Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; Newbery Winner 1977

This is another of those super popular books that I never read until doing this challenge. I read it right after returning home from my visit to Fairbanks (courtesy appendix) and right before the school burned down. I remember liking the book but I'll be perfectly honest in saying that a lot of that week got lost in the shuffle - really only one event is something I can recall with any sort of clarity.

Really, can this year just be over already?

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is about the Logan family - and what an amazing family they are. Books like this are always tough to read because of the explicit racism the characters deal with, especially children. Cassie Logan, the narrator, has a couple moments in particular that are really scary to sit through as you don't know how much her antagonist will overreact. Thankfully every member of the family comes through the story - despite some nail-biting moments.

So many events in this book make you angry - and every one of them seems like a big deal. The real horror lies in that, during this time period, the racist actions depicted are mostly micro-aggressions. Imagine a bus driver chasing children off the road every day (with the bus!) and those poor children just having to accept it! I was particularly pleased when the Logan kids gave him some comeuppance.

The climax of the book is really well-paced and suspenseful. In the end, you realize what has happened and are both shocked and relieved. This book delivered on the Newbery in a big way and I know I will have to read the other books in the series. This was the first book by Mildred D. Taylor that I ever read and I know it won't be the last! This challenge is helping me discover so many awesome authors!