|  | Massacre Island | |  | | Massacre Island | | Twelve-year-old Nicolas de La Salle and his family sailed to La Louisiane (French Louisiana) with Governor Iberville to start a French settlement on the Gulf coast. Nicolas's father was with the explorer, Robert Cavelier de La Salle, when he reached ... | | | $17.95 | |  |
|
| |
| | | YOUNG ADULT | Home » » A Summer of Kings | | | | | | | Description: | | It's 1963 and fourteen-year-old Esther Young is looking for excitement. Cursed with a lack of talent in a family filled with artistic types, Esther vows to get some attention by initiating a summer romance with a black teen accused of murdering a white man in Alabama.
King-Roy Johnson shows up on Esther's doorstep that summer, an angry young man who feels betrayed by the nonviolent teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. Sent north by his mother to escape a lynch mob, he meets a follower of Malcolm X's who uses radical teachings about black revolution to fuel King-Roy's anger and frustration. But with each other's help, both Esther and King-Roy learn the true nature of integrity and find the power to stand up for what is right and true.
National Book Award-winning author Han Nolan brings readers a bold new voice--by turns funny and poignant, innocent and worldly--in this powerful coming-of-age story set during the turbulent struggle for civil rights.
| | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9780152051082
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Han Nolan | | Hardcover:
| 352 pages | | Publisher:
| Harcourt Children's Books | | Publication Date:
| 2006-03 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0152051082 | | Product Length:
| 8.66 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.6 inches | | Product Height:
| 1.07 inches | | Product Weight:
| 1.03 pounds | | Package Length:
| 8.3 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.6 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.2 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.1 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 9 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 Loved itJul 10, 2010
I read this book because I was browsing different works by Han Nolan. The only other book I'd read by the author was 'Born Blue.' That book was amazing so I figured I'd give one of her other books a try. I was laughing out loud through the early parts of the book, then, before I knew it, I was feeling the lowest of lows along with the narrator of the story. I ended up loving this book more than I thought it would. In my opinion, 'Born Blue' is the better book of the two, but it's still worth a read.
Bound to be a modern classic.Jul 26, 2008
I discovered this book in the teen area of our library. The teen librarians had this as a recommended favorite of the month, or I would have never known it's existance. I picked it up out of curiosity, and decided it looked good,and maybe I could learn something about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. as they relate to when I was a child too young to be aware.
There are so many books I had been aching to read, but I had to stop and read this one. Then, when I did start reading, I couldn't put it down. That is so very unlike me. I read it in three days! Unlike me again. Fiction is usually too sappy and unreal for me to enjoy.
It was so well written that I believed all the way through that it was a biography. How could anyone describe so accurately the feelings of Esther unless she was Esther! I so related to those feelings, and I believe we all do. The character development of everyone involved was so real. It seemed obvious to me that Esther was ADHD and had an gift of understanding people.
The book was so good that I, being over 40, was crying in the middle because I so related to how Esther felt. Don't get me wrong, it's not really a tear jerker, and not really negative.
I am going to buy it to keep a copy for myself. I will also read it to my 12 year old daughter, and perhaps use it as a home school unit.
I am now in search of other Han Nolan titles in hopes of finding other awesome titles. Maybe the author will indulge us with sequels!
 Summer of KingsAug 14, 2007
A Summer of Kings, is a realistic fiction book it contains adventure. The book is written by Han Nolan, takes place in the 1960s during a time when the world was facing racial tensions between African Americans and Anglos. This book is realistic, historical and emotional. It disputes both sides of racism, the violence of the white man against the black man and the anger of the black man towards the white man.
In the book, one of the main characters, King-Roy Johnson, is accused of murdering an Anglo man. Esther, the 14 year old Anglo girl, has very strong emotions about wanting to become something new, something better. She is very frustrated with herself because her family makes statements to her about her being stupid because she failed the 3rd grade. This is obvious when she is told that she should be a gym teacher since it does not require intelligence. She believes that by falling in love with King-Roy, this will begin the process of becoming something new.
