What do you think?
Rate this book
Pemba's Song: A Ghost Story
A Newbery Honor winner collaborates with a new writer in this hip-hop-inspired historical thriller.
Pemba knows she's not crazy. But who is that looking out at her through her mirror's eye? And why does the apparition call her "friend?" Her real friends are back home in Brooklyn, not in the old colonial house in Colchester, Connecticut, where none of this would have happened if Daddy were still alive. But now all Pemba has is Mom and that strange old man, Abraham. Maybe he's the crazy one.
Thank goodness for Pemba's Playlist and the journal she keeps. There are so many answers deep inside that music. And so much is revealed in Pemba's poetry — the hops she writes and those coming through her iPod. Phyllys, an eighteenth-century slave girl, has answers, too. They billow out from her ghostly visits to Pemba, visits that transform both girls in ways neither expected.
In this supernatural tale, the voices of these two characters entwine to put a new spin on a paranormal story of friendship.
Pemba knows she's not crazy. But who is that looking out at her through her mirror's eye? And why does the apparition call her "friend?" Her real friends are back home in Brooklyn, not in the old colonial house in Colchester, Connecticut, where none of this would have happened if Daddy were still alive. But now all Pemba has is Mom and that strange old man, Abraham. Maybe he's the crazy one.
Thank goodness for Pemba's Playlist and the journal she keeps. There are so many answers deep inside that music. And so much is revealed in Pemba's poetry — the hops she writes and those coming through her iPod. Phyllys, an eighteenth-century slave girl, has answers, too. They billow out from her ghostly visits to Pemba, visits that transform both girls in ways neither expected.
In this supernatural tale, the voices of these two characters entwine to put a new spin on a paranormal story of friendship.
109 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
About the author
Marilyn Nelson
51 books147 followersMarilyn Nelson is the author of many acclaimed books for young people and adults, including CARVER: A LIFE IN POEMS, a Newbery Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL, a Printz Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honor Book. She also translated THE LADDER, a picture book by Halfdan Rasmussen. She lives in East Haddam, Connecticut.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/marilyn-...
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/marilyn-...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
September 2, 2020
When I first saw Pemba's Song give or take eleven years ago, I was excited. You don't see a lot of representation of fantasy writers for a black audience. Plus, when I saw that Tonya Hegamin co-authored the book I was down to read it, I read M+O 4ever and that it was okay.
This book, however, I didn't care for.
From the beginning to end there's a shift through the protagonist language. One minute Pembas' talking with a "blaccent" in the dialogue, but the actual narration makes her sound proper. The book clearly states that Pemba was from Brooklyn, New York. So the editorial team behind this book should've deciphered between one or the other.
So key thing to remember folks, don't change the language style of the character!
There were a few perks from reading this, but one really stood out to me. I liked how Pemba referenced that a lot of people, don’t really show much creditability to the Black-Americans, historically. Aside from Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks. With this subject alone we need to look up other folks who've made a difference.
I think overall the book was okay; I just wish it wasn't so fast-paced. I wanted to get to know Phyllys more than what was delivered. Again, the language style didn't match her either. Could've done without the poetry also. Overall, Opal and Phyllys story line didn't mesh well together.
Sorry if I sound a little harsh.
Formerly published in The Young Book Collector
This book, however, I didn't care for.
From the beginning to end there's a shift through the protagonist language. One minute Pembas' talking with a "blaccent" in the dialogue, but the actual narration makes her sound proper. The book clearly states that Pemba was from Brooklyn, New York. So the editorial team behind this book should've deciphered between one or the other.
So key thing to remember folks, don't change the language style of the character!
There were a few perks from reading this, but one really stood out to me. I liked how Pemba referenced that a lot of people, don’t really show much creditability to the Black-Americans, historically. Aside from Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks. With this subject alone we need to look up other folks who've made a difference.
I think overall the book was okay; I just wish it wasn't so fast-paced. I wanted to get to know Phyllys more than what was delivered. Again, the language style didn't match her either. Could've done without the poetry also. Overall, Opal and Phyllys story line didn't mesh well together.
Sorry if I sound a little harsh.
Formerly published in The Young Book Collector
January 31, 2019
Pemba moves from NYC to Connecticut unwillingly. Torn from her best friend and boyfriend, the only world she has ever known, to live in small-town New England, populated primarily by white residents. Her house appears to be haunted, and this is somehow related to the local history that Abraham, an older black man who has befriended Pemba and her mother, has been researching.
