#tbt: The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon

Image: Simon & Schuster

The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon. 304 p. Aladdin/ Simon & Schuster, January, 2009. 9781416975823.

#tbt features The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon. This work of historical fiction is set in Chicago in 1968. Thirteen-year-old Sam is a member of a prominent Civil Rights activist family. His minister father is a trusted advisor of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior. Sam admires both men and is committed to fighting for Civil Rights. His brother Steven, Stick, is becoming disillusioned with King's tenet of non-violence. Stick admires the philosophy of the Black Panther movement and this leads to arguments and a fracture in the family.

Ms. Magoon vividly brings the conflicts of the Civil Rights movement to life through her compelling characters. The Rock and the River was Kekla Magoon's debut novel. She was awarded the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award and named to many "Best" lists including Bank Street Best Books of the Year.