A Friendship for Today

About This Book

Spirited twelve-year-old Rosemary Patterson is about to make history.  She is among the first African American students in her town to enroll in what had once been the all-white school.  Rosemary is ready for the challenge, but when her best friend is suddenly diagnosed with polio, Rosemary must face the frightening first day of school alone.

Stares and whispers follow Rosemary wherever she goes, and the worst offender is Grace Hamilton, a girl who makes no secret of her and her family's racism.  But as the school year progresses, and Rosemary must deal with the fallout of her parents' rocky marriage, she forges a most unlikely friendship with all people, Grace Hamilton herself.

This timely, lyrical, and important book reminds us of the power of friendship to transcend all barriers.

Praise for A Friendship for Today

* "A real, at times raw tale about a winning and insightful young heroine during a bittersweet era." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

About the Authors or Illustrators

Patricia McKissack: Patricia C. McKissack has written over one hundred books about the African-American experience, on her own and in collaboration with Fredrick L. McKissack. Before becoming a full-time writer, Patricia McKissack worked as a teacher and then as an editor of children's books. Read More.