I so wanted to love this book. And I did enjoy aspects of it. Pemba's narrative voice is strong and authentic, and her poems are fantastic: introspective and relatable, but still genuine teen. Also, an authors' note explains that the history of Colchester, Connecticut (the setting) that is related in the book is real, which I didn't know before I read, so I found that fascinating.
The downside? The ghost story never took off for me. It read more like a mystery, lacking in the atmospheric tension requisite for a ghost story. The paranormal element of the story, which I won't reveal here, is certainly a focus, but definitely lacks a seamless integration with the character and her backstory.
Surprisingly, the prose writing feels like an early draft rather than a finished piece. Transitions between paragraphs are really abrupt, and I didn't feel as though there is enough dialogue to "cover" characters' actions within scenes. A few minor plot details are introduced but not really resolved, particularly the one regarding Pemba's father. The poetry that is the voice of Phyllys only confused me, but that might be because I don't understand how the paranormal connection between Phyllys and Pemba works.
I so wanted to love this book. And I did enjoy aspects of it. Pemba's narrative voice is strong and authentic, and her poems are fantastic: introspective and relatable, but still genuine teen. Also, an authors' note explains that the history of Colchester, Connecticut (the setting) that is related in the book is real, which I didn't know before I read, so I found that fascinating.
The downside? The ghost story never took off for me. It read more like a mystery, lacking in the atmospheric tension requisite for a ghost story. The paranormal element of the story, which I won't reveal here, is certainly a focus, but definitely lacks a seamless integration with the character and her backstory.
Surprisingly, the prose writing feels like an early draft rather than a finished piece. Transitions between paragraphs are really abrupt, and I didn't feel as though there is enough dialogue to "cover" characters' actions within scenes. A few minor plot details are introduced but not really resolved, particularly the one regarding Pemba's father. The poetry that is the voice of Phyllys only confused me, but that might be because I don't understand how the paranormal connection between Phyllys and Pemba works.
February 18, 2011
Pemba's Song was a breathtaking triumph of a novel. I really appreciated the simple plot-line and dual story that existed in this title, similar to the M+O 4evr by Tonya Hegamin, which has a dual narrative, also of a slave.
The life of this young girl felt very close to home with young people from Brooklyn, and could engage young readers on a journey of what life would be like if they had to move away, to the far off land of Connecticut.
Recommended for readers of urban fiction, who are capable of moving outside of the genre, but not sure where to start; also, recommended for readers of historical fiction, as it places history into our everyday lives. I would say the age range could start from 11yrs old.
The life of this young girl felt very close to home with young people from Brooklyn, and could engage young readers on a journey of what life would be like if they had to move away, to the far off land of Connecticut.
Recommended for readers of urban fiction, who are capable of moving outside of the genre, but not sure where to start; also, recommended for readers of historical fiction, as it places history into our everyday lives. I would say the age range could start from 11yrs old.
July 3, 2011
Pemba's Song is one of those mystery-type ghost stories. I enjoyed the story and I really liked the character, Abraham, who is based on a real person. It's a quick and easy read and would be a great book to use for the Summer Reading Project. This one would be great to use for the following topic because it includes the Colored School, which does exist.
"Do research on a topic brought up in your
book. Write a one page paper on your
topic. Explain why that topic is important."
In fact, I think I'm going to learn more about it just because I think it's interesting.
"Do research on a topic brought up in your
book. Write a one page paper on your
topic. Explain why that topic is important."
In fact, I think I'm going to learn more about it just because I think it's interesting.
April 26, 2009
This is a modern ghost tale, showing the intersection between Pemba and Phyllis. I really liked the voice that the author created for Pemba - she was believable and I could relate to her struggle moving from the city to a small town in Connecticut. I don't think the authors got the right balance with the ghost story - there just wasn't enough there to flush it out. I was stuck more in the confused state than understanding what Phyllis went through.
February 17, 2009
Maybe I'm used to reading problem novels, but this seemed to be resolved in way too pat a manner. It was based on real history--I wish it hadn't felt rushed. But I can also see it giving a middle-school kid a thrill and maybe an interest in history.
I was also hoping it would be the ghost of Phyllis Wheatley, but it wasn't.
I was also hoping it would be the ghost of Phyllis Wheatley, but it wasn't.
August 20, 2012
Read it in half a day; breath of fresh air compared to what I usually read.
Gotta say, though: didn't care much for the "rhyme" and "poetry" portion of the thing. Could've done without that format.
Bumped it down from a 4-star to a 3-star because of the weak ending -- explained in a poetry fashion and summarized, out of sync with the rest of the book's pace.
Ugh, ruined it.
Gotta say, though: didn't care much for the "rhyme" and "poetry" portion of the thing. Could've done without that format.
