Representation: Minor Black characters
Trigger warnings: Racism, racist slur, physical assault mentioned and implied injury, death of a mother in the past
Score: Six points out of ten.
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I saw this book hiding in the library shelves so I wanted to read it, and eventually I picked it up. When I finished (and mostly enjoyed) another one it was time to read Glory Be, so I read it. When I read the final page of Glory Be, it was okay. I expected more out of it but I should've lowered my expectations after seeing the mixed ratings and reviews.

The library thought the protagonist was Black. If she was, it would've been cultural appropriation as the author is white. Fortunately, that wasn't true as the leading character matches the author's attributes. Glory Be (not the prayer) starts with the first person I see, Gloriana June Hemphill enjoying herself during the summer of 1964 by using the 'community' pool until only a few pages in it closes indefinitely. A new character from the north whose name I forgot came to Mississippi and drank from the 'coloured' fountain much to Glory's dismay. The pool is closed not because of repairs but to stop minorities from using it. However, Glory initially only cares more about wanting the pool open than desegregation (she must be oblivious.)

Toward the latter half, Glory recognises the privileges she has that others don't and sides with the civil rights movement. Glory Be shines in its engaging pacing with its quick chapters and minimalistic prose but its most prominent flaws lie in the syntax and characters. Glory is not a person I could connect or relate to as sometimes her dialogue puts me off. Some parts of the text weren't enjoyable either. Glory Be has an aversion to two words: Black and racism, because it can say coloured and a racial slur beginning with n but not Black. Why did the author choose the words hatred, prejudice and bigotry but not racism? The author must acknowledge that racism does not only affect Black people; it also affects other races.

So this is what racism looks like from a white POV. I've read stories like this that are better and have perspectives that aren't from white people. To summarise, Glory Be initially sounded promising but even though it was enjoyable, it is not without flaws the author could've improved upon. ( )

Set during the civil rights movement as a Mississippi town debates whether to keep a segregated public pool open, this book offers a refreshing look at adolescence, tough decisions and distinguishing right from wrong. Author’s Note.

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Excellent story. The voices of the characters rang true. ( )

Glory Be is about an almost 12 year-old girl named Glory that lives in Hanging Moss, Mississippi in the summer of 1964. At the beginning of the book, Glory learns that the community pool is closed due to "unnecessary repairs." She is not too happy about this decision and decides to get to the bottom of this problem. However, Glory realizes that the pool closure may have more to do with her new friend from the North and the help that they are trying to give. Throughout the book, it's incredible to read about Glory and how she changes from thinking about herself and what she wants to thinking and fighting for the rights of others.

"What's really broken and needs fixing most of all are the backward people running this town and the others who won't do a think about it." ( )