LUNCH-BOX DREAM

This book’s unusual title is from the poem "Lunch in a Jim Crow Car," by Langston Hughes. Abbott portrays racism from many perspectives. The three narrators greatly enhance the book since the story is told through the voices of many characters. The story focuses on a child named Bobby, whose family journeys from Cleveland to Florida. En route they visit Civil War battlefields, observe racism, and encounter a black family who fear for their missing child. These experiences are painful to hear, but as the story continues, the evolution towards civil rights for blacks is joyous. Author Tony Abbott notes that the story is based on an actual trip that his family took in 1959. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2012]