A Summer of Kings

March 27, 2006
Nolan (Dancing on the Edge
) movingly conveys a teen's introduction to the civil rights movement in this intimate story set in the summer of 1963. Esther, the daughter of a renowned New York director, has led a sheltered, unhappy existence in suburbia. Overshadowed by her highly gifted younger siblings, she feels inadequate and lonely. Esther's view of herself, her family and the world undergoes a radical change during her 14th summer when her parents agree to provide refuge for an 18-year-old African-American named King-Roy, who is accused of killing a white man (his mother and Esther's mother were childhood friends). While the adults in the household (especially Esther's eccentric Auntie Pie) remain wary about protecting a fugitive, Esther eagerly befriends their guest. Throughout the summer, she learns about injustices in the South that have caused King-Roy to become angry and mistrustful, but she disagrees with his notion, adopted by Malcolm X, that violence is the only answer to prejudice. The frequent allusions to the Nation of Islam and Martin Luther King at times can feel forced, but this thought-provoking novel will likely raise young readers' consciousness alongside Esther's, as she broadens her perspective of social ills, gains self-confidence and eventually steps out of the shadows to stand up for what she believes. If minor characters, particularly Esther's insensitive mother and bratty sister, come off as stereotypes, Esther emerges as a convincing, admirable heroine. Ages 12-up.

Starred review from April 1, 2006
Gr 6-9 -Infused with rhetoric that is as meaningful today as it was two generations ago, this young teen's account of a life-changing summer not only opens a window to history, but also displays Nolan's brilliant gift for crafting profoundly appealing protagonists. Increasingly resentful of her forced role as the dim, responsible one in her gifted, well-to-do New York family, Esther acts out with increasing bitterness in a struggle to earn some respect and elbow room. Her rebellion begins to gain traction after King-Roy, the 18-year-old African-American son of her mother's childhood friend, travels up from Alabama to escape accusations that he murdered a white man. As he becomes a radicalized, tough-talking supporter of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam, Esther counters by studying the words of James Baldwin, Dr. King, and Mahatma Gandhi -and finds an epiphany in Gandhi's challenge to -be the change we want to see in the world. - In the end, Esther's family is persuaded by her passion to join her in the famous 1963 march in Washington, DC, and King-Roy heads back home in the wake of uglier events. What sets Esther apart from everyone else in the story -and most readers for that matter -is her ability to see the differences between her own expectations and those that are imposed from outside. Her genuineness is not only wholly admirable, but it also drives King-Roy and her parents crazy, adding a leavening of humor to her narrative's powerful mix of triumph and tragedy." -John Peters, New York Public Library"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2006
Gr. 6-9. Overshadowed by perfect siblings and saddled with a reputation as a slow, stubborn, late bloomer, 14-year-old Esther expects the summer of 1963 to be life-changing. Her hopes are fulfilled when her parents offer a room in their Westchester, New York, mansion to an African American refugee from southern racial violence, whom some call a murderer, others a "victim of prejudice and circumstance." Recently introduced to the militant teachings of Malcolm X, 18-year-old King-Ray Johnson chafes at fraternizing with "white devils," but Esther's dogged overtures eventually result in a tentative, turbulent bond. Throughout, Nolan sharply evokes the questioning of a white teen suddenly shaken "awake to the world," whose romantic notions are challenged by perspectives forged from generations of persecution: "They're smiling out their faces," King-Ray says of northern whites, "but they're still nailing you to the wall every which way they can." Despite several overplayed plot elements, idealistic readers will relate to fierce Esther's determination to join the March on Washington and realize positive change, even as the powerful, troubling conclusion resists sentimental solutions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2006
Esther, a white, affluent fourteen-year-old, gains awareness of race relations in 1963 America when King-Roy Johnson, a young black man, introduces her to some disturbing ideas about effecting change through revolution. Though characters feel forced and plot is overly driven by political exposition, Nolan provides an impassioned look at the philosophical differences between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)