very very poopy

Oh yeah pizza man oh yeah pizza man oh yeah pizza man oh yeah pizza man oh yeah pizza man🔝♋♌♍♎♏♐♒♈♉♓⛎🔱🆑🔏🔒🔏➰🔈➰🔈♠♠🔖🔓➰🔒🆑🔒🔈🔒🔖➰🔏🔁🔒🔖🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒 🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔒🔁🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓♉🔓🔓🔓🔓🔓🔓🔓🔓🔒🔒🔓🔓🔒🔓🔓🔓🔓🔓🔓🔓🔓🔓🔓♉🔓🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔒🔒🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓🔒🔓

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute story. I think my 3rd & 4th graders will enjoy it.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patricia McKissack's Miami Jackson books are a truly unique addition to the world of transitional readers. Third-grader Miami can't wait for summer vacation to start - he and his best friend String are going to baseball camp together, and for three whole months he won't have to see snooty Destinee Tate. But when Miami and Destinee have to work together to come up with an end-of-year gift for their teacher, will they be able to come to a compromise?

Miami is written authentically, using exclamations like "Check this out" or "I can't hang with Destinee Tate" that are part of young boys' (and particularly young African American boys') vernacular. The story of shopping for his teacher's gift (and then losing it) demonstrates good ethics without being overly preachy. This series would be a great way to get African-American boys at the transitional stage interested in reading; it's where the literacy gap starts to really become evident. It's just too bad McKissack only wrote three in the series.

[LeAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lively chapter book about third graders that will serve a purpose there even if it will never be a classic. Miami strongly resents the smartest girl in the class whom readers will see has the potential to be one of his best friends. That is not really resolved as they look for a present for their teacher (going to Ghana for two years), but his friend tries to bridge the gap and they are forced to work together. The lack of resolution is probably so that the rivalry can be continued in the next book of the series. The book is first person with a lot of telling in a voice didn’t quite work for me. That may have been because of the third-grade reading level.