A Thousand Never Evers

Kiwi Magazine Review: Addie Ann Picket epitomizes the dilemma that all young people had during the Civil Rights Movement-kids were just getting their wings and their mother were trying to convince them to fly under the radar to be safe, leaders were trying to convince them to soar to overcome injustice and their own conscience was forcing them to fly even if they didn't feel quite ready. It's a well-written story, but difficult to digest when you think about how much injustice existed just a few short decades ago and the astonishing mettle of those who sacrificed so everyone could be equal.

A Thousand Never Evers is a story about injustice, family, personal growth, and courage. A courage to stand up for what you believe in. A courage that requires sacrifices. A courage to do the right thing when all you want to do is ignore it, cast a spell on it, and make it go away. Through the eyes and voice of Addie Ann Pickett, we feel what it's like to live in the middle of the American Civil Rights Movement. When Addie Ann's brother disappears due to Addie's honest misstep, we feel her loss. When Addie discovers the truth about her father, we feel her pain. When Addie must lower her eyes in the presence of white folk, we feel her shame, and yet, at the same time, we feel her rage. But in the end, Addie Ann must find the courage to step out of her brother's shadow and prove to herself, her family, and the community that it's her time to speak. If not, she risks losing her family, forever. The journey of this Negro girl shares similarities to the many girls of today. She's excited to be entering 7th grade and longs for the affections of a boy. She doesn't want to be treated like the baby of the family anymore, and she'd love a new look, one that captures her evolving maturity. A Thousand Never Evers grips you on the first page and challenges readers to keep up with its pulsing pace. Shana Burg's debut novel is in the same category as Gary D. Schmidt's Newberry Honor book, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy.

If there's one book you, your children, and your students should read this summer, it's Shana Burg's debut novel, A Thousand Never Evers. Set in Kuckachoo, Mississippi in 1963, A Thousand Never Evers is historical fiction told from the point of view of the 12-year-old African American girl, Addie Ann Pickett. Kuckachoo is a town separated by color--"the white side" and "the colored side." Racism runs deep, and the town sheriff may be the biggest racist of them all. When Addie Ann makes fun of a white lady's hat, her brother disappears. On top of not knowing whether or not her brother is alive, an incident with the town garden leaves Addie Ann's Uncle Bump on trial, and Addie Ann must find the courage to save him. Even though Addie Ann's story is fiction, the novel is interwoven with real incidents, tragedies, and figures from the Civil Rights Movement: the deaths of Medgar Evers and Emmitt Till, the church bombing that killed the four little girls, the struggle for the vote, the ridiculous tests African Americans were required to pass before they could register to vote, the terrorism of the Ku Klux Klan, the downright racism African Americans faced every single day, and more. Through Shana Burg's powerful and emotional writing, you can feel the fear, the injustice, and even the hope that countless many experienced during this dark time in our country's history. A Thousand Never Evers is also a coming of age story. We see Addie Ann grow from a girl who didn't really think much about "the movement," to one who matures and fights passionately for justice. Without being "preachy," the book sends the message about the importance of standing up for yourself and those around you, preserving your self worth, having the courage to fight for the truth regardless of how frightening the consequences may be, and not judging people based on their outward appearance. I give this book my highest recommendation and predict that this will be a front runner for the Newbery Medal.

Every so often a book comes along that takes an important historical chapter in history and renews it, using fiction as a vehicle to bring the period alive. There have been sundry books written about the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S., but Shana Burg's new book breathes fresh air into the period. Her characters are marvelous, truly unforgetable and her prose resonates throughout. Perhaps most important, for a new generation of American youth, whose context for social justice is so different from what existed less than a century ago, this book will be a wake up call, offering both an index of how far we've come and a sense of what needs to be done. Of course it is much more than a just wonderful book for young adults -- it's a terrific read for anyone. In short: A Thousand Never Evers is not only a great story. It's an important one too.

A Thousand Never Evers tells a story of changes that took place in the Deep South with the end of Jim Crow segregation and the rise of the Civil Rights Movement. What's most amazing is that it's from the viewpoint of a 12-year-old girl and how she sees the everyday injustice that's forced upon her and her family, and how she grows over the course of the book to fight for her family and herself. It combines the details of history in a very different time and place with a suspenseful plot. Although I bought it for my 11-year-old daughter, I couldn't put it down. This book is very important, and kids should read it, and they'll enjoy it. And my daughter loved it too!