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Being Clem



by
Lesa Cline-Ransome

Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Holiday House
Imprint
Holiday House
ISBN
9780823446049
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Violence: Domestic/Physical Abuse , Language: Racial or Ethnic Epithet/Slur , Violence: Mild Violence , Violence: Graphic Descriptions , Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism
$20.22   $16.85
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The final novel in the award-winning Finding Langston trilogy from Coretta Scott King Author Honoree and Scott O’Dell Award medalist Lesa Cline-Ransome.

Clem can make anybody, even his grumpy older sisters, smile with his jokes. But when his family receives news that his father has died in the infamous Port Chicago disaster, everything begins to fall apart. Clem’s mother is forced to work long, tough hours as a maid for a wealthy white family. Soon Clem can barely recognize his home—and himself. Can he live up to his father’s legacy?

In her award-winning trilogy, Lesa Cline-Ransome masterfully recreates mid-twentieth century America through the eyes of three boys: Langston, Lymon, and, now, Clem. Exploring the impact of the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, Jim Crow laws, and much more, Lesa’s work manages at once to be both an intimate portrait of each boy and his family as well as a landscape of American history.Author’s note. 

POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Violence: Domestic/Physical Abuse , Language: Racial or Ethnic Epithet/Slur , Violence: Mild Violence , Violence: Graphic Descriptions , Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism

Details

Format

Print

Page Count

256

Trim Size

8 3/10" x 5 1/2"

Dewey

F

AR

4.8: points 8

Lexile

900L

Genre

Fic

Scholastic Reading Counts

0

JLG Release

Nov 2021

Book Genres

Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction

Topics

Family life. Chicago, Illinois. African Americans. Single-parent families. Twentieth-century US history. Port Chicago Mutiny, Port Chicago, California, 1944. Racism. Friendship. Conduct of life. Bullying. Swimming. Fear. Phobias.

Standard MARC Records

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Cover Art

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Praise & Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 3-7-This third and final novel in the "Finding Langston" trilogy continues the historical fiction narrative of three boys during World War II. Set in Chicago, this installment follows Clemson Thurber, Jr, who along with his mother and two sisters, navigates life after the Port Chicago Disaster in San Francisco. The catastrophe killed 320 Navy sailors, including Clem's father. Although Clem doesn't remember much about his father, who was a career sailor, he feels obligated to live up to his legacy. He was a strong man and a robust swimmer, whereas Clem is afraid to even get into the water. Clem is very intelligent, even skipping a grade, but his identity is tied to making his family proud. He begins a friendship with Lymon, a new kid who isn't afraid of anything. As Lymon gets a bit too carried away with his bullying and picks on another new kid, Langston, Clem is forced to choose between his old friend and this new boy who seems to understand him more than anyone else. Cline-Ransome skillfully brings the era of 1944 middle America to life, giving readers a glimpse of an often neglected part of history-growing up Black through the segregation and discrimination in the North during this time period. Cline-Ransome's Clem faces these challenges while, struggling to find his own path and reconcile his need to live up to his father's legacy. Readers will identify with Clem's struggles and come to like him for the exceptional young man he is: a devoted son and brother, and a true friend. VERDICT Exceptional characters and the chance to explore the previous volumes will leave readers wanting more. The historical aspect of the novel encourages further exploration of the era and a greater understanding of race in America during this time. This whole series deserves a place on library shelves everywhere.-Carol Connor, Cincinnati Pub. Schs., OH

Praise & Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 3-7-This third and final novel in the "Finding Langston" trilogy continues the historical fiction narrative of three boys during World War II. Set in Chicago, this installment follows Clemson Thurber, Jr, who along with his mother and two sisters, navigates life after the Port Chicago Disaster in San Francisco. The catastrophe killed 320 Navy sailors, including Clem's father. Although Clem doesn't remember much about his father, who was a career sailor, he feels obligated to live up to his legacy. He was a strong man and a robust swimmer, whereas Clem is afraid to even get into the water. Clem is very intelligent, even skipping a grade, but his identity is tied to making his family proud. He begins a friendship with Lymon, a new kid who isn't afraid of anything. As Lymon gets a bit too carried away with his bullying and picks on another new kid, Langston, Clem is forced to choose between his old friend and this new boy who seems to understand him more than anyone else. Cline-Ransome skillfully brings the era of 1944 middle America to life, giving readers a glimpse of an often neglected part of history-growing up Black through the segregation and discrimination in the North during this time period. Cline-Ransome's Clem faces these challenges while, struggling to find his own path and reconcile his need to live up to his father's legacy. Readers will identify with Clem's struggles and come to like him for the exceptional young man he is: a devoted son and brother, and a true friend. VERDICT Exceptional characters and the chance to explore the previous volumes will leave readers wanting more. The historical aspect of the novel encourages further exploration of the era and a greater understanding of race in America during this time. This whole series deserves a place on library shelves everywhere.-Carol Connor, Cincinnati Pub. Schs., OH

Grades 5-8
Realistic Fiction Middle Plus
For Grades 5-8

Stories with strong, relatable characters that portray believable contemporary or historical real-life experiences.

14 books per Year
$285.46 per Year
Interests
Chapter Books/Novels,Diversity,Fiction,History,Realistic Fiction
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Grades 5-8
Realistic Fiction Middle Plus
14 books per Year
$285.46 per Year

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