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ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
Wow.
I'm not sure why I didn't know about this book until this month but I am so happy that I dove into The Long Ride. Mostly because it seems pretty fitting for Black History Month to dive into a book set in the 1970's when segregation was starting to happen in schools. Plus it's in New York where my family is from so it was interesting to see what was going to happen to Jamila, Josie and Francesca throughout this book.
Now these three girls are best friends. They are all mixed-race and they live in a nice white neighborhood. At first, people weren't really nice to them and some neighbors were being harassed or harassing. Yet, their families still lived there and everyone else on their street has now accepted it and played nice or they moved away.
Right when they are all about to start their new life in a new middle school, which is kind of far away, Francesca's parents decide to send her to private school instead. So Jamila and Josie head off to South Jamaica and their lives change soon after. Just like all kids, these three start to drift apart. They are still friends but they are out making new friends and are in different classes and such.
They also deal with a ton of prejudice. It was insane. Just by reading the history books we know that the people dealt with so much prejudice back then. Heck, they are still dealing with it now. So I wasn't completely shocked by it happening but these girls were in Middle School. Freaking Middle School.
Other than that, I really liked Jamila throughout the book. She kept my eyes open from start to finish. She doesn't understand why people see her as white, when she isn't. Then there's so much conflict as well. Honestly, I loved that I came across this book and dove into it's pages. Everything was written beautifully and I couldn't put it down.
Definitely recommend this to everyone.
I'm not sure why I didn't know about this book until this month but I am so happy that I dove into The Long Ride. Mostly because it seems pretty fitting for Black History Month to dive into a book set in the 1970's when segregation was starting to happen in schools. Plus it's in New York where my family is from so it was interesting to see what was going to happen to Jamila, Josie and Francesca throughout this book.
Now these three girls are best friends. They are all mixed-race and they live in a nice white neighborhood. At first, people weren't really nice to them and some neighbors were being harassed or harassing. Yet, their families still lived there and everyone else on their street has now accepted it and played nice or they moved away.
Right when they are all about to start their new life in a new middle school, which is kind of far away, Francesca's parents decide to send her to private school instead. So Jamila and Josie head off to South Jamaica and their lives change soon after. Just like all kids, these three start to drift apart. They are still friends but they are out making new friends and are in different classes and such.
They also deal with a ton of prejudice. It was insane. Just by reading the history books we know that the people dealt with so much prejudice back then. Heck, they are still dealing with it now. So I wasn't completely shocked by it happening but these girls were in Middle School. Freaking Middle School.
Other than that, I really liked Jamila throughout the book. She kept my eyes open from start to finish. She doesn't understand why people see her as white, when she isn't. Then there's so much conflict as well. Honestly, I loved that I came across this book and dove into it's pages. Everything was written beautifully and I couldn't put it down.
Definitely recommend this to everyone.
ellenpederson's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting for the historical context (busing programs for school integration.) The story didn't really hold my attention, though... Luckily it's short and goes quickly. Would be 3 stars, but added a fourth for relevant and under-discussed topic.
miszjeanie's review against another edition
4.0
The Long Ride by Marina Tamar Budhos is an exploration of what it means to mixed-race and American. This middle-grade novel zooms in on a school desegregation effort in 70’s Queens, New York. Yet, it’s not history-focused. Author Budhos also delves into navigating the early teens, dealing with first crushes, and maintaining friendships in the midst of changing circumstances.
If you enjoy middle-grade historical fiction and slice-of-life novels, this one may just be right for you.
Read my full review here.
If you enjoy middle-grade historical fiction and slice-of-life novels, this one may just be right for you.
Read my full review here.
pensandpicks's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mcintyremarissa's review
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual harassment
suzannedix's review against another edition
5.0
I have so little knowledge of the busing issues that arose in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Very grateful to this author for offering a story I could learn from and be inspired by.
livadventurously's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to get into this, and then I realized it's partially because I am an adult and this book is not meant for me. However, I can imagine my 6th grade students would love it. This offers a different take on integration, being set in the 70s, and I love how it brought out the fact that historically we have put the onus on children to enact changes that adults make.
I would definitely add this to my classroom library, and I think that there are themes present here about growing up that would pair wonderfully with "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros.
I would definitely add this to my classroom library, and I think that there are themes present here about growing up that would pair wonderfully with "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros.
danyell919's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the first historical fiction book I’ve read about bussing in New York. I really enjoyed the characters and how the author didn’t shy away from hard issues. I liked it!