After a day trip to San Francisco, the sisters return home to find their mother Cecile and two members of the Black Panther Party being arrested. Me too. We looked around in silence at the walls, the dresser. No more free egg rolls. She waved her hands like Shoo, stray cat. I didnt know how to answer. Cecile guarded the kitchens swinging door and pointed us to the living room, where she had laid out a waxy tablecloth on the floor. 5-6 written by Jenny Burr and published by Classroom Complete Press. But Cecile said, Drank the water in the bathroom. Its nasty, Fern said. I would hate to think she had left us to lead a normal, cookie- baking, pork chopfrying life. Our crazy mother was sending us outside to find militant strangers if we wanted to eat. Go round the corner to Mings. I was thinking this when behind us crept a rumbling against concrete, like a barrel rolling, the rolling broken by the cracks in the sidewalk. Yet even as Ky leads her team from one crisis to another, her family and friends refuse to give up hope, endeavoring to . Scarf tied around her head. Two more pens were stuck in her hair. But I saw and heard it with my own ears and eyes. She was practicing her role as the cute, bouncy pup in the litter and asked yet again, Delphine, what do we call her? A large white woman came and stood before us, clapping her hands like we were on display at the Bronx Zoo. Rotating. I spoke up. It sounded like: Seize the time. For the people. The time is now. Versus her: Me My No Teri Markson, writing for School Library Journal, states that it is "emotionally challenging and beautifully written" for children about ethnic identity and personal responsibility. I loved it. Which is OK, I understand not all people are awesome. I had hoped to ask Sister Mukumbu about the name the Black Panthers called Cecile and why they called her that. I kept walking, Fern sticking close to me. There were other pictures of mostly black men and a few women hung up around the room. With these long legs Im taken for twelve or thirteen, even a little older. Except there werent any cameras or spies following the colored, broad-shouldered Mata Hari. [15] Tricia Melgaard from School Library Journal states that this story is delightful and told through the eyes of Delphine, a "sensitive and intuitive" young girl. Ma is sore and worn out from wringing your wet clothes and hanging them to dry; Ma needs peace and quiet at the end of the day. I knew I at least had that right. Except for going to school and church, Fern and Miss Patty Cake had been inseparable for as long as Fern or anyone else could remember. escape(document.referrer)+((typeof(screen)=="undefined")? It was bad enough my insides squeezed in and stretched out like a monkey grinders accordionno need to let anyone know how frightened I was. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. White wings hanging in the kitchen. Why hadnt I taken the window seat when Id had my chance? There's no real background in the book about who the Panthers are, so all you really get is "Pa doesn't like them" or "Huey is in jail." A lotta good it did if the bus driver heard us getting our ages straight. Fern was wriggling out of her seat belt and climbing on me to get a glimpse. Cecile changes her name to Nzila, a Yoruba name meaning "the path. My printing press isnt free. And that should be the one who read about it in class. Vonetta tried to steer me over to them, but I didnt want to go chasing after them. When Cecile left, Fern wasnt on the bottle. That it had to be done. Cecile is printing her own money in the kitchen. Only in old movies on TV. She looked at all of us wondering not only who we were, but what we were. I shook myself awake and jumped to my feet. Dont you know when someone is being nice to you? I put on my dumb dodo face to fake not knowing what she meant. They were on the news a lot lately. It was in Cecile's kitchen that the girl met Sister Mukumbu. Your mother lives on the street, in a hole in the wall, sleeping on park benches next to winos sounded exactly as Big Ma said it. 436 0 obj <> endobj xref 0000001884 00000 n Long, unfamiliar words ending That was why Pa had put us on a plane to Oakland. Then everyone come for free egg roll. She muttered on like Cecile did and looked mean and tired like Big Ma looks on washboard days. When Id asked about it, Uncle Darnell had said theyd fought over Cecile writing on the walls all the time. The lady shouted in Chinese to the back of the kitchen. As many times as Big Ma said it, I never fully believed it. Day 1: One