Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Return of Gabriel by John Armistead


In the summer of 1964- 3 boys- Cooper, Jubal and Squirrel want nothing more than to build a clubhouse to keep away from the town bully Reno. Their secret society is called the Scorpions and their motto is always stick together and never back down. Little do the boys know that this summer sticking together will become quite the challenge.
As civil rights workers come to their small Mississippi town, the Ku Klux Klan has plans to deal with the changes some people want. Cooper is being forced to attend these meetings, even when his heart is with his best friend Jubal and his family who are being targeted by the Klan. Cooper is forced to grow up quickly as he witnesses some terrible events and fears for the life of people he knows and loves. He also struggles with doing the right thing when he is being forced to participate in meetings by his father.

I liked this story and I can see this being a great fit for some of the boys in my class. I did find all the characters a bit confusing and the plot seemed to be more complicated then was really needed. However, I just kept reading and found myself swept up into the world that the boys were part of.

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