★ 05/13/2019
In 1943, 11-year-old Ella Hankerson’s African-American mother has moved to the buzzing metropolis of Boston to become a jazz singer—far away from Ella’s small town of Alcolu, S.C., where she lives with her grandparents. Ella doesn’t know who her father is—just that he headed out west—but she’s sometimes teased for her white facial features, and she wonders if he could be Cab Calloway. When Ella’s mom sends a telegram asking her to visit for Christmas, Ella plans to show her just how much she’s grown up. Life is often dangerous and unjust for Ella and her black family and friends in the Jim Crow South, and Boston poses new challenges. Her mother works all day at the navy yard and sings in jazz clubs at night, leaving Ella in her tiny apartment, and the visit is over all too soon. Chapters alternate between Ella’s narration and the stories of cousins Henry and Myrna, who live back home, where an innocent black teen is unjustly accused of two murders. Parsons’ debut novel offers a complex exploration of Northern and Southern racial tensions and one girl’s bumpy path toward knowing herself. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)
* "As compelling as Brown Girl Dreaming, as character-driven as One Crazy Summer, and as historically illuminating as Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. A captivating novel that sheds new light on black childhood."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"....wonderful voices and character interactions, and an evocative cover will draw readers."—Booklist
"...a welcome addition to middle school readers."—School Library Connection
"....historical fiction fans may nonetheless appreciate this look at racial tensions in both the South and the North in the World War II era."—BCCB
"How High the Moon is at once historical and timely, captivating, and lovely. In Karyn Parsons brilliant hands, I feel like I've traveled a lifetime into the heartbreaking and beautiful south of the 1940s, spent time with Ella, Myrna and Henry and the many other amazing people I've met in this book, then landed back here in the present day having left a part of me behind. So glad this book is in the world."—Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming
"In How High the Moon, Karyn Parson brings the same verve, timing, and emotive brilliance that she brought to the screen. Equal parts mystery, historical fiction, and coming-of-age, this is a story full of warmth and light and drama that will captivate you. That will haunt you. And that will ultimately enlighten you."—Kwame Alexander, author of The Crossover
"A talented, engaging new voice. A brave, compassionate, and lovable heroine."—Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of Ghost Boys
"Parson's sparkling debut grabs us by the heart and leads us by the hand into a painful past filled with revelations, hope, and homecoming. Absolutely Glorious!"—Rita Williams Garcia, author of One Crazy Summer
"A tender and compelling story about loving and belonging. Parsons masterfully takes us on a journey where the political is personal, where the most heartbreaking moments are also profound and beautiful. Ella is a character readers will care about, cry with, and cheer for. How High the Moon is a stunning debut that promises to have readers wanting more and more from Parsons."—Renee Watson, author of Piecing Me Together
"A timeless tale that uncovers family secrets and hidden histories for readers of all ages and backgrounds. Masterfully done!"—Tami Charles, author of Like Vanessa
"A stirring, emotionally resonant debut, How High the Moon opens a fresh and sensitive window on a terrifying time, even as it introduces us to a lovable new heroine—Ella Louise!"—Tony Abbott, author of Firegirl and The Great Jeff
* "Parsons has penned a vivid, compelling tale that will stay with readers long after they turn the final page."—School Library Journal, starred review
Narrator Sisi Aisha Johnson transports listeners to rural South Carolina in the 1940s through the passionate perspectives of three characters: 11-year-old Ella and her two cousins—14-year-old Myrna, an orphan, and 12-year-old Henry, who is Ella’s best friend. They live together with their grandparents, but life is dangerous for African-Americans in the South. Teased by other black kids for her light skin, Ella is eager to leave when her mother invites her to live with her in Boston. But while Myrna and Henry deal with scary realities in South Carolina, Ella finds Boston a difficult adjustment. Johnson’s youthful voice and Southern accent sympathetically capture the three kids as each experiences childhood through the lens of a racist society. S.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Narrator Sisi Aisha Johnson transports listeners to rural South Carolina in the 1940s through the passionate perspectives of three characters: 11-year-old Ella and her two cousins—14-year-old Myrna, an orphan, and 12-year-old Henry, who is Ella’s best friend. They live together with their grandparents, but life is dangerous for African-Americans in the South. Teased by other black kids for her light skin, Ella is eager to leave when her mother invites her to live with her in Boston. But while Myrna and Henry deal with scary realities in South Carolina, Ella finds Boston a difficult adjustment. Johnson’s youthful voice and Southern accent sympathetically capture the three kids as each experiences childhood through the lens of a racist society. S.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
★ 2018-11-26
As compelling as Brown Girl Dreaming, as character-driven as One Crazy Summer, and as historically illuminating as Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
Eleven-year-old Ella Hankerson yearns to know her absent father, but her mother, Lucy, and grandparents constantly evade her questions. Teased by other black kids for her light skin and white-seeming features, Ella indulges in wild speculation—maybe it's Cab Calloway? Lucy has left Ella in Alcolu, South Carolina, for work and a jazz career in Boston, and although Granny and Poppy provide a loving home for Ella and two of her cousins (who share narration duties with Ella), 14-year-old orphan Myrna and Ella's best friend, 12-year-old Henry, the rural South in the 1940s can be dangerous for black folks. Racists charge George Stinney, a quiet, shy boy, with murdering two little white girls, and Myrna once encountered a black family lynched and hanging from the trees. Although Ella eagerly leaves the farm to stay with her mother, she finds Boston also imperfect, as she must spend hours alone in the tiny apartment while Lucy and her roommate, Helen, work as shipfitters. A riveting read, this novel masterfully presents Southern and Northern conflicts through the perspective of a no-nonsense kid who is trying to find her place in the world. Ella's realistic voice and passionate responses to injustices make her a credible, flawed, and likable character who sees the truth in front of her but often doesn't recognize it.
A captivating novel that sheds new light on black childhood. (Historical fiction. 8-12)