Crazy Summer pp. She just said, Come on, and put the key in the door. Whirled around on her heelstaking in the clean walls, the curtains, a beat- up sofa, a few stacks of books, and not much elselanded, and said, Wheres the TV and everything? Vonetta was too far from me to nudge or kick. It was for Fern and her doll. Eyes glommed onto her. This book has one of the rarest characters in literature, especially among children's stories: Cecile, self-named Nzilla, is a poet, an artist, a printer, a Black Panther, and a "crazy" mother who abandoned her three children. Either Cecile wouldnt come back to Brooklyn or she wasnt welcome. I expected to see writing on the walls. Vonetta groaned. I knew Ali had refused to go to Vietnam and fight like Uncle Darnell was doing. I expected to read strings and strings of words tapped out from her pencil onto the walls. She was tall and broad shouldered, where Pa was just tall. Even though Id finally figured out these were expressions and not the plain, factual truth, I expected Cecile Johnson to, at the very least, be bad off. Print Word PDF. I had already seen three people in dark clothes with Afros. The second book, P.S. The reasons for their political movement and the history behind them are only briefly touched upon. This was better than socking him in the arm. We have to go out after eight to call Pa and get the food? You the oldest. Im not free. One of them answered, None of us is free, Sister Inzilla. The three Black Panthers were rapping. We were long gone from thick, white clouds, the plane steadily climbing down. You look out for them, yhear. The snappy Negro lady had been nice enough to smile but hadnt returned the look that Big Ma expectedand Big Ma had expected the look Negro people silently pass each other. He nodded, said, Thank you, Sister, and took the box with him. The lady opened her pocketbook, took out a red leather change purse, and scooted coins around, searching for the right amount for adorable, well- behaved colored dolls. I Stringy like Lucy Raleighs, who bragged about being part Chickasaw in the fourth grade but by fifth grade was singing Im Black and Im Proud louder than loud because James Browns song had made it the thing to do. Then there's the Black Panthers. Questions: 4, 7, 8, 9 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem. One Crazy Summer is a highly acclaimed historical fiction novel that is based in 1960's Oakland, CA. Is Tinker Bell going to feed you? She was still laughing. This book was a TOTAL SOCK-OBLITERATING EXPERIENCE. We were in our summer nighties. From there we could see pieces of the three figures who entered Ceciles house. Here. I could see any thoughts Vonetta had about reciting poetry, tap-dancing, and curtsying vanished. Mama burns your ears with the hot comb to make your hair look pretty for class picture day. I let her lag a step or two behind to wink and smile at them. Vonetta shrieked, then stuck her thumb in her mouth. What we got to do with Mexico? That one had also thrown me when Cecile said it: Should have gone to Mexico to get rid of you when I had the chance. Hirohito will help with my demonstration. I didnt have to turn to see Vonettas mile-long pout. Better come on and get some loving now She hadnt had to finish the rest about how this might be the last time in a long while for kissing and hugging. And one lady dressed like Jackie Kennedy, carrying a small oval suitcase. Fern could love Miss Patty Cake all she wanted. When we went outside, the beakish guy with the floppy Afro was gone. us. I didnt know Cecile yet. I said, Thank you, but I didnt add the maam, for the whole Thank you, maam. Id never heard anyone else say it in Brooklyn. Me in the front, Vonetta and Fern at my sides. It is also available online in a variety of ways, including for free or for a fee. Cecile tells the police she has no children, for she doesn't want the girls to be involved, so the girls pretend to live next door. One Crazy Summer (Series) Rita Williams-Garcia Author (2010) Series; One Crazy Summer; Our Apps. Delphine is wonderful, and the time and place beautifully depicted. Orbiting. Our first airplane ride. Fern hugged Miss Patty Cake but refrained from putting a piece of toast to her dolls lips like she would have done at home. A dresser. Even better, we saw ourselves going to Disneyland. Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali were the only faces I could name. Then you aint thirsty, little girl. Im not Little Girl. Nope. Then there'll be a competition . I wasnt about to add fuel to the fire by asking questions about things that I should know, like my mothers name. When we lined up, shed told the Negro Jackie Kennedy, These my grandbabies. All them riots. Pa has a respectful way of ignoring Big Ma. [2] Cant miss it. I didnt rightfully know what that meant, but I was all my sisters had, so I said, Thats where women go who dont want their babies. But why Mexico? And not Queens? Fern asked. However, the girls father sends them to Oakland, California one summer to stay with their estranged mother, Cecile, who refers to herself as Nzilla. She knew better than to repeat Big Mas words; and if she didnt, that kick should have smarted her into knowing better. Simply wonderful. I gave them a stern look to make them quit it. loved it. No way hed put us on a plane if it were dangerous. They halfway believed me. Cecile was no kind of mother. Or the snooty Dont you even know your own mothers name? Sister Mukumbu would have given me the plain, pure, teacherly truth. Look at them. Beak Man tried to stand up to his humiliation. If Big Ma could see how quickly our home training had flown out the window, she would have had us on the next Boeing 727 back to New York. The first one said What We Want in green letters. You better write a poem about the people, or else. Fern and I laughed at her. The next day, the girls return home, after finally hugging their mother. Shed figure things out soon enough. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. Vonetta said, And four plates, four forks, four napkins, and four cups. Fern: And four egg rolls. Vonetta: All for money. But Papa said call. Not collect, Delphine. She is the de facto leader of her little family. Center. A bed with a brass headboard and arm rails, a blue cover. We could call ourselves Vanilla Wafers, Chocolate Chips, or Oreo Cookies for all I cared about black girls and colored girls. I think Rita Williams-Garcia is a fantastic writer and she derserves all the awards and honors she got for this book. Eldridge Cleaver isnt free. A statement of fact. Instead, Id folded the bills and stuffed them in my tennis shoe before we left Herkimer Street. Dont get me wrong. I wasnt worried about Vonetta. The other two, black T-shirts and black berets over Afros. She asked a teachers type of question. Excellent novel for middle grade readers in particular to learn about the sixties and the Black Panthers. Wheres your mother? How else do you think she got this house? Mean Lady Ming kept talking. ";"+Math.random()+ I wanted to smile. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven . other cab. It was painful to be reminded of what little progress our nation had made toward racial equality in the 100 years that had passed since the Civil War. eighty cents in my drawer at home to pay for the late fees for the remaining two weeks when we returned to Brooklyn. At least she was like that with everyone, not just us. You cant say, Your mother lives on the street, in a hole in the wall, sleeping on park benches next to winos. I didnt understand expressions when I was six. When one of the kids called out Revolving, Sister Mukumbu clapped her hands. I was here to make sure my sisters and I ate breakfast, and to stay out of Ceciles hair. Vonetta: Whats for supper? Then Fern: Hungry. We were leaving Cecile with her kitchen and her palm tree. I would have never let my long-gone daughters travel nearly three thousand miles without turning on the stove. Here, she said. These blocks might have been long like the blocks on Herkimer Street, but we were far from Brooklyn. The seasons wouldnt change if the earth didnt travel around the sun. I fell asleep with my book in my lap. I got it. Today were going to think about our part in the revolution. Vonettas hand shot up. When I heard that her book was about the Black Panthers, however, my interest was piqued. Customer is the key to business success and this is why customer service is key to every business. Cecile had made it clear she didnt want to see us anytime soon, so we told Sister Mukumbu our names and followed her and Sister Pat, the young woman in the Cal State T-shirt, into a classroom. At the rally, the sisters see their mother has been released from jail, and return home with her. Not one house was painted that crazy green color. Want to read more from this author. Delphine's mother may have told the story of her hard life; it explains, but does not erase, the hardness she has shown her girls. Now they stood across from each other: Cecile towering over Fern with her arms crossed, and Fern looking up at