NORTH TOWN

A logical successor to the author's South Town and much the better written book. It centers around aspects of racial prejudice that seldom get balanced attention in juvenile books: that the North has extreme inequities; that prejudice works actively both ways fueled by fear; that there is a divisive social structure among Negroes; and that the issue of race and rights is always present for a Negro. It is the story of Dave Williams and what his life was like during his first year away from the small Southern country town of his birth. Like any other country boy he faced the problem of city slickers among his peer group with the additional burden of being black. Circumstances continually forced him to find out just how many rights he had and just how far they went -- in school, on the job and among his fellow Negroes. His family is very well drawn, particularly his father. Mr. Williams, pushed by desire to move ahead, fell victim to the Buy Now, Pay Later dilemma that makes life both easier and harder for the poor. One serious illness and its attendant expenses nearly cost the family all its dreams. Dave is a sympathetic, average sort of boy and his predicaments are made into a story of mature insight with real appeal.