Zora and Me
Tense murder mystery stars a young Zora Neale Hurston.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon's Zora and Me is a fictional story that offers a historical snapshot of the childhood of famed Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston. Narrated by Zora's friend Carrie, the story includes a mysterious murder, tales of magic and folklore, and deals with issues of abandonment, poverty and race relations in a Southern town at the turn of the 20th century. Families should be prepared to discuss folktales, different types of families, friendship, and issues of race.
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What's the Story?
In ZORA AND ME, Zora has an imagination as big as the world, and with it and her friends Teddy and Carrie, she tries to solve the mystery of a horrific murder in their Florida town, the first of its kind. Is it the half-gator/half-man Zora swears she saw one night or something much, much worse? Ivory had a golden voice, and it's up to the three friends to discover who silenced it and why so they can protect their little town. Along the way they learn the healing power of friendship, community, and self-love.
Is It Any Good?
Readers will be on the edge of their seats as this intriguing mystery keeps them guessing right until the end. Authors Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon imagine a young Zora Neale Hurston in her precious Florida hometown, which they bring to life so vividly, readers feel a part of it from the very beginning as they get to know the town's residents and even the trees draw them in. They'll stay invested in the story through its masterful conclusion.
Zora and Me, set in the late 1800s, never feels stale or antiquated tanks to its universal themes of family, friendship and community. The lies and betrayals are shocking, yet the story never loses its grounding or its sympathetic lens.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Zora's big imagination in Zora and Me. Why does it lead people to say she's telling lies? How does she use her imagination to cope with some of the serious and not so serious events in the book?
What are some of the difference between Zora's community and yours? What are some of the similarities?
The folktale Zora reads in the novel has a lesson inside the story -- what is it? What traditional folktales have you learned? What are their lessons? Why do you think folktales are used this way?
Book Details
- Authors: Victoria Bond, T. R. Simon
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Friendship, History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Candlewick Press
- Publication date: October 12, 2010
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 18
- Number of pages: 170
- Available on: Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Coretta Scott King Medal and Honors
- Last updated: May 14, 2020
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