Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson

Midnight Without a Moon is a middle grade historical fiction novel by Linda Williams Jackson. Rose Lee Carter is a 13-year-old African-American girl living in 1950s Mississippi. Life is moving forward normally until Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American boy, is killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Now Rose must decide what is truly important: letting things stay the same or fighting for her rights.

Sex: There are mentions of unplanned teenage pregnancies. A character sneaks off to see a boy at night, but no details are told.

Language: None.

Drug/Alcohol Use: None.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: The death of Emmett Till is very emotional and disturbing. While less graphic than some other books, this novel still shares details.

Final Note: I truly believe this book is a Newbery contender. Upper middle grades and high school students will learn a lot from this story. Rose is a likeable character and I can't wait to hear more of her story! This book is the first in a series.

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Hello fellow parents and friends! My name is Danielle. I had the idea for this blog a couple of years ago when I was working in my son's school library. It was a known fact that I was an avid reader of middle school and young adult literature and several parents would ask me about books before checking them out for their kids. (Or buying them at the book fair!) Because I read so much, I've never worried too much about what my kids might be reading. My oldest is only eight years old and anything he's read, I've read already! But what about parents who don't necessarily enjoy reading or have the time? I wanted to offer a resource that gave these parents the chance to make educated decisions about books their kids are reading. That's how this blog was born! Before we go any further, I want to point out that I am strongly opposed to book banning. I believe in freedom of speech and expression of art through literature. But I also feel strongly that kids should ...

The Rapid Reader

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