I have not been blogging as consistently lately. I am still reading - a lot. I think part of the reason is that I am reading shortlist books for MSBA. In some cases these are books I might not have normally picked up so meh. They are also old news at this point. I mean honestly - I haven't even read Hello, Universe yet - I will, it's on the shortlist, big surprise.
I am starting to read 2018 and I get jazzed about them because in my circles I am one of the first to read some of these. I do enjoy that...
So, Christopher Paul Curtis - you know what you are going to get but this takes a different perspective and I love it all the more because of that. This book will be perfect for his fans, students who enjoy reading about the time period, and those looking to see different sides of the story.
Charlie Bobo is the son of a sharecropping family in South Carolina. They are poor and yes, racist. In some ways they are jealous of the slaves who at least have homes and are fed. But when Charlie's dad witnesses a cat-hauling on the nearby plantation he is devastated.
Unfortunately Charlie's dad dies and because of a debt he owes Charlie is forced to travel north with the Tanner's overseer to catch some criminals who stole $3000. In actuality the overseer is looking to recover 3 escaped slaves worth that amount of money. Charlie doesn't really know this at first and he doesn't realize how evil the overseer really is until further along in the trip. But what can Charlie do? He is just a kid.
The book follows Charlie's journey - not just north, venturing into Canada and familiar Christopher Paul Curtis territory, but also his emotional journey as he wrestles with his conscious.
Well done!!
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