Magoon, K. (2012). Fire in the streets. New York: Simon and Schuster/Aladdin. 336 pp. ISBN: 978-1-4424-2230-8. (Hardcover); $16.99.

Kekla Magoon is an author to watch (http://www.spicyreads.org/Author_Videos.html- scroll down). One of my favorite books from 2007 is Magoon’s The Rock and the River. At the time, I mentioned in reviews that we have very few books that even mention the Black Panther Party, let alone deal with them in a careful, thorough way. Fire in the Streets continues the story Magoon began in her debut book. While her family’s financial fortunes drip away, not helped by her mother’s drinking and assortment of boyfriends, the Panthers provide a very real respite for Maxie. Sam is still dealing with the death of his brother. Maxie’s relationship with Sam only serves to confuse and upset them both. Her friends, Emmalee and Patrice, are slowly drifting away. The Panther Party is the only thing that seems to make sense and she basks in its routine and consistency. She longs to become a full member of the Panthers and constantly battles with her Panther brother Raheem over her maturity and ability to do more than office tasks. Maxie wants to have her own gun. When Maxie discovers that there is someone working with the Panthers that is leaking information to the government about Panther activity, Maxie investigates. Someone is attempting to destroy the only place that offers her shelter. Maxie is determined to discover the identity of the traitor, thinking that this will prove her worth to the organization. However, the truth is not simple and it is filled with pain. Unfortunately we still do not have many teen books that deal substantially with the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Black Panther Party, and the social problems in Chicago that lead to the civil unrest. Thankfully, Fire in the Streets lives up to the standard Magoon set with The Rock and the River. Readers will feel like they have stepped back in time. Magoon’s factual tidbits add journalistic realism to the story and only improves the atmosphere. Maxie has spunk. Readers will empathize with her Atlas-task of trying to hold onto her world. Fire in the Streets belongs in all middle school and high school libraries. While readers are able to read this story independently of The Rock and the River, I strongly urge readers to read both and in order. Magoon’s recognition by the Coretta Scott King committee and the NAACP Image awards are NOT mistakes!

This book is set in 1968 Chicago, where the Black Panthers are having showdowns with police. Maxie, 14, really wants to join the Panthers like her older brother Raheem. She helps in the office, but is not old enough to be considered a real member. Meanwhile, her maybe-boyfriend Sam is distant, her mother is drinking, and her family is having trouble affording the basics. What is loyalty, and how important is family? ( )

Civil Rights Movement