Chevrolet Saturdays

An African American boy must come to grips with his mother's remarriage, his father's relocation and his difficult fifth grade teacher in this novel about making adjustments. Joey Davis longs for the days when his parents were still together; since their divorce, nothing has been the same. Joey has trouble accepting Mr. Johnson as his new stepfather and his grades have taken a slide, along with his attitude. But when Joey reluctantly takes on the responsibility of working with Mr. Johnson on Saturdays, and then helps rescue Josie, Mr. Johnson's dog, his confidence builds and things start looking up. Boyd tackles several important issues here, all encompassed within the bigger theme of the challenges faced by African Americans living in what is still a largely prejudiced society. Although her situations are realistic, Boyd's forced dialogue gives the novel a feeling of falseness; readers may be unable to relate to or care about the characters. While more books featuring African Americans are needed, and the issue of race relations bears analysis, the combination in this case doesn't quite work. Ages 8-12. (May)