Bunting, E. (1994) Smoky Night. Singapore: Harcourt Books.

Brief Annotation: Smoky Night tells the story of a young boy in the middle of the LA riots in the early 1990’s. Living in the middle of a riot and eventually being forced to go to a shelter because his home is torched, the boy doesn’t understand why people all around him are fighting. At the shelter his missing cat teaches all of the adults in the neghiborhood an important lesson about acceptance and fellowship.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Grade level: 2-6

Readers who will like this: Students who like collage style artwork. Students studying the Rodney King riots. Students who live in unsafe neighborhoods or among violence.

Response/Rating (1-4): **** I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way the author told such a complex story in a way that is approachable to kids. The narrator, Daniel, provides the perfect amount of insight and innocence to tell the story in a believable and touching way. I think this would be a great addition to any conversation about conflict and acceptance.

One question you would ask before reading aloud: Have you ever been in a fight with someone and not known why you were fighting with them?