Cecile. I love the girls personality they were so funny and sassy and all so different. Fern bit down on Miss Patty Cakes pink plastic arm. I wanna go home. Me too. I knew which home they meant. Golden Gate Bridge I glanced at my Timex. As sure as I knew Cecile was crazy and unmotherly, I knew I must stop Fern. The park is on the other side. The clouds had made peace with our Boeing 727. That wasI glanced at my wristnine hours and twelve minutes ago. Vonetta next: Airline food dont count. Fern last: Surely dont. She was still looking down at us as if wed thrown a monkey wrench into her quiet Tuesday evening. Published in 2010, this novel is the first in Williams-Garcia's Gaither Sisters series; two sequels, P.S. Breakfast Program We found the Center like Cecile said we would. with the tremendous bonus of being beautifully written."Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal-winning author of A Single Shard www.harpercollinschildrens.com Photo by Jason Berger Discussion Guide Praise for 01/11 That old word was perfectly fine for Big Ma. I just thought, Serves you right. He has only one or two faces, nothing hidden, nothing exaggerated. Quick like lightning. I said, Well need a lot of dimes. Download or read book One Crazy Summer - Literature Kit Gr. Make her switch. To Fern, the Golden Gate Bridge sounded like Sleeping Beautys castle. Cecile finally turned as she got to the glass doors and looked to see where we were. Who are these girls? Follow eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters as they travel from Brooklyn to Oakland, California to meet the mother who abandoned them. 436 6 Their mother doesn't want them there, so I can't imagine why their father thought this was a good idea. Thats final. It had been all we could do not to let on when Pa sat us down the next morning. The Panthers opened the doors and we trailed inside, the three of us sticking close together. I had fought my share too, but so what. You cant stop Vonetta from chasing after friends. No, because Cecile didnt have a hug and a kiss that Fern expected. Two teenage girls with Afros. A man in navy overalls swept garbage off the floor a few feet away from Make sure you tell them I gave to the cause. Probably all of nineteen or twenty, but he thought he was something. I feel like I know very little more about the Black Panthers now than when I started reading, other than that they attended rallies and weren't as militant as Pa thought they were. during one of the most tumultuous years in recent American history, one crazy summer is the heartbreaking, funny tale of three girls in search of the mother who abandoned theman unforgettable story told by a distinguished author of books for children and teens, Rita Williams-Garcia. They need to know her, and she needs to know them. I was just thinking about Vonetta and Fern. I got plenty of air sandwiches here. I dont nap in the daytime. As quiet as a spy, I unbuckled my suitcase and took out my borrowed copy of Island of the Blue Dolphins. Vonetta, Fern, and I were the only Negro children. While I thought about what Id tell her, we heard a knock on the door. He saw us standing with our arms folded and turned his back to us. Stucco, Cecile called it. I had it all worked out and counted the pages Id read each night, dividing that by twenty-eight days. Under federal law, if you knowingly misrepresent that online material is infringing, you may be subject to criminal prosecution for perjury and civil penalties, including monetary damages, court costs, and attorneys fees. I said, Thats not self-hatred. It was also great to learn about the type of summer camp the Black Panthers ran in many communities. While she was ringing Pa, I realized my Timex was still on Brooklyn time and that it was after eleven oclock. Sister Mukumbu smiled in spite of his groaning. But Vonetta and Fern, who was now angry, both hollered, Delphine! as loud as they could. I can count on it to keep things running on schedule. We had cost Vonetta her summer friends with the white go-go boots and happening dresses. One thing was for sure. The redheaded stewardess was appalled by my uppity behavior. We went inside Mings. Not plain as in homely plain, but even plain. Although I was her last child, I took my time making my appearance. Why dont they live with you? It was too late. Cecile ended all of that when she broke the sticks joined at the top, rubbed them against each other like she was kindling twigs for a campfire, then wrapped noodles around them and shoved the noodles, shrimp, and sticks into her