The Lucky Ones
Linda Williams Jackson, Author
Candlewick Press, Historical iction, 2022
Suitable for ages: 8-12
Pages: 320
Themes: Hunger, Poverty, Racism, Segregation, Community, Social justice
Linda Williams Jackson, Author
Candlewick Press, Historical iction, 2022
Suitable for ages: 8-12
Pages: 320
Themes: Hunger, Poverty, Racism, Segregation, Community, Social justice
Publisher’s Synopsis:
It’s 1967, and eleven-year-old Ellis Earl Brown has big dreams. He’s going to grow up to be a teacher or a lawyer—or maybe both—and live in a big brick house in town. There’ll always be enough food in the icebox, and his mama won’t have to run herself ragged looking for work as a maid in order to support Ellis Earl and his eight siblings and niece, Vera.
So Ellis Earl applies himself at school, soaking up the lessons that Mr. Foster teaches his class—particularly those about famous colored people like Mr. Thurgood Marshall and Miss Marian Wright—and borrowing books from his teacher’s bookshelf. When Mr. Foster presents him with a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Ellis Earl is amazed to encounter a family that’s even worse off than his own—and is delighted by the Buckets’ very happy ending. But when Mama tells Ellis Earl that he might need to quit school to help support the family, he wonders if happy endings are only possible in storybooks.
Using the historical touchstone of Robert Kennedy’s southern “poverty tour,” Linda Williams Jackson pulls from her own childhood in the Mississippi Delta to tell a detail-rich and poignant story with memorable characters, sure to resonate with readers who have ever felt constricted by their circumstances.
Why I like this book:
A powerful and hopeful story loosely based on the Linda Williams Jackson childhood experiences of her life on the Mississippi Delta during the Civil Rights era. I found her inspiring story about Ellis Earl’s close-knit family and the community that supported them both captivating and heartbreaking. They may have been poor, but they were rich in love. I especially enjoyed how Jackson wove historical events and people into the story. I was a teen at that time and aware of the disparages between how white and black families lived and the tense political climate.
The characters are multi-layered and memorable. Ellis Earl dreams of becoming a teacher or a lawyer so he can lift his family out of poverty. He is kind-hearted to the core, resilient and courageous. And readers need a teacher like Mr. Foster in their lives. He bring hope to Ellis Earl and encourages his dreams. Mr. Foster introduces Ellis to famous Black people in history who make a difference..He brings food to class on Fridays, and sends the leftovers home with those who would go hungry. He transports Ellis and other kids in the Delta to and from school in his station wagon.
The realistic setting makes this story stand out. It is so hard to imagine such extreme poverty in America.. Eleven family members living in a two-room shack with a leaky ceiling. Matteresses cover the floor. There is no running water or electricity, only kerosene lamps. The housee is cold in the winter and suffocating in the summer. There is an outhouse. Water is carried from the well and boiled for drinking and bathing. There is no kitchen table or chairs, so the family sets food on pails turned upside down and covered with a cloth. Dinner meals are spare — rice, or biscuits and cornbread with molasses.
The way Jackson brilliantly weaves Charlie and Chocolate Factory (the original version) into the story will certainly help all children relate. In fact, they will cheer for Ellis as they did for Charlie. This is an excellent discussion book for teachers to use with middle grade students. There arre so many themes that can be explored.
Linda Williams Jackson is the author of the award-winning, middle grade novels Midnight Without a Moon and A Sky Full of Stars. She lives in Southaven, Mississippi, with her family.
Greg Pattridge hosts Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts on his wonderful Always in the Middle website. Check out the link to see all of the wonderful reviews by KidLit bloggers and authors.
Message to my readers: I apologize for dropping out of sight last June, but my focus has been on a family member’s rapidly declining health. I will publish when I can. Thank you for understanding.
*Review copy provided by Candlewick in exchange for a review.