Bumped it down from a 4-star to a 3-star because of the weak ending -- explained in a poetry fashion and summarized, out of sync with the rest of the book's pace.
Ugh, ruined it.
October 13, 2008
Thankfully only 108 pages long or I would not have made it through the slang that was trying too hard and the Marilyn Nelson poems that I somehow thought would be more gripping. The book may actually have been too short to really tell a story, so resorted to stereotypes and bad slang.
September 18, 2018
Pemba is a young African-American girl whose father died in Iraq. She and her mother move to Colchester, Connecticut. There strange things begin to happen to her. The ghost of a young slave girl wants her to put things right. It is a good fast read.
March 11, 2011
I loved this book. I read it in 2 days. I though it was amazing how Abraham was able to help her. I also think it was amazing how she was able to connect with Pllyll's and helped solve what was left behind. I loved how her boyfriend was so protective. I just though the whole book was amazing!
March 25, 2017
Teen ghost story (with hip-hop poems and journal entries) is a good way to learn about history. I like the character Abraham and the relationship between him and Pemba. I'd like to see this made into a movie.
November 1, 2020
A poetic middle grade ghost story set in the early 2000s and the in-between world of 14 year-old Pemba. Pem loves her music and her journal where she writes hip-hop song entries about her life, and she is furious about moving from Brooklyn to a small town in Connecticut for her mom's new teaching job. Missing her new boyfriend Malik and best friend since forever Raysha, Pem isn't speaking to her mom, who needed to leave NYC to move on from Pem's father's death in Iraq four years before. Their new house is a historic house in the town and has creaking stairs and a sagging front porch. There's no cellphone coverage so Pem feels even worse and more isolated from her old life and worries her friends will look for new people to take her place. In her gloom and anxiety about moving, Pem finds herself exploring rooms in the house and finds an old mirror where she looks at her reflection and suddenly realizes the reflection starting back at her is someone else's face.
Pem's strange experiences in the house continue and grow more intense. Meanwhile, there's an eccentric old man named Abraham that appears as they move in and offers to help Pem's mom with some projects, while inviting Pem to help him with some historical research at the local library about African American history in the town. Pem had worried that she was moving someplace without any other Black people, but with Abraham's help she learns that there were thousands of Black people in the North during the town's history, and that most were slaves. This fact shakes Pem's understanding of American history and drives her to learn more about everything that has been untaught in her school life, as well as trying to discover who had lived in their house before and why they are haunting her.
This novella was an intriguing and enjoyable read on a Halloween night. I wanted more development of everything in the story, Pem's experiences with the ghost at the center of the haunting, the unearthing of the town's African American history, Abraham's story, but altogether I found this a memorable read.
Pem's strange experiences in the house continue and grow more intense. Meanwhile, there's an eccentric old man named Abraham that appears as they move in and offers to help Pem's mom with some projects, while inviting Pem to help him with some historical research at the local library about African American history in the town. Pem had worried that she was moving someplace without any other Black people, but with Abraham's help she learns that there were thousands of Black people in the North during the town's history, and that most were slaves. This fact shakes Pem's understanding of American history and drives her to learn more about everything that has been untaught in her school life, as well as trying to discover who had lived in their house before and why they are haunting her.
This novella was an intriguing and enjoyable read on a Halloween night. I wanted more development of everything in the story, Pem's experiences with the ghost at the center of the haunting, the unearthing of the town's African American history, Abraham's story, but altogether I found this a memorable read.
June 26, 2018
This started interesting, but the end was really confusing.
November 8, 2015
Do you like ghost stories to scare you so you can think about it a lot? Well if you do i recommend this book its a ghost story so much mystery. I thought this book was really cool because it has a lot of mystery to it and if you really need to think about it to know whats really going on.
The book takes place in NYC and then it took place in Connecticut because they moved. Pemba is a girl in the story shes a girl from the hood and her and her mom are the only people living in the house because her dad died when she was little. When they lived in NYC she had a boyfriend and she had her really close friends then one day her mom said we are moving and they moved to Connecticut and she was mad at her mom. The type of conflict that goes on in the story is person vs. person because she has a lot of problems in her life like her dad died, and her moving, and losing her friends and she looked in a mirror at her new house in her mom"s room and she sees a girl in the mirror and she feels different. I think the theme of this book is mystery because there is a lot of mysterious things going on and she has to solve them. She solves her problems by listening deep into her music and she rereads her journal she has and she finds deep answers in the music and her journal.
A major event that changed the character was when she noticed the girl in the mirror she told herself "after I saw her in the mirror I felt so different inside I couldn't look myself in the mirror no more." The setting is important to the book because it's part of the problem because she misses her friends and she had her childhood there and she moved far away.
