A Thousand Never Evers

"The Supreme Court passed a law that violates our state's right to educate the children of Mississippi as we see fit... Fortunately, I'm in charge of the schools in Kuckachoo, so I'm just not gonna follow that law. Integration here? That ain't nothin' but a thousand never evers!"This is a story of the Civil Rights Movement in the South, told through the eyes of Addie Ann Pickett. Addie Ann learns of the murder of Medgar Evers from her beloved older brother Elias, and shortly after that, he knocks out a white boy who is abusing Addie Ann's cat and must disappear to avoid the lynch mob. Addie Ann and her Uncle Bump work for Mr. Adams, who dies and leaves his home and six acre garden to the entire town for the use of ALL of its citizens, show more black or white, but that information is kept secret by the town fathers who want to prevent blacks from using the place. The gift to the town sets off a chain of events leading up to Bump's arrest and trial for destruction of property, and Addie Ann must decide whether to break her mother's cardinal rule: "Never tell white folks what they don't want to hear." This is fantastic historical fiction with an amazing ending -- a story of strength, courage, and the price of dignity. Everyone should read this. 6th grade and up. show less

A Thousand Never Evers is the story of Addie, growing up in rural Kuckachoo, Mississippi in 1963. Admidst the backdrop of some of the most memorable events in the early Civil Rights movement, Maddie and her family deal with racism on a small town level. This novel opens with a "Note to the Readers" written by the author, Shana Burg. She writes about the prejudice she experienced as a young girl - a boy drawing a swastika on her notebook in 7th grade, and then goes on to relate her feelings about that to her interest in the Civil Rights movement. This seems like a message to the reader: you can't understand this book unless you've been through some form of prejudice yourself. For a children's book aimed at 9-12 year olds, this might not show more be the right message. Most striking, however, is the contrast between Burg's experience as a 7th grader and the troubles that Addie encounters -- one some level Burg is attempting to equate when she ought not -- these experiences are not in the same ballpark.Furthermore, Addie's voice just isn't right. The narration (all supposed to be Addie) swings from sounding like a 30 year old Ivy League educated adult to a young naive girl. Most frustrating though is the dialect - if you are going to use dialect you need to be consistent about it.I would recommend "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" instead -- same time period - much less contrived. show less

In 1963 Mississippi, Addie Ann, 12, looks forward to going to the all black middle school and hanging out with her friends. But national events change her world, as desegregation starts to be whispered among her people, threatening the white status quo. When Addie’s older brother accidentally breaks a white boy’s leg, he disappears and is presumed dead. When the garden that was willed to the whole town equally is taken over by the white folk but worked in by the black folk, Addie’s uncle gets blamed for the failure of the crops. An inside look at the struggles of a girl who doesn’t necessarily want things to stay as they are but is scared to disturb her universe.

Very much in the tone of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird or John Grisham’s A Time To Kill, this exposé of the climate of the South in 1963 reveals the social and racial tension 100 years after slavery had been banned. The mentality of the African American community is still too often that of passive-aggressive servitude, and taking that final step to bridging the gap proves to be more of a mountain than it should be. The White community is often both cruel and two-faced when it comes to their African American townspeople, and it’s sad to see that people were treating each other this way even this long after slavery had been abolished.Burg also relates the happenings of the townsfolk with that of the important historical show more moments during the summer of that year, which ushered in the Civil Rights movement in full force. This text is not for the faint of heart, but it’s a great tool in order to help us all remember how far things have come in America, and how far they still need to go for full racial equality and dissolving enmity between cultures. I recommend this to all readers 12 .-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com show less

Addie is 12 when being black in Mississippi hits her with full force. Until then, she has lived in the protection of her family in a small Mississippi town. But that year, Medgar Evers is murdered, four girls die in a church fire and Addie's uncle Bump is charged with a crime he did not commit. Addie also learns that this is not the first time racism has affected her family.

a very good book about segregation and how the blacks dealt with it and all that they had to put up with to get where they are now.

real events from the civil rights movement are intertwined with the story of Addie and her family great voice great story