About the Author

Rita Williams-Garcia’s Newbery Honor-winning novel, One Crazy Summer, was a winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award, a National Book Award finalist, the recipient of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and a New York Times bestseller. The sequel, P.S. Be Eleven was also a Coretta Scott King Author Award winner and an ALA Notable Children’s Book for Middle Readers.

Reviews

"This thoughtful story, told with humor and heart, rings with the rhythms and the dilemmas of the '60s through characters real enough to touch." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Funny, wise, poignant, and thought-provoking, this will leave readers wanting more about Delphine and her sisters." -- Horn Book (starred review) "..the Gaither sisters are an irresistible trio. Williams-Garcia excels at conveying defining moments of American society from their point of view--this is historical fiction that's as full of heart as it is of heartbreak." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "P.S. Be Eleven is a must-read for fans of the first book, but it can also stand alone as an engrossing novel that will leave readers pondering important issues of race, gender, and identity." -- School Library Journal (starred review) PRAISE FOR ONE CRAZY SUMMER:"In One Crazy Summer Williams-Garcia presents a child's-eye view of the Black Panther movement within a powerful and affecting story of sisterhood and motherhood. -- Monica Edinger, writing in The New York Times PRAISE FOR ONE CRAZY SUMMER:"One Crazy Summer is a genuine rarity: a book that is both important in its contents and utterly engaging in its characters...with the tremendous bonus of being beautifully written." -- Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal--winning author of A Single Shard Praise for P.S. BE ELEVEN:"P.S. Be Eleven is a must-read for fans of the first book, but it can also stand alone as an engrossing novel that will leave readers pondering important issues of race, gender, and identity." -- School Library Journal (starred review) PRAISE FOR ONE CRAZY SUMMER:"Delphine is the pitch-perfect older sister, wise beyond her years, an expert at handling her siblings...while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page" -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) PRAISE FOR ONE CRAZY SUMMER:"Regimented, responsible, strong-willed Delphine narrates in an unforgettable voice, but each of the sisters emerges as a distinct, memorable character, whose hard-won, tenuous connections with their mother build to an aching, triumphant conclusion." -- Booklist (starred review) PRAISE FOR ONE CRAZY SUMMER:"The setting and time period are as vividly realized as the characters, and readers will want to know more about Delphine and her sisters after they return to Brooklyn..." -- Horn Book (starred review)

Gr 4-7-After their life-changing summer in Oakland with their poet-activist mother, related in One Crazy Summer (HarperCollins, 2010), sisters Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern find it difficult to readjust to life in Brooklyn. In addition to their grandmother's strict expectations, the girls must navigate the return of their uncle from Vietnam, their father's new romantic relationship, and their own uncontrollable love for the Jackson Five. Delphine finds some solace in corresponding with her mother, who reminds her not to take on too much or try to grow up too fast; instead she should remember to be 11. But each adult in Delphine's life has a different idea of what that means. Over the course of the book, Delphine strives to balance these conflicting perspectives and to articulate her own beliefs. From the very start of the story, her well-realized voice pulls readers into her rapidly changing world. Williams-Garcia ably integrates historical information with Delphine's story. Even secondary characters are complex and her nuanced understanding of the 1960s brings the setting to life. P.S. Be Eleven is a must-read for fans of the first book, but it can also stand alone as an engrossing novel that will leave readers pondering important issues of race, gender, and identity.-Gesse Stark-Smith, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.