If the Fire Comes

Written by Tracy Daley · Illustrated by Eric Freeberg

Part of the I Am America series

Racial tensions ignite in 1935 Elsinore. Can a boy's secret project save his town from destruction?

4.2 Goodreads · 36 ratings

160 pages· 770L

$8.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In 1935, young Joseph McCoy shines shoes to support his family amidst the Great Depression. When an all-black work camp arrives in Elsinore, racial tensions threaten to tear the town apart. As prejudice spreads, Joseph's secret project might be the key to saving the camp and offering hope. Will his efforts be enough to prevent the town from going up in flames? Discover a tale of resilience and the power of untold stories in a community on the brink.

From the publisher

It’s 1935, and the Great Depression and California drought has left eleven-year-old Joseph McCoy shining shoes to help his family survive. Through his hard work and games with his sister, Joseph has figured out how to get by as one of the few black people in a mostly white community. But the order of the town is disrupted when an all-black Civilian Conservation Corps camp comes to Elsinore, sparking racial tension. It isn’t long before prejudice spreads like wildfire and threatens to force the work camp to leave. Could Joseph’s secret project save the camp and bring his family hope for the future? If not, the whole town just might go up in flames. It’s the storytellers that preserve a nation’s history. But what happens when some stories are silenced? The I Am America series features fictional stories based on important historical events about people whose voices have been excluded, lost, or forgotten over time.

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