I liked how she just passed by her mom"s room and she noticed something in that mirror like she took one glance and saw something then she sat on the bed and looked into the mirror closely and then she saw a girl. What i found interesting was that this guy named Abraham they met him when they moved to their new house I liked how he told Pemba that there was at least only 3 families who lived in that house because they said something is going on in there and they would move and they would only stay there like 3 or 4 weeks.
I give this book 5 stars because the mysteries to this book got me thinking a lot and surprised me. I would recommend this book to someone who loves to solve mysterious and likes to find out things to put everything together to know what they are talking about. So I hope u read this book because it really got me thinking.
The book takes place in NYC and then it took place in Connecticut because they moved. Pemba is a girl in the story shes a girl from the hood and her and her mom are the only people living in the house because her dad died when she was little. When they lived in NYC she had a boyfriend and she had her really close friends then one day her mom said we are moving and they moved to Connecticut and she was mad at her mom. The type of conflict that goes on in the story is person vs. person because she has a lot of problems in her life like her dad died, and her moving, and losing her friends and she looked in a mirror at her new house in her mom"s room and she sees a girl in the mirror and she feels different. I think the theme of this book is mystery because there is a lot of mysterious things going on and she has to solve them. She solves her problems by listening deep into her music and she rereads her journal she has and she finds deep answers in the music and her journal.
A major event that changed the character was when she noticed the girl in the mirror she told herself "after I saw her in the mirror I felt so different inside I couldn't look myself in the mirror no more." The setting is important to the book because it's part of the problem because she misses her friends and she had her childhood there and she moved far away.
I liked how she just passed by her mom"s room and she noticed something in that mirror like she took one glance and saw something then she sat on the bed and looked into the mirror closely and then she saw a girl. What i found interesting was that this guy named Abraham they met him when they moved to their new house I liked how he told Pemba that there was at least only 3 families who lived in that house because they said something is going on in there and they would move and they would only stay there like 3 or 4 weeks.
I give this book 5 stars because the mysteries to this book got me thinking a lot and surprised me. I would recommend this book to someone who loves to solve mysterious and likes to find out things to put everything together to know what they are talking about. So I hope u read this book because it really got me thinking.
March 9, 2009
Pemba and her mother move from Brooklyn to a small town near Hartford, Connecticut when her mom gets an opportunity at a dream job. The two have been living alone since Pemba's father died in the Iraq War. They find themselves in a beautiful historic home that dates back to the colonial period.
It is in this home that Pemba starts to experience flashbacks from the perspective of a slave girl who used to live in the house with the original owner. Phyllys, the slave girl, was witness to a crime that was not properly identified or prosecuted. During the flashbacks, Pemba passes out, scaring both herself and, later, her mother.
As she attempts to figure out Phyllys' secret, Pemba is also working with Abraham, a local African American who is living in the local library due to hard economic times, as he is working to research the local School for Colored Children in order to make it a historically-recognized building. He is hoping to capture the rich history that African Americans contributed to the area by telling their story.
Using the library archives, information about the Colored School, and papers found in her new home, Pemba and Abraham work to sort out the mystery so they can help Phyllys rest in peace and help make Pemba feel as if her new home is a place she wants to live even though it is not the big city she grew up in.
The writing in this tale is incredibly rich, balancing Tonya Hefamin's narrative from the perspective of Pemba and the rich historical perspective in Phyllys' words with Marilyn Nelson's poetic writing. My only complaint is that after the big build-up, the conclusion is incredibly abrupt. I felt a little robbed as I wanted more detail about what happened to Phyllys and those around her.
It is in this home that Pemba starts to experience flashbacks from the perspective of a slave girl who used to live in the house with the original owner. Phyllys, the slave girl, was witness to a crime that was not properly identified or prosecuted. During the flashbacks, Pemba passes out, scaring both herself and, later, her mother.
As she attempts to figure out Phyllys' secret, Pemba is also working with Abraham, a local African American who is living in the local library due to hard economic times, as he is working to research the local School for Colored Children in order to make it a historically-recognized building. He is hoping to capture the rich history that African Americans contributed to the area by telling their story.
Using the library archives, information about the Colored School, and papers found in her new home, Pemba and Abraham work to sort out the mystery so they can help Phyllys rest in peace and help make Pemba feel as if her new home is a place she wants to live even though it is not the big city she grew up in.
The writing in this tale is incredibly rich, balancing Tonya Hefamin's narrative from the perspective of Pemba and the rich historical perspective in Phyllys' words with Marilyn Nelson's poetic writing. My only complaint is that after the big build-up, the conclusion is incredibly abrupt. I felt a little robbed as I wanted more detail about what happened to Phyllys and those around her.
