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by Albert A Bell, Jr. Steve Patterson and Kendra Jordan have been best friends for years living next door to each other. Kendra, an 11 year old African American, loves mysteries, especially Nancy Drew. Steve, an 11 year old white boy, lives with his divorced mother and collects baseball cards, loves baseball and likes to write stories. One of his problems is Dwayne Mitchell, the school bully who is constantly harassing him. Steve and Kendra pass the old cemetery each day on their way to the school bus. They stop each day at the grave of Kendra's sister, Moniqa, who drowned three years ago in a swimming pool. They have always been curious about a particular grave that is set off by itself. It is the grave of 6 year old Amanda, buried in the 1800's. They have named it "the lonely grave". One day they notice flowers on the grave. To identify who is visiting the grave and to solve the mystery, they decide to stake out the grave. They discover the mysterious visitor is a recent widower college professor named "Doc" who is also intrigued by the grave. When Doc discovers the two watching him, he befriends them and determines to help them solve the mystery behind the lonely grave. They spend their summer vacation researching church records, old newspaper records, and talking to old residents. They find much evidence that suggests an Underground Railroad had passed through their small town. Steve's grandparents are opposed to their research and are reluctant to talk about the grave. It is possible that Steve's family may have taken part in the betrayal to the KKK of a local minister and his family who had assisted in helping many escaped slaves over 100 years ago. This was written for young adults but I think that adults will find it as entertaining and thought provoking. Middle school history classes should add this to their reading lists. It is a remarkable history lesson about the Underground Railroad, the Civil War and slavery. This has caused discussion about the impact of slavery, about childhood abuse (Dwayne), about single parent homes (Steve) and school bullies (Dwayne). The readers are taught valuable lessons about bigotry, not judging others by the color of their skin, and about working together. The boys and girls can identify with the main characters. In addition to the history lessons and the enjoyment of reading the story, they learn many new vocabulary words. As an extra bonus, Bell has added several articles about The Underground Railroad and on slavery in the United States. Highly recommended |
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Secret of the Lonely Grave