Scan barcode
A review by kmcneil
The Liberation of Gabriel King by K.L. Going
4.0
Mackin Educational Resources has this book at a 4.5 reading level, and an interest level of grades 4 - 6. This seems just about right to me. Great book about racism, segregation, overcoming one's fears, friendship, bullying, and standing up for what's right.
Here's the review from School Library Journal:
Gr 4-7-In a small town in Georgia in 1976, Gabe King, who is white, and his friend Frita Wilson, who is African American, take on a special project. Gabe is determined not to go to fifth grade in the fall, in the "big kids" wing of the school where he will be one of the smallest students and at the mercy of bullies Duke Evans and Frankie Carmen. Frita, however, has determined to use the summer to liberate her friend from his fears and make sure he moves up with her. Gabe's narrative voice is open, direct, sometimes comic, and maybe a little hysterical: he has many fears, including Frita's teenage, body-building brother, Terrance. However, he agrees to Frita's plan, which includes liberating herself from her much shorter list. Going deftly balances the ugly face of racism with the more powerful forces of understanding, friendship, and family, which run broadly through the novel. Both Gabe and Frita come from loving homes that fully support the vision of brotherhood and equality of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and soon-to-be President Carter, and are committed to making that vision a reality.-Coop Renner, Hillside Elementary, El Paso, TX Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Here's the review from School Library Journal:
Gr 4-7-In a small town in Georgia in 1976, Gabe King, who is white, and his friend Frita Wilson, who is African American, take on a special project. Gabe is determined not to go to fifth grade in the fall, in the "big kids" wing of the school where he will be one of the smallest students and at the mercy of bullies Duke Evans and Frankie Carmen. Frita, however, has determined to use the summer to liberate her friend from his fears and make sure he moves up with her. Gabe's narrative voice is open, direct, sometimes comic, and maybe a little hysterical: he has many fears, including Frita's teenage, body-building brother, Terrance. However, he agrees to Frita's plan, which includes liberating herself from her much shorter list. Going deftly balances the ugly face of racism with the more powerful forces of understanding, friendship, and family, which run broadly through the novel. Both Gabe and Frita come from loving homes that fully support the vision of brotherhood and equality of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and soon-to-be President Carter, and are committed to making that vision a reality.-Coop Renner, Hillside Elementary, El Paso, TX Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.