Currently reading
December 7, 2009Pemba knows she's not crazy. But who is that looking out at her through her mirror's eye? And why is the apparition calling her "friend"? Her real friends are back home in Brooklyn, not in the old colonial house in Colchester, Connecticut, where none of this would have happened if Daddy were still alive. But now all Pemba has is Mom and that strange old man, Abraham. Maybe he's the crazy one.
Thank goodness for Pemba's Playlist and the journal she keeps. There are so many answers deep inside that music. So much is revealed in Pemba's poetry -- the bops she writes and those coming through her iPod. Phyllis, an 18th-century slave girl, has answers too. But Phyllis's reality billows out from her visits to Pemba, visits that transform both girls in ways neither expected.
In this supernatural tale, the voices of these two characters entwine to put a new spin on a paranormal story. As a mystery unfolds, many truths are revealed -- about honesty, freedom, redemption, and friendship.
Excerpt:
Miles of highway and nothin
but trees. Mom's movin me to Nowhere,
CT when I used to live in the center of the universe:
Brooklyn, NY. This must be some kind of evil curse. . . .
I'm journalin like my hand's on fire, ear buds blarin:
~Pemba
The truth everywhere evident:
my days are numbered in our happy home.
The only home I know.
Both in here and out there, I am invisible. .
Thank goodness for Pemba's Playlist and the journal she keeps. There are so many answers deep inside that music. So much is revealed in Pemba's poetry -- the bops she writes and those coming through her iPod. Phyllis, an 18th-century slave girl, has answers too. But Phyllis's reality billows out from her visits to Pemba, visits that transform both girls in ways neither expected.
In this supernatural tale, the voices of these two characters entwine to put a new spin on a paranormal story. As a mystery unfolds, many truths are revealed -- about honesty, freedom, redemption, and friendship.
Excerpt:
Miles of highway and nothin
but trees. Mom's movin me to Nowhere,
CT when I used to live in the center of the universe:
Brooklyn, NY. This must be some kind of evil curse. . . .
I'm journalin like my hand's on fire, ear buds blarin:
~Pemba
The truth everywhere evident:
my days are numbered in our happy home.
The only home I know.
Both in here and out there, I am invisible. .
December 27, 2011
FIRST holla to POC on the cover. Especially because it's a MIDDLE GRADES book man. And I tell you what, teaching at a school where the minority are the white kids, it means a lot to my kids to see POC on the books that I bring in. AND it's especially thumbs up in my book because THIS ONE isn't about gangs.*
Pemba is in high school. She's groovin' in the city, learning her step moves and listening to hip-hop when her mom decides that they need to move to someplace a bit more wholesome. Like a small town in CT where she swears she's got to be the only black person. Well, except for this goofy old man named Abraham.
As soon as she enters her new house though she begins to have this weird unexplainable moments of blackouts and headaches intermingled with what she concludes are odd daydreams. Finally the frequency of them leads her to confide in Abraham and together they unravel a mystery, and murder, and a an untold slavery story.
I LOVED this little book and read it in one quick setting. It's the perfect read for a kid who wants to get into a spooky spirit for Halloween. In fact, it didn't make it a day on my desk before one of my students picked it up. For any of you Read-A-Thoners who want to find a quick read, I would recommend this one for sure.
____________
* My students dig the gang books, mind you, but COME ON!!! Every black or Hispanic person is not in a gang.
Pemba is in high school. She's groovin' in the city, learning her step moves and listening to hip-hop when her mom decides that they need to move to someplace a bit more wholesome. Like a small town in CT where she swears she's got to be the only black person. Well, except for this goofy old man named Abraham.
As soon as she enters her new house though she begins to have this weird unexplainable moments of blackouts and headaches intermingled with what she concludes are odd daydreams. Finally the frequency of them leads her to confide in Abraham and together they unravel a mystery, and murder, and a an untold slavery story.
I LOVED this little book and read it in one quick setting. It's the perfect read for a kid who wants to get into a spooky spirit for Halloween. In fact, it didn't make it a day on my desk before one of my students picked it up. For any of you Read-A-Thoners who want to find a quick read, I would recommend this one for sure.
____________
* My students dig the gang books, mind you, but COME ON!!! Every black or Hispanic person is not in a gang.
September 30, 2015
When reading “Pemba’s song” I realized that the story was pretty obvious if you really paid attention. Although it was overall a good ghost story I feel as if it could have been longer and more detailed. Since the story didn’t give us much information about all the characters you kind of had to assume who they were and the kind of person they were with the little bit you did know. The information in the book was pretty much the same as the inside cover. The poems in the story were also a little confusing.
