The Return of Gabriel
by John Armistead
The summer of 1964 begins calmly enough. Cooper Grant, Jubal Harris,
and Squirrel Kogan form a secret society called the Scorpions, hoping
to event he score with the local bully, Reno McCarthy. But when civil
rights workers come to their small Mississippi town and the Ku Klux
Klan responds with intimidation and terrorism, the sultry days and
nights are transformed into Freedom Summer.
As events unfold, the town begins to crackle with tension. A
cross-burning on the lawn of Squirrel's house scares his family out of
town. Mr. Grant insists on Cooper attending KKK meetings with him. And
at the Oak Grove Baptist Church, where Jubal and Cooper are members,
Reverand Graham begins to issue warnings — premonitions of Klan attacks
he says have come from the “angel Gabriel.” But then Gabriel
mysteriously disappears.
Filled with suspense, The Return of Gabriel takes readers deep into a
not-so-distant era. Confronted with decisions well beyond their years,
the friends grapple with eternal issues of shifting loyalties and the
nature of heroism.
Download Teaching Guide
Contributors: Illustrations by Fran Gregory
John Armistead
Author's Bio:John Armistead is the author of The $66 Summer,
which was selected as a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.
He is an ordained minister, artist, religion reporter for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal,
and a teacher for the American Baptist Seminary. He formerly taught
kindergarten and high school. Born in Alabama, he lives in Tupelo,
Mississippi.
Awards:Sunshine State Young Readers Award Master List, 2006-2007
Quotes:"The
Return of Gabriel paints a dramatic picture of a chapter in the Civil
Rights era in Mississippi, bringing the period to life for today's
teens. Young people today are aware of the continuing presence of
racism in our own society, and in reading this novel they can become
better acquainted with the process that led to the comparative racial
tolerance and multiculturalism we know today in America.”——Anniston Star
“The Return of Gabriel is a suspenseful, compelling story of
boys having to grapple with decisions that are well beyond their years.
Their determination to keep their friendship intact despite all the
pressures to end it will resonate with readers. An inspiring story set
during the contentious Freedom Summer.” —School Library Journal
"Armistead tells a powerful story, with
marvelous characterizations and a finely paced, page-turning plot. This
well-crafted historical novel is not only an involving story but also a
potent, thought-provoking political scenario.”——Booklist
“Armistead
follows his strong first novel, The $66 Summer, about prejudice in the
1950s South, with an equally dramatic story set in 1964. The easy-going
friendship between Cooper, a white 13-year-old, and his
African-American neighbor, Jubal, is suddenly threatened when
liberal-minded college students arrive from California, determined to
bring change to Cooper's segregated Mississippi town. His loyalties
split between his own family and Jubal's. . . . Political messages
at times overpower character development, but readers will remain
riveted as the action rises to a fever pitch. The star role Cooper
plays in disbanding his own town's newly formed white supremacy clan is
inspiring, however, students familiar with American history may find
the resolution more idealistic than realistic.”—Publishers Weekly
“This richly peopled story partakes of To Kill a Mockingbird’s atmosphere of a society in which whites and blacks cannot expect equal justice.” —Houston Chronicle
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The Return of Gabriel
Filled with suspense, The Return of Gabriel takes readers deep into a
not-so-distant era. Confronted with decisions well beyond their years,
the friends grapple with eternal issues of shifting loyalties and the
nature of heroism. more...
$ 17.95
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Price:
$ 6.95
Binding: Paper
Availability In Stock: 330
immediately
Publisher: Milkweed Editions
Published: 2002
Size: 5.25 x 8
Genre: Intermediate Fiction/Current Affairs
Pages: 240
ISBN: 9781571316387
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