This week, the Smart Cookie Book Club is reading One Crazy Summer, a Newbury Award-winning, historical fiction novel by Rita Williams-Garcia. It's a story about three young African American sisters trying to connect with a mother who abandoned them when they were young and under the Black Panthers during the Civil Rights Movement in 1968 Oakland. Check out Unicorn Charity Club's simple discussion guide below to help explore the book's content and themes with your unicorn.
What Happened in the Story?
After reading the book, have a chat with your unicorn about the following questions adapted from Harper Collins’ discussion guide to discuss the main ideas and events in the story.
- Who are the 3 sisters? Delphine says she enjoys her role being Vonetta and Fern’s “enemy and big sister”. What does she mean? How is your relationship with your siblings the same or different as the sisters?
- Where are the 3 sisters going for the summer and why?
- Who is Cecile? At the beginning of her visit in Oakland, what did Delphine think of Cecile? Do you think of your own mother the same way as Delphine? Why or why not?
- How are Cecile and Delphine the same or different? Cecile tells Delphine that it wouldn’t kill her to be selfish, what does she mean?
- Many characters have objects that give clues to their personalities. What objects are closely tied to each character and what do these objects say about their personalities?
- Cecile: Printing Press
- Delphine: Timex
- Fern: Miss Patty Cake
- Vonetta: ??
- Hirohito: Go-kart
- Names play an important role in this story. What is the story behind these characters’ names?
- Cecile - Nzilla
- Delphine - Why is Delphine upset when she finds her name in the dictionary?
- Vonetta
- Fern - Why does Cecile refuse to call Fern by her name, but instead calls her “Little Girl” for most of the book? What finally causes her to call Fern by her name and why does Delphine tell Fern her Cecile-given name, even though Cecile wasn’t planning to?
- What did Delphine think the Blank Panthers would be like before she spent time with them at the People’s Center? What is a militant? Did her impression of the Black Panthers change after meeting Sister Mukumbu and Sister Pat? What does she mean when she says, “beating eggs never makes the evening news” (p. 64)?
- Who is Crazy Kelvin and how does he act? Do you think the Black Panther group is often judged by actions from individual members, like Crazy Kelvin? Is it fair to negatively or positively stereotype, or generalize, an entire group based on the actions of a few?
- How does Delphine’s relationship with Cecile change the evening when the stool appears in the kitchen one evening? What does the stool mean to Delphine?
- Why does Delphine want to stop going to the People’s Center and skip the rally? How does she feel about the Black Panthers’ messages and do her feelings toward them change throughout the story? How would you have felt in her place?
- One Crazy Summer is full of metaphors, a figure of speech that symbolizes something else, identifying hidden similarities between two ideas. What might Delphine’s go-kart ride symbolize? Are there other metaphors can you find in the story?
- By the end of the book, how do you feel about Cecile? Do you feel more sympathy for Cecile after hearing Cecile’s story at the end? How does Delphine react to learning her mother’s side of the story of why she chose to leave her and her sisters? How would you feel if you were Delphine?
Quotes that Matter
There were so many amazing quotes in this book. Here are a few fan favorites. Ask your unicorn to read each quote and then discuss who said it and what the meaning is.
- “A name is important. It isn't something you drop in the litter basket or on the ground. Your name is now people know you. The very mention of your name makes a picture spring to mind, whether it's a picture of clashing fists or a mighty mountain that can't be knocked down. Your name is who you are and how you're known even when you do something great or something dumb.” Names are really important to her, especially the stories and meaning behind them. What’s the story and importance of your name?
- “We all have our la-la-la song. The thing we do when the world isn't singing a nice tune to us. We sing our own nice tune to drown out ugly.” Do you have your own la-la-la song? If yes, when do you sing it?
- “Cecile made it sound like it was no big deal. "I've been fighting for freedom all my life." But she wasn't talking about protest signs, standing up to the Man, and knowing your rights. She was talking about her life. Just her. Not the people.” We all become people shaped by the people and experiences we grow up with. What major experiences have you had that shaped who you are?
- “We didn’t come for the revolution. We came for breakfast.”
What's the Word?
Having a large vocabulary is like having all a rainbow of colors to paint with. The more words you know, the more colorful your stories and conversations can become. One Crazy Summer features many amazing words to describe the events, the characters, and how they feel. Check out this great Vocabulary.com list compiled for the book to build your rainbow of words.