| From the Dust Jacket |
Savannah Riddle is lucky. As a daughter of an upper class African American family in Washington D.C., she attends one of the most rigorous public schools in the nation–black or white–and has her pick among the young men in her set. But lately the structure of her society–the fancy parties, the Sunday teas, the pretentious men, and shallow young women–has started to suffocate her.
Then Savannah meets Lloyd, a young West Indian man from the working class who opens Savannah’s eyes to how the other half lives. Inspired to fight for change, Savannah starts attending suffragist lectures and socialist meetings, finding herself drawn more and more to Lloyd’s world.
Set against the backdrop of the press for women’s rights, the Red Summer, and anarchist bombings, Saving Savannah is the story of a girl and the risks she must take to be the change in a world on the brink of dramatic transformation.
Ages 13 and up | 272 pages
Hardcover | Bloomsbury Children’s Books | 2020 | ISBN: 978-1-68119-804-0
Ebook | Bloomsbury Children’s Books | 2020 |ISBN: 978-1-68119-805-7
. . . . . . . . . .
“Saving Savannah” Made the List(s) …
Here Wee Read, November 16, 2019: The 2020 Ultimate List of Diverse Children’s Books
Publishers Weekly, November 22, 2019: African-American Interest Young Readers’ Titles, 2019–2020
Ms. Magazine, January 14, 2020: January 2020 Reads for the Rest of Us
“Saving Savannah” Reviews
“… the story is richly complex in its historical detail…a valuable portrayal of affluent African-American society and of post-WWI life.” [Read full review] – Publishers Weekly
“… a mix of a very character-driven story … then a very action-driven story … I really loved this book.” [Read full review] – School Library Journal, Teen Library Toolbox
“Bolden offers a really awesome picture of this historical moment in a perspective that I’ve never seen before …” All the Books podcast, January 14, 2020: [Listen here] (29:50 – 33:22) – Book Riot
Author Interviews and Q&As
School Library Journal, November 12, 2019: “Holding History in My Hands”| Authors, Illustrators, and Artifacts (Author Interview) by Daryl Grabarek
School Library Journal, January 14, 2020: Tonya Bolden: Capturing History’s Rhymes (Q&A) by Kristin Anderson
Here Wee Read, December 9, 2019: Up Close and Personal with Tonya Bolden + Saving Savannah” (Author Interview)
Other Media Mentions
Bookscupsandcandles, November 7, 2019: Instagram
Ladyofthelibrary, November 11, 2019: Instagram
ELAEveryday, January 5, 2020: Instagram
Pop Goes the Reader, January 8, 2020: Roundup
Mrs. Readerpants, January 14, 2020: Roundup
Mundie Moms, January 14, 2020: Roundup