The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods

Just a small town with big problems, like yours or mine. I loved the characters, the writing style, and the setting, but the greatest power of this book was how ordinary it was. I was with him all the way and really rooting for him to make the right decision in the end, though I was empathetic to all the pressure on him. ) Meriwether was a great mixture of mentor and friend, and I loved him for his bravery and gentleness. He was a good point of view character in that respect, but it was also fun how he was all boy with his own hopes and dreams and wonderings.

I almost felt as if I got to discover and be heartbroken by these things right along with him. And I didn’t know about some of the more subtle ways racism has reared its ugly head.Īnd the great thing about this book was that the main character, twelve-year-old Gabe, didn’t either. *opens Wikipedia tab* I didn’t know about the disrespect and violence against black veterans returning from World War II. I didn’t know much about the Black Panthers, and now I want to know more. Especially if it’s middle-grade fiction because somehow those are always more poignant while they are gentle. I love it when I stumble across a book that opens my eyes to another piece of history, another part of the world, another person’s experience.

Soon Gabriel learns why it's so dangerous for Meriwether to talk about his heroism in front of white people, and Gabriel's eyes are finally opened to the hard truth about Birdsong-and his understanding of what it means to be a hero will never be the same.

Meriwether Hunter hadn't been around to push him out of harm's way.Īfter the accident, Gabriel and Meriwether become friends when they both start working at Gabriel's dad's auto shop, and Meriwether lets a secret slip: He served in the army's all-black 761st Tank Battalion in World War II. It all starts when he comes face-to-face with one of the worst drivers in town while riding his new bicycle-an accident that would have been tragic if Mr. But on his twelfth birthday, his point of view begins to change. The Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author tells the moving story of the friendship between a young white boy and a Black WWII veteran who has recently returned to the unwelcoming Jim Crow South.įor Gabriel Haberlin, life seems pretty close to perfect in the small southern town of Birdsong, USA.

The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods