The Liberation of Gabriel King Audiobook By K. L. Going cover art

The Liberation of Gabriel King

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The Liberation of Gabriel King

By: K. L. Going
Narrated by: Robert Keefe
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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 graduating 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 got to 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. Write down everything you’re afraid of.”
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 face all 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. It’s the summer they discover what courage is all about. Growing Up & Facts of Life Social & Life Skills Difficult Discussions Literature & Fiction Historical Fiction

Critic reviews

It’s the summer of 1976 in a small town in Georgia. Gabriel King has just finished fourth grade and is scared about fifth. In fact, he’s scared of many things: spiders, alligators, falling into the toilet, killer robots, corpses, swinging off the rope swing, his neighbor Mr. Evans and bullies at school. His best friend Frita is out of to liberate Gabriel from his fears. She has him make a list of them and work through them one at a time. However, Frita, who is African-American, has fears of her own and the story becomes a study of standing up to fears and bullies, from the school yard to the Klu Klux Klan. Strong voice, lively dialogue, humor and important themes make this a winner. Readers will enjoy following the sometimes-tempestuous friendship of Gabriel and Frita, and they’ll be completely absorbed in watching the friends and their community come together to stand up against the evil within.

-Kirkus Reviews, starred review
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We listened to this story on a recent road trip and all four of us - a 10 year old boy who likes hard core adventure and fantasy, a 9 year girl who likes gentle, realistic stories and both parents, loved it. It is a wonderful mix of memorable characters, thought provoking situations and just the right amount of tension. The narrator does a wonderful job. Highly recommended.

We loved this engaging story

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Where does The Liberation of Gabriel King rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is great for teaching kids that the civil rights movement is more than just Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. The Liberation of Gabriel King uses a light touch to introduce kids to the Black Panthers, the KKK, and the peanut farmer who won the presidency after America lost faith in the office. The real message of the book, however, about overcoming your fears to stand up to bullies and the power of friendship.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

What would your list of fears include? Spiders? Jumping off the high branch into the creek far below? Or perhaps the Klu Klux Klan on your door step? Are you ready to face your fears with two Georgia kids in the hot summer of 1970?

Rare '70s Historical Fiction for kids

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