One crazy summer cloud

SCDS ORA: One Crazy Summer

By maxgoeggel31

  • Setting

    Setting
    One Crazy Summer, written by Rita Williams-Garcia, takes place during the summer of 1868 throughout Oakland, California. From a somewhat simple lifestyle in New York to the other side of the country, life in Oakland is very different than life in Brooklyn.

  • Characters

    Characters
    Eleven-year-old Delphine has most things under control. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern early on in their lives. Delphine, the oldest, takes on the role of supervising her little sisters. Her cautious personality protects her and her siblings from any danger. Vonetta, the middle child, is a typical brat in the eyes of her older sister and loves the spotlight. The youngest, Fern, loves her doll, Miss Patty Cake, even more than her mother.

  • All Right Flight

    All Right Flight
    6 hours of staying close to still isn’t easy for three girls. It is especially difficult if it’s your first time on a plane. Sisters Delphine, Vonetta and Fern are sent by their father and grandmother to spend the summer with their mother Cecile. Inside a Boeing 727 without parental supervision, they enjoy the view from the air. The Golden Gate Bridge, a topic Delphine learned in school was even more amazing in person.

  • Abnormal Arrival

    Abnormal Arrival
    Once they had arrived in Oakland, they waited with the stewardess for Cecile. Prior to leaving for California, Delphine clarified while they packed. “Her name is Cecile. That’s what you call her. When people ask who she is, you say, ‘She is our mother.’” Finally, when Cecile arrived, she wore big black shades and a scarf around her neck. She looked more like a secret agent than a mother. Her first words to us were, “come on.” Cecile and the girls rushed out the airport and into a cab.

  • Unexpected Lifestyle

    Unexpected Lifestyle
    The moment Cecile and her new summer guests stepped out of the cab and into the front yard of the house, the girls were amazed. From thinking she lived on the street and slept on the park bench to realizing she had a stucco covered home. “This your house?” Vonetta was the first to put their amazement into words. Perhaps summer wasn’t going to be that terrible.

  • The Black Panthers

    The Black Panthers
    There was a knock on the door and Cecile ordered the kids to hide in their room. The girls entered their room and quickly pressed their ears against the door to listen. Three black figures came in through the door and started talking to Cecile. The talking turned into arguing, all three voices against hers. Delphine thought to herself, “they must be Black Panthers.”