It's hot and humid in 1933 Mississippi, when an elderly black man and a white store owner test their friendship against a backdrop of racism and peer pressure. An explosive confrontation takes place when the black man, Tom Bee, greets the clerk, John Wallace, by his first name--an intimacy unheard of at the time. A group of witnesses heckles Wallace for what they perceive as his permissiveness, and in spite of his private promise to Bee to allow him to greet him this way, Wallace betrays Bee, shooting him in the leg. This brief but poignant story won the 1988 Coretta Scott King Award. It provides strong characterization as well as food for discussion on racism and human relations.


From School Library Journal
Grade 2-6 A hot, humid afternoon in Mississippi in 1933 is the setting for a tense drama and tragic confrontation between Mr. Tom Bee, an elderly black man, and a white store owner, John Wallace. The interaction between the two men portrays how severely the bonds of friendship can be tested against a backdrop of racism, peer pressure, and individual rights. This novella is narrated by Cassie Logan from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Dial, 1976). She and her brothers go to the country store for some medicine for a neighbor. At the store, they are hassled by Wallace's sons. They run into Mr. Bee, who addresses John Wallace by his first name. Blacks are forbidden to do so, but Mr. Bee had saved John's life on more than one occasion, and John had given him permission to call him by his first name. Under pressure and taunting by the men in his store, John reneges on his promise in an explosive and devastating outburst. The characterization is very strong in this brief drama, and the events of this fateful afternoon will be unforgettable. The black-and-white illustrations are noteworthy, and depict the story's mood and action well. This book lends itself well to discussions on various topics pertaining to human relations. Jeanette Lambert, Albuquerque Public Library, N.M.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Horn Book Magazine
Eloquent in both its brevity and understatement, the story underlines the author's skill in drawing from her family's experiences to enlarge her readers' understanding of a dark and still unresolved heritage.


Card catalog description
Four children witness a confrontation between an elderly black man and a white storekeeper in rural Mississippi in the 1930s.

ANNOTATION

Four children witness a confrontation between an elderly black man and a white storekeeper in rural Mississippi in the 1930s.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Cassie Logan and her brothers have been warned never to go to the Wallace store, so they know to expect trouble there. What they don￯﾿ﾽt expect is to hear Mr. Tom Bee, an elderly black man, daring to call the white storekeeper by his first name. The year is 1933, the place is Mississippi, and any child knows that some things just aren￯﾿ﾽt done￯﾿ﾽ A powerful story.￯﾿ﾽReaders will be haunted by its drama and emotion long after they have closed the book. ￯﾿ﾽBooklist

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal