One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

• The novel One Crazy Summer, written by Rita Williams-Garcia, is a wonderful novel about three young African American sisters, who journey to see the mother that abandoned them. These sisters are exposed to the revolutionary group, known as the Black Panthers, during their stay with their mother in Oakland, California. This is a story about self-discovery, maturity, race, and the power of family.

How could this novel be used in the classroom?

•    This novel would be a very good addition to a classroom, due to the fact that it opens up a wide variety of topics. 
• Family dynamics 
• Race issues
• Self-discovery
• Maturity 
• Questioning society 
• The importance of words

• This novel would give a teacher the opportunity to discuss these issues with the class, and give students the opportunity to discuss personal connections they feel to the novel.
• One Crazy Summer would also be a good addition to a classroom, due to the fact that it gives the students some diversity.  It is important to introduce students to novels written by different races and genders. This way all students have the opportunity feel connected to the literature they are being presented.

Connections to other texts:

• Teachers could connect this text to other historical canonical works that bring up many of the same issues.

• The Invisible Man, written by H.G. Wells.