ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

The violent race riots in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898 are the story in this gripping historical novel narrated by 11-year-old Moses Thomas, who witnesses unspeakable mob brutality that changes his community forever. While staying true to the boy's perspective, Wright ably integrates the historical details, including the roles of several public figures, and the "White Declaration of Independence." Moses' mother works all day as a housekeeper for a rich white family, and he is raised by his devoted grandmother, an illiterate former slave whose practical folk wisdom sometimes clashes with the views of his loving dad, a Howard University graduate who works for the Record, the largest black newspaper in the state. Tension rises with elections coming until white racists riot to stop blacks from voting, people are lynched, and a mob burns down Dad's newspaper offices. High-school readers will want to read the historical note and talk about the time when, bad as things were, a black middle-class was emerging, and Jim Crow was not yet the law.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Adult author Wright, in her first book for children, presents a hard-hitting and highly personal view of the Wilmington race riots of 1898 through 11-year-old narrator Moses. Though the story initially meanders, the pace builds as Wright establishes the Wilmington, N.C., setting, with its large black middle class, and Moses-s family life, which is primarily influenced by his slave-born grandmother, -Boo Nanny,- and his Howard University-educated father, an alderman and a reporter at the Wilmington Daily Record, -the only Negro daily in the South.- Wright sketches a nuanced view of racial tension and inequality from Moses-s sheltered yet optimistic perspective, such as a bike shop-s slogan contest that is only open to white children, or the farmer who fires Moses after he helps another okra picker determine his true pay. A Daily Record editorial ignites racial backlash and catalyzes a series of attacks on hard-won rights, thrusting Moses and his father into the violence of the riots. This thought-provoking novel and its memorable cast offer an unflinching and fresh take on race relations, injustice, and a fascinating, little-known chapter of history. Ages 8-12. (Jan.)

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

In 1898, Wilmington, North Carolina, has a solid black middle class. When a white minority becomes disgruntled at the perceived power of blacks in business and politics, they boot the black leaders out of town; from then on, as explained in the author's note, Wilmington's African Americans were disenfranchised. Wright has taken a little-known event and brought it to vivid life in this richly evoked novel.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Growing up in Wilmington, N.C., in 1898, a naive black boy and his family are devastated by a racist uprising in this fictionalized account of a little-known historical event. On his last day of fifth grade, a buzzard portentously casts a shadow over Moses Thomas, prompting his grandma, Boo Nanny, to warn: "[Y]ou happiness done dead." Moses lives with Boo Nanny, a former slave who takes in white people's laundry, his Mama, a housemaid for wealthy whites, and his Daddy, a reporter and business manager of the Daily Record, "the only Negro daily in the South." Graduate of Howard University and an elected alderman, Daddy ardently believes in the power of education, and Moses tries to follow in his footsteps by reading library books, learning vocabulary words and maintaining perfect attendance at school. In contrast, Boo Nanny thinks her protected grandson "needs to learn by living." When a mob of white supremacists burns the newspaper office and arrests his father, Moses becomes dangerously involved and discovers what it means to be his father's son. Relying on historical records, Wright deftly combines real and fictional characters to produce an intimate story about the Wilmington riots to disenfranchise black citizens. An intensely moving, first-person narrative of a disturbing historical footnote told from the perspective of a very likable, credible young hero. (historical note) (Historical fiction. 10-12)

School Library Journal (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

Gr 5-8 In this moving, first-person narrative, Wright draws attention to the lesser-known historical events of the 1898 Wilmington, NC, race riots and coup d'etat where racist insurrectionists overthrew the local government and perpetrated widespread attacks on black citizens. She depicts the harrowing events leading up to the riots through the eyes of Moses Thomas, an 11-year-old African-American boy. On his last day of school, he narrowly avoids coming under the shadow of a buzzard, a harbinger of bad luck according to his grandmother, Boo Nanny. Indeed, the bird's ominous appearance foreshadows several racist acts against Moses as well as horrific tragedy for the Thomas family. Moses is a studious boy, and deeply inspired by his father, a Howard University graduate and reporter for the Wilmington Daily Record , the only black-owned newspaper in the South. However, Boo Nanny feels that her grandson is too focused on school to notice the effects of the pervasive racism surrounding him and tries to educate him on the harsh realities of life. The boy's education comes at a price when he risks his life to help the Daily Record 's editor escape, and later when he's trapped in the newspaper's building during the insurrectionists' attempt to burn it down. Wright adroitly charts Moses's emotional growth from a self-involved boy into a poised, socially aware young man. The expert blending of vivid historical details with the voice of a courageous, relatable hero makes this book shine. Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Growing up in Wilmington, N.C., in 1898, a naive black boy and his family are devastated by a racist uprising in this fictionalized account of a little-known historical event. On his last day of fifth grade, a buzzard portentously casts a shadow over Moses Thomas, prompting his grandma, Boo Nanny, to warn: "[Y]ou happiness done dead." Moses lives with Boo Nanny, a former slave who takes in white people's laundry, his Mama, a housemaid for wealthy whites, and his Daddy, a reporter and business manager of the Daily Record, "the only Negro daily in the South." Graduate of Howard University and an elected alderman, Daddy ardently believes in the power of education, and Moses tries to follow in his footsteps by reading library books, learning vocabulary words and maintaining perfect attendance at school. In contrast, Boo Nanny thinks her protected grandson "needs to learn by living." When a mob of white supremacists burns the newspaper office and arrests his father, Moses becomes dangerously involved and discovers what it means to be his father's son. Relying on historical records, Wright deftly combines real and fictional characters to produce an intimate story about the Wilmington riots to disenfranchise black citizens. An intensely moving, first-person narrative of a disturbing historical footnote told from the perspective of a very likable, credible young hero. (historical note) (Historical fiction. 10-12)