Dangerous Skies

Young Buck Smith’s family has farmed on Virginia’s Eastern Shore since the eighteenth century. Tunes Smith’s ancestors were slaves brought from Africa to work the same farm. Now two centuries have passed, and everyone works side by side on Buck’s father’s farm. In Buck’s and Tunes’ thirteen years of growing up together, the word “racism” has never invaded their realm of innocence. Then, on one horrifying spring afternoon, they discover a body off the prow of their little fishing boat, and their lives are changed forever. Tunes, the proud girl whom Buck loves as a sister, is accused of murder. In his desperate efforts to convince his family and their community of Tunes’ innocence, Buck learns some poignant lessons about prejudice and injustice. Suzanne Fisher Staples captivated young readers with her Newbery Honor book, Shabanu and its sequel Haveli, both ALA Notable books. Dangerous Skies is an authentic portrait, both beautiful and grim, of contemporary life on the Chesapeake and some difficult issues that have haunted our country since its birth.