Shelia P. MosesRecensioni

Rufus and his family live in Birmingham. His mom is a widow who is being courted by Paul. Paul becomes Daddy Paul to Rufus and his younger sister Georgia. The family is living in Birmingham in 1963. When an opportunity comes for them to move to an all white neighborhood on the land of the woman who owns the town mine. She's a white woman from Boston and has her own ideas about race relations that don't fit with those of others in the town.
The kids want to get involved with the Children's Crusade that is happening as Martin Luther King Jr comes to town and works with Fred Shuttlesworth to lead some Civil Rights actions. His mom is at first fearful of his involvement, but the whole family gets involved despite risks of arrest. The stakes seem to high for them not to.
A quick, accessible read centered around the protest events in Birmingham in spring 1963.½

An African American tween finds a way to contribute to his community’s struggle for an end to segregation.

Eleven-year-old Rufus Jackson Jones Jr. lives in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. Following the death of his father, his mother struggles to provide for their family. Life improves when his mother marries Paul Joe Peele. Daddy Paul, as Rufus and his sister call him, insists that they find a better home than their run-down house. So the family rents a home on the property of Miss Boone, the owner of the mill that employs most of the town—a move that angers some White people in the community, as the other families living on the property are mostly White. The civil rights movement is a major topic of conversation for young and old alike, and Rufus wants to learn all he can. Plans for a march involving Dr. Martin Luther King and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth are in the works, and for the first time, students will march. The first marches result in jail for many but continue to grow until the protestors face police dogs and fire hoses. Moses takes readers inside the movement that saw its youngest become effective challengers to the segregation status quo. Her narrative seamlessly weaves a personal family story with the larger one of the fight for change. Rufus is an engaging, thoughtful narrator whose voice and perspective ring true as he works to make a difference, even disobeying his mother, who is terrified about what might happen. The love and determination of his community are realistically and richly portrayed.

A stirring, cleareyed look at the young people who risked much for social change as they fought for their civil rights. (author’s note) (Historical fiction. 9-12)

-Kirkus Review

this book was quite powerful for such a tiny package, it certainly reminded me to commune with nature (my faith is nature based). The plot is almost entirely predictable without being at all dull, and, most important of all; it felt like I was reading something a twelve year-old wrote! this is important since it is the story of two twelve year old boys and their week from hell before they get baptized.

Sallie Gal is a story based on a story of a young girl who works hard everyday and begins to work harder throughout the story because she wants to have some pretty ribbons just like her cousin Wild Cat. The Wall-a-kee Man,a man who drives a station wagon and owns The Wallace Company, visits Sallie Gal's house every Saturday to sell goods to Sallie Gal's mother. Sallie Gal finds out that the Wall-a-kee Man has a whole case of pretty ribbons, and Sallie tells him that her goal is to work hard so she can buy them. Although the Wall-a-kee man offers to give Sallie Gal some ribbons for free Sallie Gal's mother always told her to never accept charity. After a while, The Wall-a-kee man gives Sallie Gal some ribbons anyway but she begins to feel guilty and gives them back. In the end, Sallie works hard to earn her own money and is able to buy her own ribbons and she learned a life lesson- always work hard for what you receive! Although throughout the story i wondered why Sallie's mother didn't give her a break, towards the end i began to understand the lesson she was trying to teach Sallie. Sallie's mother worked hard for everything she earned, and her goal was to steer her daughter into the same direction so she would be able to take care of herself one day. Although i thought i wouldn't have a connection with the book due to not being able to put myself in the characters position, i was still able to take a life lesson of my own from the story. Sometimes in life when we work hard for what we want, the outcome will be much more rewarding rather than getting something for free.½

Narrated by J. D. Jackson. All of rural Low Meadows is mourning the passing of beloved Mr. Bro. Wiley, the old slave man. Bean's parents are planning the sittin' up, where mourners will gather to remember. The spectre of a big storm however, looms over their grief. Jackson's performance is spectacular, from voicing the wise Mr. Bro Wiley to the outspoken, righteous Lottie Pearl. He even sings lines from spirituals. His vocal touch is gentle and soothing, as if he were comforting the Low Meadow folks themselves. Prayer, Jesus and and the afterlife figure prominently in this story; it may not be a suitable read for families with differing views. But as a story about a tight-knit community mourning and remembering the dead, it is wonderful.

The premise for The Sittin' Up is an interesting one. The year is 1940, and former slave, Mr. Bro. Wiley has died. Stanbury "Bean" Jones is 12 years old, finally old enough to attend his first "sittin' up," an area tradition with similarities to an "Irish wake" or Judaism's "sitting shiva." There is not a lot of action in The Sittin' Up - something I've seen it knocked for in other reviews. I, however, loved the opportunity to take my time and get to know the rich personalities of the Low Meadows community, where they treat death with sorrow, remembrance, practicality, and humor.

Mr. Bro. Wiley lived with Bean and his parents, Stanbury and Magnolia Jones, and was revered by the everyone in the closely-knit African American community. Bean's father, a stutterer, is generally accepted as a leader of the community and is a foreman on the tobacco farm where many of the Low Country men work for the white, wealthy, Mr. Thomas. Bean's mother is Magnolia, a kind, commonsense woman with a baby on the way.

