P.S. Be Eleven

The Gaither sisters are at it again! A sequel to the Newbery Honor Book One Crazy Summer, this Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel will find a home in the hearts of readers who loved Brown Girl Dreaming and As Brave as You.

After spending the summer in Oakland, California, with their mother and the Black Panthers, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern arrive home with a newfound streak of independence. That doesn't sit well with Big Ma, who doesn't like the way things are changing.

Neither does Delphine. Pa has a new girlfriend. Uncle Darnell comes home from Vietnam, but he's not the same. And her new sixth-grade teacher isn't the fun, stylish Miss Honeywell—it's Mr. Mwila, a stern exchange teacher from Zambia.

But the one thing that doesn't change during this turbulent year is the advice that Delphine receives from her mother, who reminds her not to grow up too fast. To be eleven while she can.

Readers who enjoy Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming will find much to love in this book. Rita Williams-Garcia's books about Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern can also be read alongside nonfiction explorations of American history such as Jason Reynolds's and Ibram X. Kendi's books.

Each humorous, unforgettable story in this trilogy follows the sisters as they grow up during one of the most tumultuous eras in recent American history, the 1960s. Read the adventures of eleven-year-old Delphine and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, as they visit their kin all over the rapidly changing nation—and as they discover that the bonds of family, and their own strength, run deeper than they ever knew possible.

“The Gaither sisters are an irresistible trio. Williams-Garcia excels at conveying defining moments of American society from their point of view.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

This unforgettable year brings new challenges, new lessons, and a whole lot of change to Herkimer Street.

• A Tumultuous Time in History: From the influence of the Black Panthers to the turmoil of the Vietnam War, this story brings the late 1960s to life through the eyes of three unforgettable sisters.
• Strong Female Protagonist: As the oldest, Delphine has to steer her family through a year of upheaval when her pa gets a new girlfriend and her beloved uncle returns home from the war a changed man.
• African American Family Story: Follow Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern as they clash with their traditional grandmother, Big Ma, and learn what family truly means.
• A Classic School Story: Delphine faces her own challenges in the sixth grade when her favorite teacher is replaced by Mr. Mwila, a stern exchange teacher from Zambia with a lot to teach her about the world.