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The Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author tells the moving story of the friendship between a young white boy and a Black WWII veteran who has recently returned to the unwelcoming Jim Crow South.On Gabriel's twelfth birthday, he gets a new bike--and is so excited that he accidentally rides it right into the path of a car. Fortunately, a Black man named Meriwether pushes him out of the way just in time, and fixes his damaged bike. As a thank you, Gabriel gets him a job at his dad's auto shop. Gabriel's dad hires him with some hesitation, however, anticipating trouble with the other mechanic, who makes no secret of his racist opinions. Gabriel and Meriwether become friends, and Gabriel learns that Meriwether drove a tank in the Army's all-Black 761st Tank Battalion in WWII. Meriwether is proud of his service, but has to keep it a secret because talking about it could be dangerous. Sadly, danger finds Meriwether, anyway, when his family receives a frightening threat. The South being the way it is, there's no guarantee that the police will help--and Gabriel doesn't know what will happen if Meriwether feels forced to take the law into his own hands.



About the Author

Brenda Woods

Brenda Woods was born in Cincinnati, Ohio but moved to Los Angeles when she was six years old. She grew up in a large Catholic family, the second eldest of seven. "It was a noisy, busy, boisterous household and I always sought quiet spaces where I could read and imagine. The public library wasn't too far from our house and it was a haven." She became a shutterbug at the age of eleven when she received her first camera, has studied painting and ceramics and believes strongly in the healing power of music. Words were always of great interest to her, the way they could be put together in melodic, lyrical ways. When she was twelve years old she decided to memorize the entire dictionary but her attempts were, much to her dismay, unsuccessful. Brenda Woods graduated from Ascension School in South Los Angeles, St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood, California, and California State University, Northridge. Brenda is the mother of two adult sons."The road to becoming a writer was winding and fortuitous but a definite fit for someone who rather enjoys spending time alone with her thoughts, a thesaurus, and a laptop. I am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to express myself with words and that my offerings have been well received. Young people are the best and it has been a great privilege to share my stories with them." Brenda Woods is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Coretta Scott King Honor, PEN Center USA Finalist, Focal Award, ALA TOP Ten Books for Reluctant Readers, and the International Reading Association Book Award. The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA, a Kirkus Review Best Book and CCBC Choice, is her eighth published novel.



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