The Return of Gabriel - Hardcover

Armistead, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 157131637X ISBN 13: 9781571316370

Publisher: Milkweed Editions, 2002

Synopsis

Set in Mississippi in the summer of 1964, young Cooper is stuck in a hard place between his family and his friends when the freedom workers arrive to register blacks to vote and his father tells him to attend a Ku Klux Klan meeting. Simultaneous.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Armistead follows his strong first novel, The $66 Summer, about prejudice in the 1950s South, with an equally dramatic story set in 1964. The easy-going friendship between Cooper, a white 13-year-old, and his African-American neighbor, Jubal, is suddenly threatened when liberal-minded college students arrive from California, determined to bring change to Cooper's segregated Mississippi town. His loyalties split between his own family and Jubal's, Cooper finds himself in a precarious position, unable to please anyone. His membership in a "colored" church riles the anger of the white community. By following his father to KKK meetings, he arouses suspicions and resentment among African-Americans he has known all his life. Cooper puts himself in danger in order to save friends who have abandoned him, and his actions pay off when he prevents a church from being bombed. Political messages at times overpower character development, but readers will remain riveted as the action rises to a fever pitch. The star role Cooper plays in disbanding his town's newly formed white supremacy clan is inspiring, however, students familiar with American history may find the resolution to be more idealistic than realistic. Ages 8-13.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-8-The summer of 1964 begins simply enough for Cooper, Jubal, and Squirrel, the founding members of a secret club called the Scorpions. Their biggest concern is to finish building their fort and impress the local bully, Reno McCarthy. Life becomes much more complicated for these three friends who come from different racial and religious backgrounds, when civil rights workers come to their small Mississippi town and encourage the blacks there to vote. The Ku Klux Klan responds with intimidation and terrorism. A cross is burned in front of Squirrel's house, and his family flees. Cooper's father insists that his son attend Klan meetings with him. The mounting racial tensions drive a wedge between the young people, but they struggle to look past them and remain loyal to one another. The Return of Gabriel is a suspenseful, compelling story of boys having to grapple with decisions that are well beyond their years. Their determination to keep their friendship intact despite all the pressures to end it will resonate with readers. An inspiring story set during the contentious Freedom Summer.
Edward Sullivan, White Pine School, TN
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Milkweed Editions
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 157131637X
• ISBN 13: 9781571316370
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240
• Illustrator: Gregory Fran