Crossing Jordan

by Adrian Fogelin, Adrian Fogelin (Read by)

Overview

Cass is dreading a long, lonely summer until Jemmie and her family move in next door. The two girls hit if off right away, but there's just one probem: their parents don't want them socializing with each other.

The two girls challenge each ther to a race, and soon they secretly become best friends. Cass quickly realizes that a summer with Jemmie will be anything but boring. But when echoes of the past and voices from the present threaten to separate them, Cass and Jemmie must prove how far they'll go to save their friendship.

Adrian Fogelin's unforgettable characters make us laugh, yet poignantly remind us of fences that too often continue to separate us from one another. --BOOK JACKET.

ADRIAN FOGELIN was moved to write this story of prejudice and friendship after an incident in her neighborhood. A librarian and a fiction reader for the International Quarterly, Adrian lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with her family. This is her first book for children.

SUZY SCHULTZ is an award-winning fine artist and illustrator. Her art is regularly exhibited, and her portraits are found in collections across the United States. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
--BOOK JACKET

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616376673
Publisher:	Findaway World
Publication date:	02/28/2010
Series:	Playaway Young Adult
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.30(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

About the Author

Adrian Fogelin earned a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a librarian and as an illustrator for the Baltimore Zoo. The author of several novels for middle readers and young adults, Adrian makes regular appearances in schools and libraries and teaches creative writing. Her special interests include managing family land for wildlife conservation, running a food bank and library for her neighborhood, and singing in a duo called Hot Tamale. She lives in Florida.

Suzy Schultz is an illustrator and fine artist. She lives in Georgia.

Read an Excerpt

I squinched my eye up to the knothole in the fence. She was real skinny and tall like me. Her long legs seemed to start at the ground and end at her ears.

Next thing I knew, a brown eye was looking back at me through the hole.

"Do you like to run?" I asked.

"Run? Girl, I don't run, I fly. Can't nobody beat me."

"Bet I could."

I heard a whoop of laughter from the other side of the fence. "Dream on, girl."

Then the eyeball looked me up and down. "Got some long legs on you, but I'd still beat you."

"Would not," I said.

"Would too," she said.

--BACK COVER JACKET.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5–8—In Adrian Fogelin's contemporary novel (Peachtree, 2000), set in Tallahassee, Florida, 12-year-old Cass Bodine's racist father erects a fence between his house and the house of their new next door neighbors, who are black. "If they stay out of our business and we stay out of theirs, we'll get along fine," he informs his daughter. Despite the racial prejudice on both sides of the fence, Cass and Jemmie, the girl next door, become best friends through a mutual love of running and the trials and tribulations of reading Jane Eyre. When the parents discover the girls' secretive relationship, they forbid them to see each other. But events continue to evolve, and the hearts of both families are tested. The rationale behind bigotry is well fleshed out and delicately examined, but sometimes feels a little over done. Nevertheless, the characters are believable and the story line is sensitive and honest. Fogelin's narration reflects her intricate knowledge of the characters, and she brings the emotional depth of each scene to life. Southern life resonates as the author expertly defines each character's unique traits and dialect. An engrossing, evenhanded look at prejudice and interracial friendship.—Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FL

School Library Journal

"Jemmie and Cass are likable, lively characters, and readers will enjoy the repartee between them."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

This coming-of-age story features two girls, one black and one white, and works on many levels. Cass, a 12-year-old white girl, and her new African-American neighbor, Jemmy, forge a bond when they discover their mutual love of running. Both Jemmy's mother, a nurse, and Cass's father, a struggling laborer, harbor grudges over past perceived injustices and refuse to let the girls be friends. The author's narration captures the emotional seesaw of adolescence and fittingly portrays characters of other ages with various accents. Her restrained approach contributes to the characters' credibility and complexity. This enjoyable performance could serve as a good starting point for a discussion about prejudice. M.H.N. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2010 - AudioFile