The vivid story of a black family whose warm ties to each other and their land give them strength to defy rural Southern racism during the Depression. . . . Entirely through its own internal development, the novel shows the rich inner rewards of black pride, love, and independence despite the certainty of outer defeat." —Booklist (starred review) * Newbery Medal Award * American Book Award Honor Book * An ALA Notable Book * A NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies * A Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book.