A provocative read that is hard to read because of the uncomfortable subject in some chapter, but a necessary read.
I think the themes of the novel still resonant today of progress, hope, acceptance, and tolerance.
Sometimes it seems like no progress has been made but the novel shows some things can be changed for the better..

Another wonderful read by Lynda Rutledge!

What I loved:
1. Great historical fiction about a critical time in history for our country.
2. Coming of Age story - I loved getting to know the girls and felt they were well developed.
3. Captured the small town feel in a very accurate way

What I wanted to be different:
1. The book was coming of age and sometimes felt as if written for YA but in the end, I was ok with it.
2. There were some slow parts of the story - but great ending.

GREAT QUOTE: 'I've been thinking about lines. Lines that we stand in. Lines that divide us. Lines that long ago, blurred for a moment at a little baseball field...And the lines others crossed to do wrong...'.

My thanks to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

So confused by the 5 stars. I did not like this book one bit. I felt it was written as YA. Nothing like her previous. Oh well.

Mockingbird Summer is written a bit like a classic fiction novel. There is no doubt that the writer was inspired by the vibe of To Kill a Mockingbird.

We, the reader, get to follow Corky and her adventures from childhood to young adult. A journey that teaches her the importance of friendship and just how wrong some things are in this world. We also meet America, who I would love to be friends with, she seems like she can do anything. She is a bit older than Corky and lives on the other side of the tracks. Corky doesn't see in skin colors, she sees the soul of people and America has a soul that inspires her. They make a bond that will change them both.

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

Corky is a tomboy coming of age in Texas during the summer of '64. This is an enjoyable story of an innocent young girl learning about the controversial issues of the 60s. Being a youth in the 60's with parents who watched the nightly news, I heard bits and pieces of how things were regarding racism, women fighting for equality, segregation, the civil rights movement, Vietnam "conflict" and segregation.
Corky is given a birthday gift by the librarian The gift is a copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird" this book brings up questions for Corky and brings to light the racial injustices that are still alive in her Texas town.

I was able to relate to Corky in her trying to understand. She asks information of the adults she trust only to be quieted with no answer.

This book will appeal to many and could be a nice addition to any high school library. It fits well in the YA category. I purchased and have also listened to the audio version of this title and enjoyed it as well

I thank NetGalley for the advanced E-book edition in an exchange for my honest review.

A book that revolves around my favorite book? Sign me up!

Set in Texas during the cultural upheaval of the 1960s, it deals with a lot of issues of the time like segregation, civil rights and Vietnam but I wish there had been more nuance to them. This read a bit YA but I still enjoyed the story and Rutledge's writing.

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the copy to review.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of "Mockingbird Summer" by Lynda Rutledge. I really enjoyed this book. Being a child of the 60's I can identify with so much the main character Corky experienced. I found the story to be very touching and a true definition of friendship between Corky and America. I love the message in the author's notes that said: The moral of the story, if it has one, is about the absolute miracle of friendship,how, if given a chance, it can cross any divide and open up new worlds. My father coached Little League baseball during this time and I fondly remember him driving "across the train tracks" to pick up boys to play on his teams. People thought my father was wrong for including African Americans on his team but in the end I hope it taught many a lesson to be more tolerant.

The author's descriptions of important settings (drugstore, baseball field, Southside across the train tracks) made me feel I was there.
After reading I realized I had to go back and read the classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" I may find new feelings now at age 64 than I felt when I read it in high school. This was the book choice for my book club and can't wait to discuss since all the members where children/teenagers in 1964.
I thoroughly loved West with Giraffes and feel Lynda Rutledge has another hit on her hands. I have and will recommend this book to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC.

A coming of age story set in the mid-sixties in Texas ... tomboy ready to grow into a girlie-girl ... inquisitive ... white girl ... black girl ... softball ... boys ...

Story hit many the highlights of the era and the author handled each one very well ... characters were well developed ... plausible story ... and although there were sensitive situations, there was also humor.

Good book ... fast read ... enjoyable.

Mockingbird Summer by Lynda Rutledge is a fantastic coming of age story set in a Texas small town, that is divided by the railroad tracks and segregation and the Jim Crow laws are in full force, in the year 1964 just before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is about to be signed.
Corky is a thirteen year old white girl, who asks alot of questions and has read To Kill a Mockingbird, but doesn’t really understand the story being told. When she meets America a sixteen year old black girl she befriends her and invites her to play on her church's softball team without even thinking of the consequences.
Corky is really naive and doesn't even think twice to lend America her copy of To Kill A Mockingbird and it isn't until America explains to her that she realises what was going to happen. Things are changing in her small town and Corky does alot of growing up that summer.
The writing and storyline had me hooked from the beginning and I read this in one sitting. This might of been my first book by Lynda Rutledge but it will not be my last.
I have already recommended this to my friends and family.

I love Lynda Rutledge and her writing style! The first book of hers I read, I think about almost daily still. This one, though, fell a little short. We're taken to a small town in Texas during the Civil Rights Act era and the book felt very YA. The characters were not super deep, they were hard to get into and like due to the writing, This is very different from my first experience with Lynda. I was hoping to feel the same sentiment for the characters and the storyline.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a fantastic coming of age story! The writing is superb and the characters jumped off the page. This is one of those stories that gives you all the feels!

Mockingbird Summer is a charming middle grade book about the changing cultural tides of the 1960s. It explores the many characters of protagonist Corky's small Texas town. I found the story entertaining and somewhat informative, though a bit candy coated. My dad grew up in Texas at the same time but in more urban Dallas and has expressed that racism and sexism were extreme during this time. That so many of the book's characters were open-minded is probably a bit inaccurate. That being said, this book does approach difficult topics in a way that is accessible to middle grade readers.

Kathryn “Corky” Corcoran is 13 in the summer of 1964. She lives in a small Texas town that is divided by the railroad tracks. The black community is called “Southside”, and segregation and the Jim Crow laws are in full force. But things are changing. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is about to be signed. College students are conducting sit-ins at lunch counters throughout the South. And Gregory Peck is starring in “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

Mockingbird Summer is a homage to To Kill a Mockingbird. This is a coming-of-age story. Corky is a young white girl, who has read To Kill a Mockingbird, but doesn’t really understand the story being told. But throughout the course of Mockingbird Summer, she learns a lot of life lessons, and begins to really grow up.

America Wilcoxx is a sixteen year old from the “Southside.” Her father is off searching for a job and her mother is working for the Corcoran family. Corky befriends America, and discovers America’s many talents.

But tensions are running high throughout town. And ultimately, things happen that force Corky and America to separate, while also dividing the small Texas town.

Ms. Rutledge can definitely tell a story. I felt all the emotions while reading this book. And I cried at the end. This is historical fiction at it’s finest, and for a literature and history lover, a perfect melding of worlds.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone. It is easy reading, and if you haven’t read “To Kill a Mockingbird” you would still get a lot out of this book, and perhaps be convinced to go back and read that classic Harper Lee novel.

Thank you to #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for the advanced e-copy of #mockingbirdsummer. This book published on Jan 30, 2024 and is available wherever you buy books.

Mockingbird Summer
by Lynda Rutledge

Texas ~ 1964 ~ Teenagers ~ Historical Fiction ~ Civil Rights Era ~ Coming of Age ~ Friends ~ Softball ~ Small Town Prejudice ~ Siblings ~ Drugstore Lunch Counters ~ To Kill a Mockingbird Vibes ~ Recommended

I highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was released 30 Jan 2024.

I requested Mockingbird Summer as background reading for a discussion we hosted on BookBrowse. To be honest, I was disappointed in it -- the narrator's voice came across as weirdly juvenile and in our discussion some participants noted that they thought that it was a YA book - which was not due to the protagonists but because of the voice. With that said, most of the participants enjoyed the book:
https://www.bookbrowse.com/booktalk/messages.cfm?threadid=49A1BE64-DDB9-B4B4-DE6DB0A2E506F4C4

Lynne Rutledge has again succeeded in telling a great human story. I love her character development and her storytelling. Small towns are quite different than larger cities. Everyone knows everyone. There is no hiding behind big city anonymity. I liked the characters, their dreams and insecurities. A very engaging story.

What a great story told from the point of view of a thirteen year old Texan girl coping with segregation, making her first black friend and realizing how her small town world was functioning in a dysfunctional manner. From racism, sexism, and bigotry, this girl has many questions starting from her reading of To Kill A Mocking Bird and from the behavior of the adults in her town towards an exceptional young black athlete. The wrap up ending was so satisfying.

A powerful novel that takes place in 1960 that deals with so many issues. This book will have you on the edge of your seat. This book explores the friendship between a black and white girl in a small Texas town. Each of the characters will quickly become your friends. A definite must read for summer.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this novel.

I enjoyed WEST WITH GIRAFFES and was looking forward to another by Lynda Rutledge. This book did not disappoint. I loved this 1960's historical fiction. It was a story with heart and hope, and I can't wait for others to read it.