Synopses & Reviews
In this Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel and sequel to the
New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book
One Crazy Summer, the Gaither sisters return to Brooklyn and find that changes large and small have come to their home. This extraordinary novel earned five starred reviews, with
Publishers Weekly calling it "historical fiction that's as full of heart as it is of heartbreak" and
The Horn Book considering it "funny, wise, poignant, and thought-provoking."
After spending the summer in Oakland, California, with their mother and the Black Panthers, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern arrive home with a newfound streak of independence. The sisters aren't the only ones who have changed. Now Pa has a girlfriend. Uncle Darnell returns from Vietnam a different man. But Big Ma still expects Delphine to keep her sisters in line. That's much harder now that Vonetta and Fern refuse to be bossed around. Besides her sisters, Delphine's got plenty of other things to worry about — like starting sixth grade, being the tallest girl in her class, and dreading the upcoming school dance. The one person she confides in is her mother, Cecile. Through letters, Delphine pours her heart out and receives some constant advice: to be eleven while she can.
Supports the Common Core State Standards
Review
“This thoughtful story, told with humor and heart, rings with the rhythms and the dilemmas of the ‘60s through characters real enough to touch.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
“Funny, wise, poignant, and thought-provoking, this will leave readers wanting more about Delphine and her sisters.” Horn Book (starred review)
Review
“..the Gaither sisters are an irresistible trio. Williams-Garcia excels at conveying defining moments of American society from their point of view this is historical fiction that's as full of heart as it is of heartbreak.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
“P.S. Be Eleven is a must-read for fans of the first book, but it can also stand alone as an engrossing novel that will leave readers pondering important issues of race, gender, and identity.” School Library Journal (starred review)
Synopsis
One crazy sequel!
After spending the summer with their mother and the Black Panthers, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern return to Brooklyn with a newfound streak of independence. That doesn't sit well with Big Ma, who doesn't like the way things are changing.
Neither does Delphine. Pa has a new girlfriend. Uncle Darnell comes home from Vietnam, but he's not the same. And her new sixth-grade teacher isn't the fun, stylish Miss Honeywell — it's Mr. Mwila, a stern exchange teacher from Zambia.
But the one thing that doesn't change during this turbulent year is the advice that Delphine receives from her mother, who reminds her not to grow up too fast. To be eleven while she can.
About the Author
Rita Williams-Garcia's Newbery Honor-winning novel, One Crazy Summer, was a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, a National Book Award finalist, the recipient of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and a New York Times bestseller. The sequel, P.S. Be Eleven, was also a Coretta Scott King Award winner and an ALA Notable Children's Book for Middle Readers. She is also the author of six distinguished novels for young adults: Jumped, a National Book Award finalist; No Laughter Here, Every Time a Rainbow Dies (a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book), and Fast Talk on a Slow Track (all ALA Best Books for Young Adults); Blue Tights; and Like Sisters on the Homefront, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. Rita Williams-Garcia lives in Jamaica, New York, is on the faculty at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in the Writing for Children & Young Adults Program, and has two adult daughters, Stephanie and Michelle, and a son-in-law, Adam.