As I mentioned earlier, I am trying to read as many of the books on the Battle of the Books elementary list as possible. I just finished The Liberation of Gabriel King by K.L. Going (who also wrote the award-winning Young Adult novel, Fat Kids Rules the World). This book was especially interesting to me as it chronicles 1976 summer of friendship between Gabriel King and Frita Wilson...who are almost the same age I was in 1976, the year of the nation's Bicentennial.

Like Frita, my best friend in sixth grade was a boy...and just like in The Bridge to Terabithia, this novel shows that friendships--especially in childhood--are based on mutual respect, love, and interests...not necessarily along gender lines. I think that our society pushes kids to grow up so early, and often tries to define all cross-gender friendships as budding romances which is disservice to those kids and undervalues the incredible impact of friendship in our lives.

This novel tells about Frita's plan to "liberate" Gabe (who is a self described "chicken", "scaredy cat" whatever you want to call it) from his fears by having them both make a list of fears to face, and therefore (in theory) overcome. Gabe is particularly worried about dealing with the bullies that he will be around daily when they start 5th grade in the fall.

As the summer progresses, though, Gabe learns that there are some things that are really scary...when Frita (who is black) comes face to face with prejudice. Yet he also learns that it is love and friendship that motivates bravery...not in the absence of fear...rather in spite of it. As Gabe's Pop eloquently states in his own way: "Ain't nothing so scary when you've got people you love."