Alligator Bayou
Kindle Edition
Random House Children's Books · Ebook · May 11, 2010
An unforgettable novel, based on a true story, about racism against Italian Americans in the South in 1899.
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- Who it’s for
- A spare, emotionally charged historical novel explores immigrant life amid racial divisions in 1899 Louisiana.
- Themes
- Racism and prejudice, Immigration and belonging, Interracial love
- Pacing
- Steady
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Start with this bookAbout this book
An unforgettable novel, based on a true story, about racism against Italian Americans in the South in 1899. Fourteen-year-old Calogero, his uncles, and his cousins are six Sicilians living in the small town of Tallulah, Louisiana, miles from any of their countrymen. They grow vegetables and sell them at their stand and in their grocery store. Some people welcome the immigrants; most do not.
Continue reading
Calogero's family is caught in the middle of tensions between the black and white communities. As Calogero struggles to adapt to Tallulah, he is startled and thrilled by the danger of midnight gator hunts in the bayou and by his powerful feelings for Patricia, a sharp-witted, sweet-natured black girl. Meanwhile, every day, and every misunderstanding between the white community and the Sicilians, bring Calogero and his family closer to a terrifying, violent confrontation. In this affecting and unforgettable novel, Donna Jo Napoli's inspired research and spare, beautiful language take the classic immigrant story to new levels of emotion and searing truth. Alligator Bayou tells a story that all Americans should know.
Tensions at the Crossroads
A spare, emotionally charged historical novel explores immigrant life amid racial divisions in 1899 Louisiana.
Come here for
- A young Sicilian immigrant caught between Black and white communities
- Bayou danger alongside a tender, complicated first love
Expect
- A tense build toward violent confrontation
- A close-up of prejudice, misunderstanding, and belonging
Where it sits
| Prejudice & Racism for Teens | 92% |
|---|---|
| 19th-Century US YA | 68% |
| African American YA | 39% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- 19th-Century US YA
- African American YA
- Prejudice & Racism for Teens
- Authors
- Donna Jo Napoli
- Publisher
- Random House Children's Books
- Published
- May 11, 2010
- Format
- Ebook
- Theme
- Racism and prejudice · Immigration and belonging · Interracial love
- Reading lane
- 19th-Century US YA