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Gabriel King believes he was born chicken. He's afraid of spiders, corpses, loose cows, and just about everything related to the fifth grade. If it's a choice between raduating or staying in the fourth grade forever, he's going to stay put ─ only his best friend Frita Wilson won't hear of it. "Gabe," says Frita,
"we gotta do something about you." When Frita makes up her mind
she's like a locomotive - there's no stopping her. "First you're
going to make a list. Gabe's list is a lot longer than he'd like Frita to know. Plus, he can't quite figure out how tackling his fears will make him brave. Surely jumping off the rope swing over the catfish pond can only lead to certain death...But maybe Frita knows what she's doing. It turns out she's got her own list, and while she's watching Gabe tackle each of his fears, she's avoiding the fear that scares her the most. With wisdom and clarity, K. L. Going explores the nature of fear in what should be an idyllic summer for two friends from different backgrounds. For them, living in a small town in Georgia with an active Ku Klux Klan, the summer of 1976 is a momentous one.
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Merritt
Bookstore Independent! |
Audiobook Listening Library |
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"Kids often send me their fear lists after they've read The Liberation of
Gabriel King. Sometimes school classes will read the book together and
then discuss the things they're afraid of... I am always honored when they
share those lists and discussions with me. It's so important to name our
fears and talk about them. It's an act of bravery any time someone admits
their fears to others. So, to honor the spirit of the book and the kids
who share so honestly with me, here are ten of my personal fears, in no
particular order." KL's Fear List
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