"The vivid story of a black family whose warm ties to each other and their land give them strength to defy rural Southern racism during the Depression. . . . Entirely through its own internal development, the novel shows the rich inner rewards of black pride, love, and independence despite the certainty of outer defeat." —
Booklist (starred review)
"The strong, clear-headed Logan family . . . are drawn with quiet affection and their actions tempered with a keen sense of human fallibility."—Pointer,
Kirkus Reviews"The events and setting of the powerful novel are presented with such verisimilitude and the characters are so carefully drawn that one might assume the book to be autobiographical, if the author were not so young."—
The Horn Book"This recently published special 40th anniversary edition of the Newbery-Award winning coming-of-age story features gorgeous new cover art by Kadir Nelson . . . The theme of community resistance to racism is still relevant, and the 10-year-old narrator, Cassie, is an inspirational protagonist for boys and girls of all ages.”—Ebony