MISSISSIPPI MORNING

Racial prejudice and equal doses of a boy’s naïveté and experiences collide in a coming-of-age moment that calibrates his moral compass. Life in rural Mississippi in 1933 seems simple, though racial relationships were complicated. James William does his chores, hangs out at his father’s store, and goes fishing with a young black friend. But slowly, he begins to understand that there are things going on that he hasn’t known. The Klan’s activities seem unbelievable to him, but his friends, both white and black, are sure that the stories are true. His father refuses to discuss it. James William soon learns the truth for himself—and his faith in his father changes forever. Vander Zee tells the story without judgment; as in real life, the facts fall where they may and the conclusions the reader will draw are inevitable. Cooper is at his best with action, emotion, and perspective; design lets the art fill the book with color and life; and Vander Zee’s dialogue crackles with import. Readers end with sympathetic feelings for James William—not only for the shaking of his social foundations, but the trauma of his father’s lies. (Picture book. 8-11)