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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:The Liberation of Gabriel Kingby K L Going
Staff Pick
When Gabe decides there's no way he can survive fifth grade, his best friend Frita makes him a deal: if they spend the summer facing their fears together, then Gabe must promise to return to school in the fall. And so they face up to the things that scare them most, from Gabe's spider fright and his fear of calling his teacher "Momma" to Frita's more complicated worries, many of which stem from the fact that she is the only black student at a school in Georgia during the 1970s. Will Gabe make it to fifth grade? Read to find out! A note to parents: the humor and the genuine, heartwarming, unlikely friendship will draw younger readers in, but grown-up readers will undoubtedly pick up on the thorny race relations and other political themes woven into the story. The southern lilt and important subject matter makes this a great read-aloud. Highly recommended for the eight to twelve age group. Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Gabriel King is afraid of everything: spiders, the rope swing over the lake, andmost of all, going to fifth grade.
Frita Wilson, his best friend, decides Gabriel needs some liberating from his fears, so they make a list and plan to tackle each one. But one of the reasons Frita is so determined to help Gabe is that she needs his help too. Hollowell, Georgia in 1976 isn't exactly the most integrated place, and Frita's the only black student in school in a town with an active Ku Klux Klan. Review:"Gabe King, Going's (Fat Kid Rules the World) sympathetic narrator, has a list of fears longer than he is tall (No. 29 is that he'll never get any taller). All manner of bugs make him antsy but his biggest worries, justifiably, are two sixth-grade bullies. He's so intent on keeping his distance he's willing to stay in fourth grade rather than move up to fifth, where he'll once again have to share a cafeteria and playground with bullies Duke and Frankie. Gabe's best friend, Frita, the only black kid in his class, has other ideas: she plans to spend the summer of 1976 'liberating' Gabe from the things that scare him (she gives him a spider for a pet and makes him try the rope swing over the catfish pond). In solidarity, Frita makes her own 'fear list'; chillingly, the Ku Klux Klan takes the top spot, and, poignantly, the list includes 'not having Gabe with me in the fifth grade.' Full of humanity and humor, this well-paced novel offers a dollop of history with its setting in rural Georgia at the moment local boy Jimmy Carter's presidential bid is gaining momentum. The villains' credibility makes them scary, and both Gabe and Frita's refreshingly functional families are exquisitely drawn, especially Terrance, Frita's menacing older brother (No. 6 on Gabe's list). Although Gabe gets the title role, wise, brave Frita is clearly the star. Ages 10-up. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"Going deftly balances the ugly face of racism with the more powerful forces of understanding, friendship, and family, which run broadly through the novel." School Library Journal Review:"Strong voice, lively dialogue, humor and important themes make this a winner." Kirkus Reviews Synopsis:Set in 1976 Georgia, this is the poignant story of a white boy, who is afraid of everything, and his best friend, who's the only black girl in school, and the summer they learn to face down their fears. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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