Revolution

Author: Deborah Wiles

Genre: Historical Fiction

What this book is about: Sunny lives in Greenwood, Mississippi in 1964. People are rising up and demanding equal rights for black people. She and her stepbrother, Gillette, are caught sneaking into the local white swimming pool, and they meet a Negro boy with white high-top sneakers. A few more run-ins, and Sunny is determined to find out who he is - but Gillette will not help.

Meanwhile, Raymond considers himself lucky not to have been caught in the pool like Gillette and Sunny. It doesn't last for long, though. SNCC volunteers are coming to his house, urging them to register to vote and rebel peacefully. Raymond gets hooked in, and his life gets a lot more interesting.

Sunny's mother left a long time ago, and now she has a new brother (he's okay), a new sister (what a cutie!), and a new stepmother (ugh!). She finds out that one of the SNCC volunteers looks exactly like her mother did at age 18, and she finds even more reason to investigate. 

Your opinion: I think that this book is really good, but I didn't feel that I really liked this book until maybe the 40th chapter (there are 69 chapters in all). It is a little confusing with all the random pictures and quotes but still compels you to finish it. I think the chapters really get better as you go on, so I gave it 4 stars instead of 3.

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Who would like this book: I think people who like historical fiction would like this book. I think fourth graders and up would be interested in this.

Reviewed by:  MT