The Long Ride

June 24, 2019
In this autobiographical novel, Budhos (Watched) takes a close look at how 1971 integration efforts in Queens affect seventh graders from a predominantly white neighborhood when they are bussed nearly an hour away to a junior high in an underserved community. Jamila, who lives with her white mother and Barbadian father, is used to being regarded as black, as are her mixed-race friends Josie and Francesca. But in the halls of JHS 241, where Jamila feels she can finally blend into the mix of skin tones, she is surprised to be called a “white girl” and criticized for her blossoming relationship with John, a black boy. Bolstered by a warm family life, Jamila copes with the emotional turbulence of being 12 and trying to fit in, along with the larger struggles of a new environment and the swelling undercurrent of anger that occurs both at school and in her own community. Budhos creates a cast of sympathetic and credible characters—both adults trying to do the right thing and children caught in the middle of a social “experiment”—in this compassionate and thoughtful depiction of families grappling daily with the inequities of a changing society. Ages 10–up.

N'Jameh Camara narrates this work of historical fiction for young listeners. The story focuses on the busing integration attempts made in New York City schools in the 1970s. Jamila Clarke, Josie Rivera, and Francesca George come from the only mixed-race families in their upper-class Queens neighborhood. For the first time, the girls will be going to school with other students of color, but they quickly learn this won't always keep them from feeling like outsiders. The audiobook presents a vibrant tapestry of cultures. Camara deftly jumps between accents in a way that makes all the characters sound true to their backgrounds, adding a satisfying extra layer of immersion to the listening experience. S.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine