The Rock and the River | TheBookSeekers

The Rock and the River


Playaway Children

School year: Lower 6th, Upper 6th, Year 10, Year 11, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9

No. of pages 304

Published: 2009

Great for age 7-17 years

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Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award winner In this taut, eloquent first novel (Booklist, starred review), a young Black boy wrestles with conflicting notions of revolution and family loyalty as he becomes involved with the Black Panthers in 1968 Chicago. The Time: 1968 The Place: Chicago For thirteen-year-old Sam, its not easy being the son of known civil rights activist Roland Childs. Especially when his older (and best friend), Stick, begins to drift away from him for no apparent reason. And then it happens: Sam finds something that changes everything forever. Sam has always had faith in his father, but when he finds literature about the Black Panthers under Sticks bed, hes not sure who to believe: his father or his best friend. Suddenly, nothing feels certain anymore. Sam wants to believe that his father is right: You can effect change without using violence. But as time goes on, Sam grows weary of standing by and watching as his friends and family suffer at the hands of racism in their own community. Sam beings to explore the Panthers with Stick, but soon hes involved in something far more seriousand more dangerousthan he could have ever predicted. Sam is faced with a difficult decision. Will he follow his father or his brother? His mind or his heart? The rock or the river?

 

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards

This book is part of a book series called Playaway Children .

This book is aimed at children at US 5th grade-9th grade.

This book has been graded for interest at 9-14 years.

There are 304 pages in this book. This book was published in 2009 by Simon & Schuster .

Kekla Magoon has worked with youth-serving nonprofit organizations in New York City and Chicago. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and resides in New York City. Visit her at KeklaMagoon. com.

 

This book is in the following series:

Playaway Children

This book has been nominated for the following awards:

Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens - Ages 14+
This book was recognised in the Ages 14+ category by the Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens.

Georgia Children's Book Award
The Georgia Childrens Book Award is a distinguished annual award that recognizes outstanding childrens literature and aims to promote a love of reading among young readers in Georgia. Established in 1985, the award is sponsored by the Georgia Association of Educators and is designed to encourage children to engage with quality literature. Each year, a committee selects a list of nominated books then students in grades K-5 vote for their favourite titles from that nominated list.

Grand Canyon Reader Award - Tween
This book was recognised in the Tween category by the Grand Canyon Reader Award.

Black-Eyed Susan Award - High School
This book was recognised in the High School category by the Black-Eyed Susan Award.

Virginia Readers Choice Award - Middle School
This book was recognised in the Middle School category by the Virginia Readers Choice Award.

Nutmeg Book Award - Teen
This book was recognised in the Teen category by the Nutmeg Book Award.

Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award
This book was recognised by the Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award.

Tayshas Reading
This book was recognised by the Tayshas Reading.

Coretta Scott King Award - New Talent
This book was recognised in the New Talent category by the Coretta Scott King Award. Presented annually since 1970 by the American Library Association to books by African-America authors and illustrators, this award recognizes excellence in promoting a deeper understanding of the African-American Experience.

Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award
This book was recognised by the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award.

"This explosive coming-of-age story, taut with tension and protest, propelled me along like the river of its title. Magoon is most certainly a new and serious talent to watch. An intensely significant story of emotional and historical depth that resonates with relevancy for our age." -- Sundee T. Frazier, winner of the ALA 2008 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award for "Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It"

 

"Vividly, poignantly, and without compromise, Kekla Magoon takes us to the heart of a world in the messy business of monumental change. "The Rock and the River" is an extraordinary book that brings unflinchingly to life an extraordinary moment in time." -- Tim Wynne-Jones, author of "Rex Zero and the End of the World"

 

"An intensely significant story..." -- Sundee T. Frazier, winner of the ALA 2008 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award

 

"What a rich and passionate debut novel! With both intensity and humor, the story that unfolds is at once riveting, disquieting, and ultimately most satisfying." -- Ellen Levine, Caldecott Honor Award-winning author of "Henry's Freedom Box"

 

"This is an essential story that has been waiting for its time and its teller. A brave and brilliant accomplishment." -- Helen Frost, Printz Honor Award-winning author of" Spinning Through the Universe"