The Baptism - Hardcover

Moses, Shelia P.

3.35

65 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1416906711 ISBN 13: 9781416906711

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2007

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When you turn twelve in Occoneechee Neck in Jackson, North Carolina, everything changes. You get to do stuff you couldn't do when you were eleven. And it means it's time to get baptized.

Twin brothers Leon and Luke Curry turned twelve last month. Ma has given them one week in which to do right -- to cleanse themselves of their sinning ways and get themselves ready for the baptism. Next Sunday they will go down to the "mornin' bench" at church, sit in front of Reverend Webb, and be saved. It will be a glorious day. But that's only if Twin Leon and Twin Luke can keep themselves out of trouble. Which is easier said than done when you've lost your daddy and have a new stepfather; when you have a bullying big brother who plays tricks on you; and when it's summertime and all you want to do is go fishing instead of working in the fields.

How Twin Leon and Twin Luke stick together to face the odds as only twelve-year-old boys can do, managing to save themselves while also unexpectedly saving their entire family in a week's time, is the heart of this moving, often funny, and often poignant novel.

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About the Author:

Poet, author, playwright, and producer Shelia P. Moses was raised the ninth of ten children on Rehobeth Road in Rich Square, North Carolina. She is the coauthor of Dick Gregory’s memoir, Callus on My Soul, as well as the award-winning author of several books for young readers: The Legend of Buddy Bush; The Return of Buddy Bush; I, Dred Scott: A Fictional Slave Narrative Based on the Life and Legal Precedent of Dred Scott; and The Baptism. Shelia lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4–6—Returning to Northampton County, NC, the setting for her Buddy Bush novels (S & S), Moses introduces 12-year-old African-American twins Leon and Luke. The time period is left undefined, but has a recent historical feel. Leon, the narrator, is free with his opinions on just about everything, including his brothers, his mother, his stepfather, and his upcoming baptism. He saves his worst scorn for "White Cousin," a bully and one of the many white people in the area who have unacknowledged blood ties to Leon's family and other black residents. Leon's mother believes that the twins need to show that they are ready to be saved before the baptism, but Leon can't seem to give up sinning even for a week. The baptism is the focal point of the story, but differs quite a lot from how most churched kids will have experienced it, giving the subject a somewhat limited appeal. Despite this, Leon is spirited and engaging. The minor characters are less fully developed, but the setting is evocative, with definite regional appeal. The ending includes a positive step toward reconciliation between races. Those who haven't read the previous novels won't have any trouble following this one. With its large font and trim length, it could also work for last-minute book reports.—Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL
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