mouth. Just as I had that soft plastic arm out of Ferns mouth, those Cassius Clayfighting clouds threw our 727 another jab. And one lady dressed like Jackie Kennedy, carrying a small oval suitcase. Then who were those people? Vonetta asked. Just keep walking till you see kids and old people lined up. Youre not going to take us? I didnt mean it to worm out as a question and was mad at myself for asking instead of stating. It was just as Big Ma had said. Shake it off. One Crazy Summer is the first book in the Gaither Sisters Series. The girls go to a summer camp run by the Panthers because their mother couldn't care less what they do. But I remembered strange things that got me laughed at in school. And Uncle Darnell had said I was always there, quiet, in the kitchen while she chanted, tapped, and wrote. Only Huey Newton, the Black Panther leader, and Muhammad Ali, who used to be Cassius Clay. I knew you girls should have never left Brooklyn. Cracking and shaking. The Chinese lady behind the counter said, No free egg rolls. The packet is filled with reading and writing activities. Tall, dark brown woman in mans pants whose face was half hidden by a scarf, hat, and big dark shades. There were two soldier boys in green uniforms who didnt look any older than Uncle Darnellhigh school cap and gown one day, army boots and basic training four days later. One Crazy Summer - Book Study Created by Learning to Grow - Bethany Lewis The One Crazy Summer activities in this book study will make using this amazing book even easier! Huey Newton isnt free. I enjoy books when a child is the protagonist. We came for breakfast. Then Fern added, And to meet our mother in Oakland. If Hirohitos spinning made us giggle, Vonettas declaration made everyoneexcept my sisters and me, and the still-dizzy Hirohitofull-out laugh. The classroom was unlike any I had ever been in. We need night-beds. We were in a boiling pot of trouble cooking. The style of it allows children to get acknowledged with serious social, political, and ethical problems, causing their compassion to the events of the story, as its protagonists are of the same age as them. You couldnt see we were together. And why are you out in the street in the middle of the night? Vonetta smiled, welcoming their interest in us. The rock crackling of ice in a metal tray. Two teenage girls with Afros. The telephone booth was also where Cecile said it would be, right next to Mings. The stewardess reexamined the slip of paper. Then I put on my talking to white folks voice and said, Can you get her a glass of cold water? Im used to doing whats hard. Ma had plenty of judgment for Cecile. When Cecile slowed her man-sized steps, tore off her big hat, her scarf, and her dark glasses, we knew we had arrived. No. I was sure they were Black Panthers. I didnt know exactly how I would have asked her, but something made me believe she would know and that she wouldnt make me feel bad for asking. The book does not attempt to be completely historically. Even after Cecile proved Big Ma right. Fern wouldnt have uttered a word if Vonetta hadnt raised her hand to speak. You cant say stuff like that to a kid asking about her mother when its snowing outside or pouring down raining. Everybody poor. Youre not that big that you need a bed all to yourself. I was big enough to give up a full view of the world on the 727 and big enough to outsmart my sisters at every turn. Were getting ready to land. One crazy summer pdf book Everybody loves summer. Then he gave it a running push and jumped on it, eventually lying stomach down, his arms outstretched as he held on to both ends of the T. What was that? Vonetta asked. We had to stay with Cecile. With both feet safely on the ground, Vonetta became her old self, her face shiny and searching. Dont expect no pity from us. "I was born in Queens, N.Y, on April 13, 1957. "": We were all staring. On the other side, a baby palm tree sloped toward the sun. When we caught up, she said, Yall have to move if youre going to be with me. Fern needs help, I told her. To me, she said, Delphine. Come on, yall. I had to pull Vonettas chin away from the direction of the boy on the flying T. She kept looking even after he was long gone. Above New York. The green It was by pressing our ears to the air that we had heard Pa say, No, Ma. Smog. If you can read, you cant miss the O in Orchard. Turn left. How many times would I be this high up and have a sight as spectacular as the Golden Gate Bridge right underneath me? After one of the younger sisters gets a stomach ache, Delphine