ROI AND ME AND THE DOUBLE V

Two African American tweens cope with disruption as the U.S. enters World War II.

Marvel and Roi are growing up in the bustling port city of Wilmington, North Carolina. Marvel aspires to be an Olympic gold medalist like her hero, Jesse Owens. Papa supports her dream, but he’s gone to New York to build airplanes. Marvel suffers more setbacks when her coach joins the Merchant Marines and the demand for housing for shipyard workers encroaches on the running track. Roi, Marvel’s best friend, has a mother in the sanitarium with tuberculosis. His dad left years ago, and when his older brother goes to Jacksonville to enlist with the Marines, Roi is left to care for his little sister. Substitute teacher Mr. Peterson gets the students involved in President Roosevelt’s Victory Garden initiative, and when Roi witnesses someone destroying their hard work, his teacher helps him discover his talent for journalism, which he uses to expose the crime. Mr. Peterson also introduces the children to James Thompson’s letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Courier, “Should I Sacrifice To Live ‘Half American?’”, arguing for the Double V: victory at home and abroad for African Americans. This story told in the leads’ believable first-person voices is rich in period details, introducing lesser-known aspects of history. The cohesion of the neighborhood is striking, and the intergenerational interactions greatly enrich the narrative.

A strong story highlighting Black communities’ wartime contributions despite the discrimination they faced at home.