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maunanoiln 's review for:
The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA
by Brenda Woods
This middle-grade novel was perfectly fine.
The basic plot is in the 1960s in Birdsong North Carolina, a 12-year-old boy, Gabriel, riding on his bike nearly gets hit by a car but then he is rescued by a local black man, Merriweather Hunter. He then forms a friendship with the man and learns a little bit about racism in his hometown and the Jim Crow Era South.
I feel like I've read (or seen in movies) a lot of these nostalgic for the 60s books. Of course, Gabriel isn't racist and neither are his family or friends or even the Sheriff's department but instead it is all boiled down to just one racist man in the town. The most interesting topic brought up was that Hunter served in WWII and isn't really recognized for his service. However, that point is not given much of a spotlight nor is there any push to reconcile this within the narrative.
Overall, I'd say this book is fine. I hope that any kid that picks this one up would also pick up other diverse books so they can get a more complete picture (preferably one with a black POV character).
The basic plot is in the 1960s in Birdsong North Carolina, a 12-year-old boy, Gabriel, riding on his bike nearly gets hit by a car but then he is rescued by a local black man, Merriweather Hunter. He then forms a friendship with the man and learns a little bit about racism in his hometown and the Jim Crow Era South.
I feel like I've read (or seen in movies) a lot of these nostalgic for the 60s books. Of course, Gabriel isn't racist and neither are his family or friends or even the Sheriff's department but instead it is all boiled down to just one racist man in the town. The most interesting topic brought up was that Hunter served in WWII and isn't really recognized for his service. However, that point is not given much of a spotlight nor is there any push to reconcile this within the narrative.
Overall, I'd say this book is fine. I hope that any kid that picks this one up would also pick up other diverse books so they can get a more complete picture (preferably one with a black POV character).