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megmro's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Fantastic.
A, 11-year-old black boy named "Scoob" and his white grandmother run away on an RV roadtrip, ditching their phones and retracing the route the grandparents (an interracial couple) attempted in the sixties. They follow the guidance of The Greenbook, which outlined the [FEW] safe travel options for black people. Along the way, they pay their respects to many important civil rights sites, and "Scoob" learns more and more about his grandmother, his late and estranged grandfather, his father, and himself.
This was wonderful. Scoob and his grandma have a wonderful, loving, silly relationship. I felt safe in this book. Detailed content (maybe spoilers) below:
Some of the sites they visit, and topics discussed:
--Medgar Evars' home, where he was assassinated. They discuss how the all-white jury didn't convict the murderer.
--Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, which was bombed by the KKK. Four little girls were killed.
--Ruby Bridges, and how Scoob's grandma went to an all-white school.
--A terrifying police encounter Grandma had, where she knew the police would hurt her black fiancee (Scoob's grandpa) if they found him in the car.
All along the way, they encounter racism directed toward them because of their racial difference. But, they also have wonderful, funny, conversations, and they go to six flags together. The grandma is funny, spunky, sassy, and sly.
Scoob starts to realize his grandma is not well. The past starts getting mixed up with the present, and Scoob has to decide what to do to help her. She won't let him call his father. It's a little stressful/unnerving. You get the sense for a while that something really isn't right. The truth comes out in the end.
Overall this was a fantastic read. I can't remember any language, although after a rude encounter in a small town, the grandma shrugs it off and says that places like this are just "bass-ackwards." She also says, "That's enough P.U.-S. History for today," but it didn't feel like it was tearing down America or whatever. It was telling history -- even the parts that we're ashamed of -- in a way that a kid could understand. This actually happened, and we should learn about it.
I loved it. Highly recommend.
I would probably say grade 6+.
A, 11-year-old black boy named "Scoob" and his white grandmother run away on an RV roadtrip, ditching their phones and retracing the route the grandparents (an interracial couple) attempted in the sixties. They follow the guidance of The Greenbook, which outlined the [FEW] safe travel options for black people. Along the way, they pay their respects to many important civil rights sites, and "Scoob" learns more and more about his grandmother, his late and estranged grandfather, his father, and himself.
This was wonderful. Scoob and his grandma have a wonderful, loving, silly relationship. I felt safe in this book. Detailed content (maybe spoilers) below:
Some of the sites they visit, and topics discussed:
--Medgar Evars' home, where he was assassinated. They discuss how the all-white jury didn't convict the murderer.
--Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, which was bombed by the KKK. Four little girls were killed.
--Ruby Bridges, and how Scoob's grandma went to an all-white school.
--A terrifying police encounter Grandma had, where she knew the police would hurt her black fiancee (Scoob's grandpa) if they found him in the car.
All along the way, they encounter racism directed toward them because of their racial difference. But, they also have wonderful, funny, conversations, and they go to six flags together. The grandma is funny, spunky, sassy, and sly.
Scoob starts to realize his grandma is not well. The past starts getting mixed up with the present, and Scoob has to decide what to do to help her. She won't let him call his father. It's a little stressful/unnerving. You get the sense for a while that something really isn't right. The truth comes out in the end.
Overall this was a fantastic read. I can't remember any language, although after a rude encounter in a small town, the grandma shrugs it off and says that places like this are just "bass-ackwards." She also says, "That's enough P.U.-S. History for today," but it didn't feel like it was tearing down America or whatever. It was telling history -- even the parts that we're ashamed of -- in a way that a kid could understand. This actually happened, and we should learn about it.
I loved it. Highly recommend.
I would probably say grade 6+.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Police brutality, and Racism
morganperks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I'm not sure how to explain my thoughts. I liked the road trip aspect. I liked Scoob. He was a good kid. You see from his internal reflection and conversations with his grandmother that he's contemplated his actions. Scoob has clearly learned from his mistakes at school and wants to be better. I also liked how Scoob talked about his dad. He recognized that his dad loved him and wanted to protect him. I thought the commentary on traveling through the south during the civil rights era was well done and informative, much needed in middle grade. I liked the moral/ethical questions the book brought up.
It aggravated me how G'ma was painted as this civil rights activist throughout the book. Then reveals that she let her black husband (the alleged love of her life) go to prison for a crime she committed. Don't even get me started on her list of petty crimes. It's completely selfish and inconsiderate to admit all of this to her 11-year-old grandson, leaving him with either the guilt of carrying these family secrets or the burden of telling his dad. It might have been fine if the above events still happened as long as we got to see a resolution. I don't need a happy ever after, but there must be a sense of closure. At the very least, there needed to be some internal thoughts of Scoob working through the traumatic (yes, very traumatic) information he now knows. Also, G'ma continued to steal jewelry with her Black grandchild after what happened to her husband. She chose to put him in danger of being wrongly accused because of his skin color WHILE educating him on the history of racism in the south. Idk about you, but that seems a little Get Out to me.
I picked this up as a potential read-aloud but I'm not sure I would use it. I do think the kids would like the story and it does lend itself to some good discussion questions but I'm not sure if I could get through this one again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Death, Cancer, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Bullying, Ableism, Abandonment, Hate crime, and Murder
Minor: Blood and Pregnancy
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