goes to the store with their Chinese food allowance and cooks real food in the previously forbidden kitchen. Once again, we fell into our spying positions, angling ourselves at the cracked door to see, while pressing our ears against the air. I certainly didnt forgive Cecile. Now give me four transfers. I had been eleven for a good while, standing tall; but I said to Vonetta and Fern, If anyone asks, Im ten. Vonetta folded her arms. Before I could get a thought going about Cecile or Oakland, the cab driver let us out not too far from the airport. Book excerpt: Reconnect with lost loved ones and discover the strength hidden within. It isnt that she actually likes it. Go on back to the room, open your mouths, and catch one. The staredown ended right there. My mother writes on cereal boxes and on the wall, Id said proudly in the second grade. Sit. We sat down and waited. They squeezed my hands tight. Id been dumb enough to volunteer facts about my mother for show-and-tell. This your house? Vonetta was the first to put our amazement into words. Cecile yelled after them, but they were too excited to hear her. I expected Id have to nudge Vonetta and Fern into knowing better when they asked for all the things we had at home, like Mr. Like Friedas brother. I made the Black Power sign with my fist. The one political group so difficult to write about that you can't find them in a single children's book (aside from. Still, the Golden Gate Bridge was getting away from me. And us. Lets see the room. Pa rose in the dark for work and was asleep by nine. Oh, my. Flashes of Cecile chanting words, tapping a rhythm with her pencil, then writing. Or stucco. Introduce the book (see Preparation page of the Text Talks flip book for ideas). I tightened her seat belt. She thought it was all right to have the large white woman gawk at us, talk to us, and buy our attention. That's it. One Crazy Summer Chapter 14 By Rita Williams-Garcia Advertisement - Guide continues below Chapter 14 Coloring and La-La The next morning the girls go back to the People's Center for breakfast. She had an idea. Although I could at least keep still, Vonetta and Fern stamped their feet like holy rollers at a revival meeting. Vonetta and Fern were still shouting to Big Ma and Papa, who had to be asleep. A shrill voice had announced the departing flight to Oakland. She was scouting out new friends to be with for the next twenty-eight days. She couldnt explain that to Papa. Or to Big Ma, Fern said. We walked inside and looked around. Who do I Just find a black beret. Whats wrong with this picture? The other Black Panthers laughed and told Fern, Thats right, Lil Sis. Thats how I could be sure it was Ceciles home, all right. When youre six, you wonder why your mother would rather live on the street, in a hole in the wall, and sleep on park benches next to winos than live with you. The goosenecked floor lamp with its half-moon glass bowl. Mom invites your friends inside when its raining. After six and a half hours on the plane and keeping up with Cecile, I figured they could use the recreation. You know how Papa is, I told them. Serious, hard-working and loving characters are disparaged. She put the box in my hands. [7], The theme of women's liberation and advancement in society is also presented in this book. Then she spoke. We have a statement of fact. A strong option for summer readingtake this book along on a family road trip or enjoy it at home. I wanted to be mad, but I Even so, most people were afraid of Black Panthers because they carried rifles and shouted Black Power. From what I could see, these three didnt have rifles, and Cecile didnt seem afraid. She went into the kitchen and came out with a cardboard box, a little smaller than the shoe box for Papas work boots. Even the tallest sister. And so well behaved. Vonetta perked up to out-pretty and out-behave us. She probably knew too but left it up to her sisters, who wanted to be called on. Theyre Black Panthers. i wish i had this kind of book when i was a kid. That was when Big Ma came up from Alabama to see about us. Miss Patty Cake was there when Cecile wasnt. Look down at the bridge! Vonetta stayed tight to her stubborn curl, her chin in her lap. Vonetta asked, Can they make you write poems? Then Vonetta fixed her voice deep like a mans. One Crazy Summer - Rita Williams-Garcia - Google Books One Crazy Summer Rita Williams-Garcia Thorndike Press Large Print, Jan 10, 2019 - JUVENILE FICTION - 264 pages 907 Reviews. This was how it was at home. Merriam Webster was falling down on the job.