The Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author tells the moving story of the friendship between a young white boy and a Black WWII veteran who has recently returned to the unwelcoming Jim Crow South. For Gabriel Haberlin, life seems pretty close to perfect in the small southern town of Birdsong, USA. But on his twelfth birthday, his point of view begins to change. It all starts when he comes face-to-face with one of the worst drivers in town while riding his new bicycle--an accident that would have been tragic if Mr. Meriwether Hunter hadn't been around to push him out of harm's way.
After the accident, Gabriel and Meriwether become friends when they both start working at Gabriel's dad's auto shop, and Meriwether lets a secret slip: He served in the army's all-black 761st Tank Battalion in World War II. Soon Gabriel learns why it's so dangerous for Meriwether to talk about his heroism in front of white people, and Gabriel's eyes are finally opened to the hard truth about Birdsong--and his understanding of what it means to be a hero will never be the same.
Brenda Woods was born in Ohio, grew up in Southern California, and attended California State University, Northridge. Her award-winning books for young readers include
The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond (a CCBC choice and a
Kirkus Reviews Best Book); the Coretta Scott King Honor winner
The Red Rose Box; the ALAN Pick
Saint Louis Armstrong Beach; and
VOYA Top Shelf Fiction selection
Emako Blue. Woods’s numerous awards and honors include the Judy Lopez Memorial Book Award, the FOCAL International Award, and the ILA Children’s Choice Young Adult Fiction Award. She lives in the Los Angeles area. To learn more, visit brendawoods.net.
“Woods casts a much needed spotlight on the history of African-American troops in World War II.”—
The New York Times Book Review
“The story encourages trying to consider situations from other people’s perspectives.”—
The Washington Post
* “If Opie Taylor from
The Andy Griffith Show wrote a book about Mayberry’s racism, the voice would be that of Gabriel Haberlin, the 12-year-old white boy who is saved from near tragedy by Meriwether Hunter, a ‘colored’ man. . . . The author’s use of the word ‘colored’ isn’t gratuitous—the book’s setting is Birdsong, South Carolina, in 1946. The word also sets the tone of the town’s postwar racial references and bigotry. . . . An affecting—and realistic—story. Another stellar outing from the always-solid Woods.”—
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "True friendships defy age, gender, race, and other obstacles. . . . Woods writes an important story of racism in small town, USA in the aftermath of WWII. Told through the eyes of a child, the reader witnesses the confusion and turmoil present within the country and its citizens when black soldiers, who fought for their country’s freedom, returned home and found that they weren’t celebrated as heroes and that their rights were still unequal. Brenda Woods’ characters are complex, yet relatable. Her plot beautifully told, yet heartbreaking. Her message long-standing, yet relevant even today. This is a must-have for all classroom and school libraries and would be an excellent companion book to US history studies of this time period."—
School Library Connection, starred review
“Even readers who have been taught about segregation in the South are likely to deepen their knowledge of the nuanced history through the novel’s handling of how white and African-American veterans were treated differently after WWII. The characters of impressionable Gabriel and Meriwether, whose patience is tried by society’s unfair rules, ring true as the story shows that ‘the world, including Birdsong USA, isn’t always pretty.’”—
Publishers Weekly
“There are many books that show segregation and its corrosive effects through the eyes of both white and black children, and in Gabriel's engaging first-person narrative, one can almost see the wheels turning as he realizes what life is like for Hunter and his family, especially after he learns the vet can't speak of his distinguished service due to white attitudes. . . . Gabriel's strong and questioning voice will have appeal for middle-graders, and the story will give them a history lesson as well.”
—Booklist
“Gabriel witnesses the fear, pain, anger, and sense of powerlessness faced by African Americans living under Jim Crow. This title presents the reality of racism in the mid-20th century, as seen through the perspective of a young white boy. Hand to readers looking for historical fiction or those who enjoy the works of Christopher Paul Curtis and Rita Williams Garcia.”—
School Library Journal
