Sharon Draper's new historical novel is a hit!

Based on her own father and grandmother, Sharon Draper weaves a story of personal strength, family, friendship and faith in 1932 North Carolina. Stella and her family live in the segregated South. One night she and her little brother Jojo observe a frightening scene: a cross being burned at a Ku Klux Klan meeting right across the pond in their rural town. Soon the whole black community is on alert since white citizens of Bumblebee are clearly members. Stella, a 5th grader, wants to be a writer but she struggles with the process. Soon there are many things to write about not the least is the decision by her dad and two other men to register to vote despite the clear threats to everyone's safety.
This gripping tale of life under segregation during the Depression brings to life a young person's, her friends' and her family's determination to stand in the face of prejudice and ignorance.