The story was about a African America girl named Pemba who lost her father in the war in Iraq. Her and her mom lived in New York. Eventually her mom thought it would be better if they moved to Connecticut. Because she thought it would keep Pemba off of the dangerous streets of New York. When she moves to Connecticut she ends up making a connection with a ghost. Thought out the story it talks about the different interactions with the ghost and Pemba. She also becomes friends with an older man named Abraham who will end up help her in some way.
Overall the book was pretty interesting it could have had a lot more details and more to the story. I would recommend this book if you are just looking for a quick ghost story, but if you are looking for something that grabs your attention and makes you wanna read more I wouldn’t recommend it. Even though it was a bit rushed it was a good book.
The story was about a African America girl named Pemba who lost her father in the war in Iraq. Her and her mom lived in New York. Eventually her mom thought it would be better if they moved to Connecticut. Because she thought it would keep Pemba off of the dangerous streets of New York. When she moves to Connecticut she ends up making a connection with a ghost. Thought out the story it talks about the different interactions with the ghost and Pemba. She also becomes friends with an older man named Abraham who will end up help her in some way.
Overall the book was pretty interesting it could have had a lot more details and more to the story. I would recommend this book if you are just looking for a quick ghost story, but if you are looking for something that grabs your attention and makes you wanna read more I wouldn’t recommend it. Even though it was a bit rushed it was a good book.
April 23, 2012
Pemba's Song is a story about a girl named Pemba who discovers a special gift: She sees ghosts.
In the begining of the book we are introduced to Pemba and her mother. Pemba is upset with her mom, because she is moving her away from Brooklyn and her friends to a small town in Connecticut where her mom was offered a great job and an opportunity for a fresh start.
Pemba and her mother meet a strange man named Abraham who lives at the local library. She soons befriends this man and helps him with some local research. She soons discovers that the little town and the new house (or should I say old house) they live in holds lots of secrets and one of them is the ghost a slave girl named Phyllis who lived in the house in the late 1700's.
Phyllis begins to visit Pemba in supernatural ways, asking her to help her bring justice to two unsolved murders that occured there....
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good ghost story. At the end of the book we learn that the writers of the book indeed met a man by the name of Abraham who inspired this book and its history. So I thought that was pretty cool ^-^
In the begining of the book we are introduced to Pemba and her mother. Pemba is upset with her mom, because she is moving her away from Brooklyn and her friends to a small town in Connecticut where her mom was offered a great job and an opportunity for a fresh start.
Pemba and her mother meet a strange man named Abraham who lives at the local library. She soons befriends this man and helps him with some local research. She soons discovers that the little town and the new house (or should I say old house) they live in holds lots of secrets and one of them is the ghost a slave girl named Phyllis who lived in the house in the late 1700's.
Phyllis begins to visit Pemba in supernatural ways, asking her to help her bring justice to two unsolved murders that occured there....
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good ghost story. At the end of the book we learn that the writers of the book indeed met a man by the name of Abraham who inspired this book and its history. So I thought that was pretty cool ^-^
March 10, 2009
Pemba is a native of Brooklyn. She is proud of her city and loves being where all the action is. With the help of her best friends, she*s even started to get over the death of her father, who was killed in Iraq. But then, her mom moves them to middle-of-nowhere Connecticut. She*s convinced she*s the only African American to have ever lived in this little town, and doesn*t have the faintest idea of how she will fit in. During their first night in the new house, Pemba has trouble sleeping and develops a terrible headache. In the morning she awakens in the attic, without the faintest idea of how she got there. Then, she sees the face in the mirror, not her own, and Pemba realizes she*s not the first girl with dark skin to live in the city. In fact, a slave girl once lived in her house and she*s trying to tell Pemba something.
A very quick read, this one will appeal to reluctant readers. While I think the ending was a bit rushed and easily resolved, I think this only strengthens the appeal to readers who want something quick or who don't have the patience for a drawn out tale.
A very quick read, this one will appeal to reluctant readers. While I think the ending was a bit rushed and easily resolved, I think this only strengthens the appeal to readers who want something quick or who don't have the patience for a drawn out tale.
November 18, 2012
Reviewed by Shyanne for TeensReadToo.com
Pemba is a young girl who only has her mother now. Her father passed away, and so they moved away from her friends in Brooklyn to an old colonial house in Colchester, Connecticut.
There is a very strange old man named Abraham here, and Pemba thinks he is the crazy one - but she isn't so sure about herself anymore.