Other characters include Miss Florenza (the bootlegging sinner who dares wear red to a sittin' up) and Miss Lottie Pearl (Pole's busybody mother and Magnolia's best friend),

" "Yes, Lord. Please help us," Miss Florenza said. Miss Lottie Pearl rolled her eyes at Miss Florenza. Poor Miss Florenza can't even talk to Jesus without Miss Lottie Pearl putting her two cents in. "

Bean's best friend is Pole (they go together like a bean to a pole), and there's the preacher (who is more concerned with fancy clothes, cars, and women, than his parishioners),

" "I thought we were in a Depression," Pole whispered to me.
"We are." I whispered back.
"Look like to me Reverend Hornbuckle should have been thinking about how the folk at Sandy Branch Baptist Church are gonna eat come winter instead of buying a new car," Pole said. Wasn't sure if the preacher heard my sassy friend, but she didn't seem to care. She got a whole of Miss Lottie Pearl in her as sho' as Mr. Bro. Wiley was dead in the house. "

There's also Uncle Goat the liar,

" Ma swears Uncle Goat is the biggest liar in Northampton County. Papa said that ain't so. He said Uncle Goat is the biggest liar in the state of North Carolina. That's how he got the nickname Goat. Ma says he eats the truth up faster than a goat eats grass. "

Even Mule Bennett has a personality,

" "I will never forget Mr. Bro. Wiley," I thought as we headed to town. Mule Bennett must have felt the same way. He was slowing down and barely lifted his head. Papa kept saying, "Get-get, get up, mule, get up." But Mule Bennett took his own sweet time. "

Mr. Bro. Wiley,the reader gets to know through the remembrances of the living.

Yes, this is a story about segregation and how a great catastrophe serves as a catalyst for change, but that is the backdrop for a story that is mostly about people - wonderfully flawed people - people who sometimes do the wrong thing, but choose the right one when it matters - people who know the value of dignity and community - people who find sorrow and joy and humor in the small occurrences of daily life - people - just plain people - just like us.

I may have nothing in common with North Carolina sharecroppers of 1940, but these people "spoke" to me, nonetheless. If you enjoy historical fiction with a character-driven plot, you'll love The Sittin' Up.

More at http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-sittin-up-review.html½

See my forthcoming review in Kirkus.

Joseph is a young boy living a crazy life. He lives in a shelter with his mother, while his father is away in Iraq. Joseph's mother is addicted to drugs, and thinks the life she's living is right. Joseph doesn't want to leave his mother because he thinks she will be lonely and no one will be there to take care of her. Everyone wants better for Joseph, but he refuses to leave his mother. This book teaches teenagers that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Things may be going on in someone's household and no one may never know. This book was a great read, and teaches valuable lessons.

Personal response:

This book's main character is a young girl, so her view of the world is pretty simple, and yet she is a very strong character. Her determination carries her to achieving her goal of finding her uncle and convincing him to return to the South. She becomes aware of much during her visit to Harlem and her subsequent return home to witness her uncle's trial.

Cirriculum/programming connections:

Could use this book as an introduction to the Jim Crow era of the South in a Black History Month presentation of notable black authors.

Reviewed by Angie Fisher for TeensReadToo.com

In an ideal world, teenagers aren't responsible for taking care of their parents.

Joseph doesn't live in an ideal world, though. As a matter of fact, he lives about as far from it as humanly possible.

Forced to change schools yet again due to the fact he and Mamma are living in a new shelter, Joseph isn't worried about fitting in as much as he's worried about the other students finding out that Mamma is an addict.

Desperate to keep family services from finding out about Mamma's lies, alcohol, and drug abuse, and worried about Daddy, who is away fighting in Iraq, there doesn't seem to be room for something as seemingly unimportant as the tennis team.

But Joseph wants to play, just like Daddy did.

JOSEPH is a story of love and loyalty, of hardship and determination, and of the cruel, ugly reality of addiction. It's also a story of will; the will to survive and the will to succeed, regardless of one's circumstances and background.

It's a story that every person, young or old, should read before they consider using their childhood as an excuse to be a victim.

In 1947, twelve-year-old Pattie Mae is sustained by her dreams of escaping Rich Square, North Carolina, and moving to Harlem when her Uncle Buddy is under arrest for attempted rape of a white woman and her grandfather is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor.

Joseph lives in poverty with his drug and alcohol addicted mother while his father fights in Iraq. Now a young teenager, the academically inclined Joseph gets a lucky break when a move takes him to a homeless shelter which is zoned to a privileged school – very unlike his previous educational experiences. Joseph is thrilled to be able to go to school where no one knows about him and his mother and where he sees opportunities all around him. However, there is always a fear that one day he will be unable to look out for his mother any longer.

Quote: “Do not sleep with any girl you do not want to be the mother of your child ten years from now.”

This is a nice piece of work for young adult fiction in a generic feel good kind of way. The story is a little predictable, the mother is really the child, the child really takes on more adult roles, like trying to keep the family safe and keep his mother from embarrassing him. It is important to tell stories about trying to change the situation you were born into for all ages, but even for the young people the book is geared for it seems to put a very simplistic spin on things.

This is a very quick read, I read it this afternoon and enjoyed it. Joseph is 15, and lives in a homeless shelter with his drug addicted mother. His father does not live with him, but is supportive and communicates often from his military assignment in Iraq. Joseph struggles with his dual desires- he wants a better life for himself, but fears that if he doesn't watch over his mother she may not survive. The reader becomes very invested in Joseph as he seeks direction. This book is recommended for reluctant readers.