King-Roy begins to believe the teachings and philosophies of Malcolm X, who promotes the use of violence to resolve racial issues, after meeting Ax (who doesn't like the "white-devils" which are Anglos) on the bus to live at the Young's House. Esther learns the peaceful ways of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ghandi principles.
Esther and King-Roy produced issues between them. Esther is approaching the issues as not keeping promises and honesty. Esther's first matter is promises because King-Roy said that he would meet her, Sophie, and Stewart at the bus station, but in spite of his honesty they went to Harlem to get him so they would be home on time for dinner.
Esther's friend, Pip was "in training" for cross-country so Esther would run with him every morning at 5:00 a.m. Later in the city, King- Roy and Esther agreed to meet at the bus station at 4:00 p.m. to go back home; King- Roy never showed up after Sophie and Stewart's auditions. King-Roy was found in Harlem with his friend, Ax (who didn't like "white devils" which are Anglos). Esther then climbed up a tree because she was mad that her family was making fun of her. Her father came to her and said that he was sorry about the incident that happened. Next, King-Roy came and said that he would teach Esther how to tap dance. Lastly, Mrs. Young, Esther's mother, came outside to apologize Esther was complaining because she never received a thank-you for everything that she did. Mrs. Young said that she never receives a thank-you from anybody in the house-hold.
I really liked the book, its description and mental visualization. I didn't really like the lack of honesty between each character. The narrator explained their story very well and simple so it was easy to receive the information.
The book is one of my new favorite books. It is in my top 3 books!!!
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 The Summer of Kings: Good, Not GreatJun 18, 2007
First, I would like to start off with the cover of the book. King Roy (the black man) looks like a 14-year-old boy without glasses. In the book he wears glasses, but how come not on the cover? Esther (the girl) looks like a 10-year-old, even though she is 14. Now I am going to talk about the characters. Sophia (Esther's 6-year-old sister) is a little spoiled brat who I've wanted to strangle ever since I started the book. Stewart (Esther's 7-year-old brother) is one of the only nice people in the book. Monsier Vichy is a cool character, even though Esther keeps saying he's "evil" (maybe because he's French, but who knows). Esther's mother is the most uptight mother ever, and she even makes fun of Esther, but she doesn't seem to mind. If I was
Esther, I would already have hitten her with a baseball bat. Esther's father is not in the book that much. The only thing I know about him, is that he is a director. Auntie Pie is a weirdo who has a very sweet tooth, Beatrice is an actress who is bad, and that's all I know about them. Pip is probably my favorite character, because he's calm, and he doesn't do stupid stuff. King Roy is following Malcom X's plan of destroying all the whites (yawn, like that's going to happen) and gets mad practically everyday. Esther is worried about the change, and thinks she is getting left behind. She is an outcast even in her family, and everyone thinks she is stupid, except for Pip. All in all, The Summer of Kings is a good book, but it sure is not a masterpiece.
A Summer Of Kings, an amazing bookApr 24, 2007
"I decided that this would be the summer of a new me, a more mature me, a more mysterious and exotic me, and I determined that are new houseguest, the murderer, was to play a starring role in my new life." This is a quote from the amazing historical fiction novel, A Summer of Kings, by Han Nolen.
Esther is 14 years old, and she is always getting "left behind". Everyone is always telling her to grow up and her family is mean to her. She wants this summer of 1963 to be different, and it will be.
Esther plans on falling in love with King-Roy, who is an 18 year old African American sent to live with Esther's family after being accused of killing someone. King-Roy feels that the only way to get his rights is by being violent. He hates whites and is upset by the segregation going on in the world. Esther tries to help and understand while learning about what is happening in the world and "being the change she wants to see in the world'.
This is an amazing story, telling people to stand up for what is right and reminding people what life was like in the 1960's and the importance of freedom. Ester's feelings come right out of the book and I feel as if everything happening to Esther is happening to me.
I would recommend this book to anyone in 6th to 8th grade. I would also recommend this book to people who enjoy learning about the past and the life and problems of people who lived during that time.
| | |
|