Pemba and a slave girl from the 18th-century, Phyllis, become intertwined, and Phyllis visits Pemba in a supernatural way. These visits change both girls in many different ways.
I recommend PEMBA'S SONG for anyone who loves a great supernatural story. It is a new twist on the paranormal. It isnt the conventional, cookie-cutter ghost story, but one of mystery, friendship, freedom, and truth.
This is a great book to read and almost gives you a new understanding of what people have went through and the limits of true friendship.
Read it! It's a nice change in paranormal and supernatural stories!
Pemba is a young girl who only has her mother now. Her father passed away, and so they moved away from her friends in Brooklyn to an old colonial house in Colchester, Connecticut.
There is a very strange old man named Abraham here, and Pemba thinks he is the crazy one - but she isn't so sure about herself anymore.
Pemba and a slave girl from the 18th-century, Phyllis, become intertwined, and Phyllis visits Pemba in a supernatural way. These visits change both girls in many different ways.
I recommend PEMBA'S SONG for anyone who loves a great supernatural story. It is a new twist on the paranormal. It isnt the conventional, cookie-cutter ghost story, but one of mystery, friendship, freedom, and truth.
This is a great book to read and almost gives you a new understanding of what people have went through and the limits of true friendship.
Read it! It's a nice change in paranormal and supernatural stories!
April 9, 2009
This was a nice short book with a combined ghost story and history lesson. Sort of like Avi's Something Upstairs, with some added urban modernity to it. teenager from Brooklyn is uprooted to a small town in Connecticut after her father's death, moving into a centuries old home that turns out to have been the place of two murders. Pemba has visions of a slave girl from the late 1700s, and the more visions she gets the sicker she gets but the more details she receives about the events that occurred.
She is aided by an older African American guy who lives in the local library and does research on African American history.
Like Laurie Halse Anderson's Chain, kids will learn that there were slaves in the North, and treated just as poorly. The narrative is punctuated by Pemba's journal writing and the slave Phyllys' pleas during the visions to get to the truth.
I finished this in a couple of hours. It will appeal to girls more than boys.
She is aided by an older African American guy who lives in the local library and does research on African American history.
Like Laurie Halse Anderson's Chain, kids will learn that there were slaves in the North, and treated just as poorly. The narrative is punctuated by Pemba's journal writing and the slave Phyllys' pleas during the visions to get to the truth.
I finished this in a couple of hours. It will appeal to girls more than boys.
July 19, 2009
I debated about how many stars to give this book - three and a half would be ideal, but Goodreads has yet to embrace halves. I bumped it up to four because it was so nice to read a short book with depth. Not all YA lit has to be hundreds of pages long! This slim book weaves the tale of two girls, the present-day Pemba who has moved into a house in small-town Connecticut and the historical Phyllis, previous inhabitant of the house and slave who has an important secret to share. Pemba stumbles into memories of Phyllis' wen she touches a significant object or place in the house, transporting her back to Phyllis' time in vivid details. It's surprising that for as short as this book was how complex a story it told, with believable characters. I especially enjoyed Pemba's journal writings, poems/raps that described her feelings and thoughts in a more authentic voice than the author could have done otherwise.
May 9, 2013
Pemba has just moved from New York to Connecticut because of her mother's new job. Pemba isn't happy about this. She's left all her friends and boyfriend behind to come to some nowhere town in another state.
And if that wasn't bad enough, it seems that the house she and her mother are living in is haunted.
I was excited about reading this book. I read a lot of YA books because that is what I enjoy and I also love ghost/paranormal books. Plus the main character is African American. I think it is great to find YA books with main characters of a different race/culture. And I wanted to like this book, to like the main character. But I felt that the author made Pemba into a stereotype. She is African American and likes rap music, writing rhymes and talks slang.
The book wasn't bad, the story was interesting, but I'm disappointed that the character seemed to be written as a race stereotype.
And if that wasn't bad enough, it seems that the house she and her mother are living in is haunted.
I was excited about reading this book. I read a lot of YA books because that is what I enjoy and I also love ghost/paranormal books. Plus the main character is African American. I think it is great to find YA books with main characters of a different race/culture. And I wanted to like this book, to like the main character. But I felt that the author made Pemba into a stereotype. She is African American and likes rap music, writing rhymes and talks slang.
The book wasn't bad, the story was interesting, but I'm disappointed that the character seemed to be written as a race stereotype.
