Author: Kristin Levine
Pages: 304
Audience: Tweens
Genre: Historical Fiction (African American)
Rating: 4.5 stars. I'd meditate with this book.
Goodreads Summary
Two girls separated by race form an unbreakable bond during the tumultuous integration of Little Rock schools in 1958
Twelve-year-old Marlee doesn't have many friends until she meets Liz, the new girl at school. Liz is bold and brave, and always knows the right thing to say, especially to Sally, the resident mean girl. Liz even helps Marlee overcome her greatest fear - speaking, which Marlee never does outside her family.
But then Liz is gone, replaced by the rumor that she was a Negro girl passing as white. But Marlee decides that doesn't matter. Liz is her best friend. And to stay friends, Marlee and Liz are willing to take on integration and the dangers their friendship could bring to both their families.
This was a really moving book that made me realize (yet again), how lucky we are to live in a world with laws and ideals forged by brave, good-hearted people before us. I do think there are clear parallels to be drawn from the issues in this book to many current societal struggles. Oppression of any person or group of people is dangerous.
I think a child reading this would find it easy to understand and relate to this book from either Liz or Marleen's point of view (or both). It reminded me strongly of [book:To Kill a Mockingbird|2657], although it is more accessible. The shades of gray in character motivation was what really made this book shine. Many of the characters weren't "good" or "bad", or they changed their minds.
One things that did bother me was the amount of metaphors. The lions as a symbol of bravery were excellent, and I liked how Marleen and her math teacher related numbers to life (although I find that difficult), but the people as types of drinks didn't seem to quite fit. It felt like too much, and why Marleen imagined people that way was never really explored. I like the idea, but it didn't quite link up anywhere. I also found Marleen's literal stumble onto a box of dynamite a bit convenient to the plot, as well as a few other unlikely occurrences.
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