Gray Baby

by Scott Loring Sanders

At six, Clifton watched as two white police officers beat his black father to death. The official report called it an accident. But Clifton and his mother, who was also there, know the truth. Ten years later Clifton's life has been shaped by that horrible event. He's a social outcast, his mother has sunk deep into alcoholism, and the only connection has with a living thing is with the dog next door whose life is as bad as Clifton's. But then Clifton's...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0547076614
• ISBN13: 9780547076614
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Suspenseful and Surprising

Although this is technically a "young adult" novel (like the author's first book, The Hanging Woods), Gray Baby managed to hold my interest from start to finish, and then some. It's the story of a boy, Clifton Carlson, who is growing up at difficult point of the South's evolution. His father, who was black, is beaten to death by white cops on Clifton's eighth birthday. Because Clifton's mother is white (and a drunk, suffering from depression), the boy, now sixteen, doesn't feel that he fits in. Or rather, he doesn't see himself as being any race at all (although the high school bully calls him "Skunk"). But because of his mother's problems, he's often on his own, and that leads him to imagine what the world is like beyond his own neighborhood. Eventually, that curiosity leads him to meet Swamper, an old white man who lives down on the river. Swamper is kind to him and Clifton is able to help the old man catch and sell catfish. But there are complications, naturally. The book is full of suspense and surprising twists. The setting feels very real, as do the characters, especially Clifton and Swamper. All in all, it's a terrific book. See my complete review at [...].

Excellent quick read

EXCELLENT book! The interracial business, that the publisher chose to make such a big deal out of in the description etc. really isn't central to the book. Yes, the plot has a few holes and the ending wraps up a bit amateurishly, but a great book with a feel good ending. Highly recommended for grades 6 and up, only because some physical reactions to a a girl Cliffy likes are included.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

About ten years ago, Clifton Carlson watched as his father was beaten to death by a police officer. The attack was provoked by the fact that Clifton's black father was driving in a car with his white wife. Today's label for the situation would be DWB - driving while black. Now in high school, Clifton doesn't think of himself as black or white. He is simply surviving, most of the time on his own since his mother has been lost in depression since the death of her husband. She spends her nights working at a dead-end job and her days lost in alcohol and cigarette smoke. A balloon-release activity at Clifton's high school inspires him to try his own experiment. He writes short notes and sets them adrift in a nearby river in his mother's discarded wine bottles. Just making contact with someone far away from his own messed up world gives Clifton the courage to continue. One day a letter arrives from a stranger who calls himself Swamper and Clifton is amazed. When he discovers the stranger lives within walking distance from the release point he used for his message-carrying bottles, he is at first disappointed but still interested in meeting the man. Swamper lives alone in the woods. He spends his time catching catfish and selling them to a fishmonger who motors by each day to purchase his catch. Clifton is immediately fascinated by Swamper's lifestyle and falls into helping him as he casts his lines. He doesn't even question much when he learns that Swamper already knows about his father's tragic death. It just feels good to be with someone so sure of his place and so willing to spend time with a young teen. Scott Loring Sanders explores the issue of racial prejudice in GRAY BABY. He presents the all too common white against black crime and relates the aftermath it creates for survivors. The plot could have gotten bogged down by the racial issue, but Sanders introduces several other situations that focus readers on the fact that bitterness as a result of crime and tragedy is not always black and white. Throughout the novel, Clifton struggles with his place in life, but a combination of determination and the encouragement of an old man help him find a way to carry on. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Great inter-racial insights

While not as much of a thriller has his previous book, Sanders shows tremendous insight into racial prejudices that still exist in America. As the son of a black father and a white mother, Clifton struggles with his own racial identity as he struggles with the realities of his father's death. While not a sequel to his first work, there is a reference to the crimes which occurred in "The Hanging Woods" although these characters are not reintroduced. The tie in character and crime are not well described, mostly because it is only a backdrop to the real theme of the book, which is the relationship between the mixed raced Clifton and the older Swamper. Could this crime be the impetus for a third work? Overall, a very enjoyable read which can be completed in one extended sitting.

Thoughtful and provocative page turner

I will admit I don't read as often as I would like, but I read this book in a day, mostly in one sitting. It's very realistic. The imagery is wonderful and Sanders makes it incredibly easy for the reader to get lost in Clifton's small town in SW Virginia. Clifton is a smart boy whose already seen more in his 16 years than many will in a lifetime, which gives him wisdom and depth. Despite his experiences, he maintains a certain youthful excitement when it comes to Julie, a very pretty girl who is also about the only kid in school that's shown him any kindness. Gray Baby is an inspiration and Clifton is a good role model for anyone and an ideal one for teenagers.