Armstrong & Charlie

Starred review from February 1, 2017
Two sixth-grade boys from different worlds are brought together by school desegregation in 1970s Los Angeles."Opportunity Busing" brings Armstrong and nine other middle schoolers from South Central LA to integrate the previously all-white Wonderland Avenue School in the Hollywood Hills. Armstrong, a witty and sharp-witted black boy, plays fast and loose with the rules at his new school, where not everyone is welcoming. Charlie, one of Wonderland's white students, has earned the nickname "Rules Boy" and is curious about the tough-talking Armstrong. Charlie lives with his parents, who are grieving the death of Charlie's older brother. Armstrong lives with his parents and a house full of older sisters. The boys find that their many differences can be bridged and that friendship is possible, if not easy. For Armstrong, Charlie, and their classmates, this memorable school year is a time of discovery and disappointment, fistfights, and first kisses. Period details from the '70s and hilarious dialogue will draw readers in from the very first pages. Inspired by the author's own sixth-grade experience, the story perfectly captures the full spectrum of budding adolescence; Armstrong and Charlie are as sensitive as they are daring as they figure out who they want to be in the changing world around them. Unforgettable, well-drawn titular characters are the heart of this deeply moving and laugh-out-loud funny story about family, friendship, integrity, and navigating differences. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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March 1, 2017

Gr 5-8-This story of an unlikely friendship alternates between the points of view of two boys from disparate backgrounds in 1970s Los Angeles. Charlie, who is Jewish, lives with his parents in a big home in the Hollywood Hills, where they are still mourning the death of his older brother. Armstrong, who is African American, lives with his parents and his sisters in an apartment building in South Central. Because of "Opportunity Busing" for Armstrong, both are starting sixth grade at Wonderland in Laurel Canyon. In spite of their differences and a rocky beginning, Charlie and Armstrong become good friends throughout the course of the school year. Together they confront racism, grief, and bullying. Strong language (including the use of racial slurs and sexist terms) and references to naked girls and French kissing make this a selection best suited for mature middle graders. VERDICT This uplifting and touching exploration of friendship, with a vivid setting, is a solid addition to most middle school libraries.-Laurie Slagenwhite Walters, Brighton District Library, Brighton, MI

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
Grades 5-8 When an all-white school in the Hollywood Hills experimentally takes a busload of African American students from South Central L.A. (this is 1974), two sixth-graders from very different backgrounds work their way over a decidedly rocky road towards friendship. Both are on emotional knife edges: for Charlie, who is white, it's because his adored older brother died a few months ago, and now his friends are all suddenly transferring. Meanwhile, African American Armstrong, angry about his own transfer, is inclined to solve problems with his fists. Armstrong's adjustment isn't made any easier by his reception, which ranges from playground chants to an ambush after he kisses a white girl. Frank has his two protagonists share narrator duty (interspersed with multiple transcripts of incident reports) as they move from mutual hostility and incomprehension to respect. In the end, social and racial gulfs remain, but a closing wash of warm graduation-day sentiment leaves a sense of hope that they may one day close.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)