A Summer of Kings

by Han Nolan

Book Overview

It's 1963 and fourteen-year-old Esther Young is looking for excitement. Cursed with a lack of talent in a family filled with artistic types, Esther vows to get some attention by initiating a summer romance with a black teen accused of murdering a white man in Alabama. King-Roy Johnson shows up on Esther's doorstep that summer, an angry young man who feels betrayed by the nonviolent teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. Sent north by his mother to escape...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152051082
• ISBN13: 9780152051082
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Bound to be a modern classic.

I discovered this book in the teen area of our library. The teen librarians had this as a recommended favorite of the month, or I would have never known it's existance. I picked it up out of curiosity, and decided it looked good,and maybe I could learn something about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. as they relate to when I was a child too young to be aware. There are so many books I had been aching to read, but I had to stop and read this one. Then, when I did start reading, I couldn't put it down. That is so very unlike me. I read it in three days! Unlike me again. Fiction is usually too sappy and unreal for me to enjoy. It was so well written that I believed all the way through that it was a biography. How could anyone describe so accurately the feelings of Esther unless she was Esther! I so related to those feelings, and I believe we all do. The character development of everyone involved was so real. It seemed obvious to me that Esther was ADHD and had an gift of understanding people. The book was so good that I, being over 40, was crying in the middle because I so related to how Esther felt. Don't get me wrong, it's not really a tear jerker, and not really negative. I am going to buy it to keep a copy for myself. I will also read it to my 12 year old daughter, and perhaps use it as a home school unit. I am now in search of other Han Nolan titles in hopes of finding other awesome titles. Maybe the author will indulge us with sequels!

Wonderful historical fiction/coming of age novel!!

A Summer of Kings is a great book. Part Historical Fiction, part a story about finding out who you are and what your place in the world is. It is very well written, thought provoking, has wonderfully developed characters, humor, and romance. The plot: Esther young is 14 years old, and is the black sheep of the family. She is viewed as untalented, stupid, and ugly. She is actually quite the opposite, and she is looking for a change. The perfect chance comes when she learns that a black man named King-Roy Johnson is coming to live with them, after being accused of murdering a white man. She is determined to fall in love with him, and have him return her feelings, an idea that receives much scorn from her best friend 'Pip'. When King-Roy arrives, Esther immediatly likes him, and he immediatly feels comfortable with her. They would be fast friends, except for King-Roy's internal struggle with what he believes is right. After a terrible tragedy results from the peaceful teaching of Martin Luther King Jr., King Roy is more enclined to believe in the teachings of Malcom X, A man who is against whites and believes that the only way to freedom is through violence. King-Roy and Esther will both go through a tough time in there life, in which they search for what is right, and what the true meaning of freedom is. This book is wonderful! Han Nolan fans will thouroughly enjoy it, and so will first time readers of her work! ENJOY!!

A Summer of Kings reigns true

The story of Esther Young's summer preceding the famous March on Washington is one not to be missed. It was amazing how Nolan was able to intertwine such an important piece of history with a fictional story of a young girl's road to self-discovery. Whether the fiction or the history encompassed by this story is of interest to any reader, he or she is bound to love the story for all its parts.

Don't miss this book!

The year is 1963. Fourteen-year-old Esther Young is used to being considered the dunce of her family. All she wants is something new, something exciting to come along and give her an opportunity to show her family how special she is. She sees her chance when King-Roy Johnson, a black man accused of killing a white man in Alabama, comes to stay with her family for the summer. Esther's parents believe that he is innocent; Esther doesn't know what to believe. But she determines to get to know the mysterious stranger living down the hall, and, in the process, learn a little bit more about herself. A Summer of Kings mixes one girl's coming-of-age story with a powerful message about human nature. Full of well-rounded characters that are easy to relate to, Kings engages both the heart and the mind. It deals with the issue of racial discrimination--from the two sides. Both white brutality against blacks and black resentment against whites are dealt with in equal measure. The author uses Esther's story to show readers how the two sides justify their hatred by dehumanizing each other. Esther and King-Roy want an end to segregation and racial prejudice in their country. But while King-Roy is drawn by the fiery messages of angry black leaders such as Malcolm X, who calls for violent uprising, Esther discovers the "peaceful resistance" teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi--and begins to long for an end to the violence. Together, Esther and King-Roy find a way to face use these teachings to change their own lives and show the world that love is greater than hatred, and brotherhood stronger than bitterness. Armchair Interviews says: A Summer of Kings is a not-to-be-missed books for young adults.

One of her best works!

I've read this novel and I'd like to say that it is really one of the best that Han Nolan had written. The whole story regarding civil rights is gripping, page-turning and very realistic. A very thoughtful novel and I truly recommend this to anyone who just wants to know more about human rights and freedom. Some parts were really touching and I was actually crying half-way through this book...lol! All Han Nolan fans out there, go get a copy right now! I guarantee that you would not regret it:-)