Lunch-Box Dream

Gr 4–6—One summer day in 1959, a white middle-class family from Ohio—nine-year-old Bobby, his brother, his mother, and his Hungarian grandmother—sets out to Florida, planning to tour Civil War battlefields along the way. In a parallel story, Jacob, and African-American boy, takes a trip from Atlanta to Dalton, GA, to visit his relatives for a few days. Neither family realizes that their paths will cross in an unexpected way, or that their beliefs and assumptions will be tested. Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South, Tony Abbott's semi-autobiographical tale (Farrar, 2011) of race relations, segregation, and prejudice is juxtaposed with the story of a young boy coming of age. Told from multiple perspectives, this pre-Civil Rights era tale weaves together different strands of life in the South, exploring racism and bigotry. Brian David voices Bobby in a slightly stilted manner, but clearly expresses the turmoil of growing up. The voicing of the other characters, provided by Kevin R. Free and Robin Miles, is more authentic and fluid. A poignant and memorable tale.—Michaela B. Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY