The Dark-Thirty facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Patricia McKissack |
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| Illustrator | Brian Pinkney |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young Adult Fiction Short Stories Anthology |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
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Publication date
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1992 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 166 |
| ISBN | 0-679-89006-8 |
The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural, is a children's thriller book, filled with ten tales of supernatural activity occurring throughout times of slavery and civil rights in the south. The authors of the book, Patricia McKissack and Fredrick McKissack, husband and wife, are known for their writings about African American culture. The illustrator of this book is Brian Pinkney, who has illustrated many highly acclaimed children's picture books. The Dark Thirty Southern Tales of the Supernatural was published in 1992 and received a Newbery Honor along with a Coretta Scott King Award in 1993.
Plot summaries
The Legend of Pin Oak is about a free slave and son of a white man, Henri McAvoy, whose family is separated by his half brother, Harper McAvoy who sold him. The family flees and end up getting cornered, where they have to make a life or death decision.
We Organized is about a slave who was freed before Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. His narrative describes rituals where slaves were mistreated by the Massa, organized and performed voodoo on him.
Justice is where Riley Holt, the richest man in Tallahatchie Mississippi, is killed. Hoop Granger blames Alvin Tinsley for the crime. With a good alibi Alvin is let go, but Hoop feels this crime should be paid for by someone.
The 11:59 is where Lester Simmons, an old Pullman car porter, tells about the train called the 11:59. No porter hears the whistle of the 11:59 and lives. One night Lester hears the whistle of the 11:59 and tries to escape.
The Sight is where Esau is born with a veil and according to the midwife has a gift called the sight. which could be blessing or a curse. Esau sees future visions and succeeds at controlling the visions, but is forced to use his ability for evil when his father Tall comes back.
The Woman in the Snow is about the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Grady Bishop, a white bus driver is assigned the route nicknamed the "Blackbird Express." On a snowy night, Grady takes the bus in early due to the weather. He sees a young woman, Eula Mae Daniels, with a baby struggling to get through the snow. Grady refuses to allow her on the bus because she has no fare and the two freeze to death. A year later he encounters with Eula Mae again and meets his fate. Twenty-five years later, Ray Hammond, a black bus driver is given the "Blackbird Express." He encounters Eula Mae and her and her baby set free.
The Conjure Brother is about Josie, who badly wanted a little brother. In hopes that her mom would get pregnant, by eating a lot of food, but her mother stayed skinny and barely ate. Josie asks the town's conjure woman if she could help her. Upon granting Josie's wish, the conjure woman gave her precise directions to follow. Josie did not follow the directions and ends up with a big brother.
Boo Mama is Nealy, who went missing from his mother's home. After a year his mother, Leddy, has refused to leave her house for more than an hour that he would return. Nealy is found on church steps and seems in good condition, but has developed an unknown language. Nealy called his favorite bear Boo Mama, who had cared for him.
The Gingi is about Laura who bought a beautiful artifact, but was warned by Mrs. Aswadi that it might be evil. Mrs. Aswadi gave her a gift that would later be used to protect them from the evil of The Dabobo woman.
The Chicken-Coop Monster is about Missy who stayed with her grandparents and was sure there was a monster in the chicken coop. As President of the Monster Watchers of America, she uses her monster rules to steer clear of the Chicken Coop Monster.
Characters
The Legend of Pin Oak
- Harper McAvoy, slave master and Amos McAvoy and Alva Dean's white son
- Henri McAvoy, Amos McAvoy and Mary DuPriest's mulatto son
- Charlemae, Henri's wife
We Organized
- Massa, slave master
- Ajax, slave freed by Massa
Justice
- Riley Holt, richest white man in Tallahatchie, Mississippi
- Hoop Granger, white man who accused Alvin of committing crimes
- Chief Baker, Mississippi police officer and investigator for the Holt case
- Alvin Tinsley, black man blamed by Hoop Granger for the killing of Riley Holt
The 11:59
- Lester Simmons, a Pullman car porter
The Sight
- Amanda Mayes, Esau's mother
- Esau Mayes, Amanda and Tall Mayes's son and born with the gift to predict the future
- Tall Mayes, Esau's father
- Charity Rose, Esau's wife
The Woman in the Snow
- Grady Bishop, white bus driver of the Hall Street Express aka the Blackbird Express
- Eula Mae Daniels, young black mother who pleads for a ride to get her baby to the hospital and ghost of the Hall Street Express Route
- Ray Hammond, black bus driver who sets Eula Mae Daniels free
The Conjure Brother
- Josie, Hudson family's daughter
- JoBeth, Josie's friend
- Arthur Lee, Josie's friend
- Madam Zinnia, the conjure woman
- Adam, Josie's older brother
Boo Mama
- Leddy, activist who moved to Orchard City, Tennessee with her son
- Nealy, Leddy's son who went missing
- Germaine, Leddy's friend
- Sylvia, Leddy's friend
- Boo Mama, human like bear creature named Noss and saved Nealy's life
- Sheriff Martin, Orchard City sheriff
The Gingi
- Laura Bates, mother who bought the ebony sculpture
- Lizzie, Laura's daughter and released the gingi's powers
- Mrs. Aswadi, Ghanaian woman who sold the ebony sculpture to Laura
- Jack, Laura's husband
- Thomas Lester, Laura's son
- August, family cat
- The Dabobo Woman, evil witch disguised in the ebony sculpture
The Chicken-Coop Monster
- Missy, Franky and James Leon Russell's granddaughter and president of the Monster Watchers of America
- Franky Russell, Missy's grandmother
- James Leon Russell, Missy's grandfather
- Jay, Missy's friend and fellow member of the MWA
Awards
- Newbery Medal Honor Book
- Coretta Scott King Award Winner
- ALA Notable Children's Book
- NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
- IRA Teacher's Choice