March 18, 2011
Pemba was an interesting character that walked a fine line between her teenage self, and her adult author. Her thoughts and feelings perfectly addressed how a teenage girl would take moving to a new and unfamiliar place, but a few of her thoughts seemed a bit out of place. While I enjoyed the plot, the story itself seemed to have a few small holes in it. As a reader I was more curious about the slave girl whose spirit she was contacting, and the story didn't give full views of her or the rest of the town. I would think that with all the slavery and town history she and Abraham were delving into, that they would have mentioned more than just this vague murder mystery.
In all, I did like the story, and the poems found inside were pretty cool as well. For a reluctant reader, or someone who doesn't wish to sit too long with a story, this is a PERFECT quick read.
In all, I did like the story, and the poems found inside were pretty cool as well. For a reluctant reader, or someone who doesn't wish to sit too long with a story, this is a PERFECT quick read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2017
I read the book “Pemba’s Song” and I thought it was interesting but it took awhile to get to the point of things. Although it took awhile to get to the point the author used very good details and also put a lot of interesting things in. I liked how the author made is so that their was many different characters and they were all clearly stated. Also I liked how the main character, Pemba, was the narrator a lot of the time.
I would have liked to be able to read this book much faster. But their was a lot of little details, even though they were great details they took a lot longer to read. I liked how they explained her life during the move too. They did not just say that she moved and didn’t like it but they explained in detail why she didn’t like it and didn’t want to move. Pemba's song was a very interesting book and I would recommend reading it if you like mysteries.
I would have liked to be able to read this book much faster. But their was a lot of little details, even though they were great details they took a lot longer to read. I liked how they explained her life during the move too. They did not just say that she moved and didn’t like it but they explained in detail why she didn’t like it and didn’t want to move. Pemba's song was a very interesting book and I would recommend reading it if you like mysteries.
December 29, 2010
I really liked this one. Pemba is a typical teenage girl who has been forced to move with her mother to a small town. She is not happy about the move, but discovers that the house she has moved into has a secret. She starts "seeing" the ghost of a young slave girl. To avoid being at home alone with the ghost during the day while her mother is at work, Pemba, begins working with a local black historian on research for the "colored school". The history of the story is a little disconnected with the two different time periods being researched, but the flow of the story is not really that hard to follow. I liked the story because it goes into some of the history that students will not be familiar with hearing.
July 26, 2011
Pemba's mom takes a job near Hartford CT. Leaving friends and the happy life she knew in Brooklyn isn't easy and the house her mom got is spooky in a way...Pemba sees someone who really isn't there. Not wanting to leave Pemba alone when she goes to work - Mom has Pemba help Abraham with research at the library about black history in the area. The research and Abraham's help might help solve the mystery at the house.
This story came from the meeting of history buff Abraham Hajj at the public library at Colchester Connecticut.
"Colchester (2)
Old District Schoolhouse for Colored Children site (Town Green)"
http://www.ctmuseumquest.com/?page_id...
Colchester, CT Town History
http://www.colchesterct.gov/Pages/Col...#
This story came from the meeting of history buff Abraham Hajj at the public library at Colchester Connecticut.
"Colchester (2)
Old District Schoolhouse for Colored Children site (Town Green)"
http://www.ctmuseumquest.com/?page_id...
Colchester, CT Town History
http://www.colchesterct.gov/Pages/Col...#
November 24, 2011
the name of the book i just read is:Pemba's Song: A Ghost Story , by Marilyn Nelson and is a sort of thriller. as i began to read this novel i thought the plot was not very clear dur to this i was a little confused. then of coarse it continued and i came to realize that there was an evident idea thought to be behind it.so i chose to continue; and i came to learn that this book has a lot of suspense, a little sad points along with a beautifully described main setting. this is of an extremely old house in a little town, that is a little odd to Pemba. as the story went on, pemba learns a lot about race, friendship, and the past. not that great of a book to me mainly because its the first time i read this genre. i suggest this to creative minds and readers who can suspect imaginations.
September 19, 2010
I really liked this book, but it wasn't without flaws. While the characters felt realistic and interesting, they also felt like they could have been fleshed out more. Their issues were resolved too easily and too quickly.
This book was really short and could've benefitted from another 10-15 pages of material and more wrap-up at the ending, which was rather abrupt.
I love the cover and the overall design and plan to keep it in my collection because of that. :-)
Good for Black History Month because of the information about slavery in CT, but also covers themes of losing a parent, being forced to move to a new place, and ghost hauntings.
This book was really short and could've benefitted from another 10-15 pages of material and more wrap-up at the ending, which was rather abrupt.
I love the cover and the overall design and plan to keep it in my collection because of that. :-)
Good for Black History Month because of the information about slavery in CT, but also covers themes of losing a parent, being forced to move to a new place, and ghost hauntings.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews