The Sittin’ Up

In 1940, the death of Mr. Bro Wiley strikes a nerve with the community of Low Meadows. Wiley was the last person in town who had been born a slave. Though seen through the eyes of Bean Jones—the youngest member of the family that took in Wiley after his wife’s death—the story shows the different ways Wiley’s death impacts the community. Jackson narrates in an unhurried manner that taps into the mood and motion of the book. He also creates a wide range of voices for the characters that are appropriate and capture the dialect of the community without exaggeration. Ages 10–up. A Putnam hardcover. (Jan.)