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)

As Delphine navigates a changing family and a changing world, can she remember her mother’s most important advice?

• Books about Sisters: Follow the unbreakable, often hilarious bond between Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern as they face everything from new teachers to family secrets together.
• 1960s Historical Fiction: Set in a vividly rendered Brooklyn, the story explores the impact of the Vietnam War and the Black Power Movement on one family’s life.
• A Changing Family: Delphine’s world is turned upside down when her Pa gets a new girlfriend and her uncle returns from the war, but isn’t the man he used to be.
• Growing Up Black: This award-winning story is a perfect read for fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Christopher Paul Curtis, capturing the joys and challenges of being a Black girl in a tumultuous era.