Equal (Bakers Mountain Stories)

In 1959, a North Carolina teen is caught up in the social changes of the times. This depiction of racial struggles as seen through the lens of the White community has a dense narrative that is well crafted but takes a gentle tone about a time that is anything but gentle. The author's note provides information about actual events, including the racial terminology used at the time. A look back at a complex era that continues to resonate in today's world.

Gr 6 Up-- Set in western North Carolina in 1959, the fifth book in the "Bakers Mountain" series explores racial inequality. When 13-year-old Jackie Honeycutt meets Thomas Freeman fishing by the river, Jackie hopes they can be friends. But their friendship won't be easy, as Jackie is white and Thomas is Black. The civil rights movement is growing, and Jackie learns about racism and prejudice through bullying at school, the experiences of his college-aged sister Ellie as she participates in peaceful protests with her Black friend Maribelle, and the behavior of community members when his family helps Maribelle's family. Historical details are easily intertwined with the Honeycutt family's journey to understanding and combating injustices in a racially segregated society; characters build a bomb shelter, fearing the United States will be attacked by Russia, and participate in lunch-counter protests at Woolworth stores. An author's note explains that the words Negro and colored are used throughout the story because those were the terms used by Americans at the time. The extensive notes also discuss the civil rights movement, the Cold War, and other elements such as 4-H that are important to the story. A list of resources completes the back matter. VERDICT A comprehensive and engaging choice for historical fiction collections.--Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga P.L. Syst., OH

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year

★ "The 1950s...setting allows for the introduction of such topics as soldiers home from World War II and the Korean War coping with PTSD while working and raising families, the Cold War and fears of Russia attacking the U.S., and the resistance to the integration movement. This title can serve to help students understand these aspects of this period in U.S. history, as well as give some additional context to the world of their grandparents and great-grandparents. Given the recent conversations surrounding equality and the BLM demonstrations, this title could also serve to open the door to highly relevant class discussions on bullying, racism, and prejudice." —School Library Connection, starred review