ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS, TO MY PARENTS and my brother, Kobi, as well as to all my family and friends who continuously support my work.

Thank you to my many writer friends who read early drafts and sections of this book and offered ever-wise advice: Laurie Calkhoven, Josanne La Valley, Marianna Baer, Elizabeth Bird, Donna Freitas, Marie Rutkoski, Jill Santopolo, Eliot Schrefer, Susan Amessé, Holly Kowitt, Catherine Stine, Peter Havholm, Edith Kunhardt Davis, Caroline Nastro, Lindsey Tate, and Kerri Topping.

Thanks to Tangi for her double Dutch notes; to my mom for being a stellar research assistant, investigating random historical details; and to Pam Harkins and Seth Harkins for sharing memories of Chicago in ’68 and the Democratic National Convention. Numerous adult readers of The Rock and the River have also shared their memories of this time with me, and I am grateful for the ways you all have helped me open the door to this history.

Thank you to my agent, Michelle Humphrey, and to my editorial and publishing team at Aladdin/Simon & Schuster—especially Fiona Simpson, Liesa Abrams, Mara Anastas, Kate Angelella, Laura Antonacci, Annie Berger, Bethany Buck, Michelle Fadlalla, Anna McKean, Karin Paprocki, and Catharine Sotzing—and to everyone else at Aladdin whose work has supported my previous books and helped bring this book to fruition.

This book would not exist at all without the many other people who helped its companion, The Rock and the River, achieve the success it has. Thanks especially to the dozens of librarians and bloggers who spread the word about the book—those wonderful early reviews and shout-outs made all the difference. I’m forever grateful to the 2010 Coretta Scott King Book Award Jury for honoring me with the CSK/John Steptoe Award for New Talent, and to the NAACP Image Awards selection committee who chose The Rock and the River as an Image Awards nominee for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teens.

Finally, thank you to the many readers of The Rock and the River who were excited enough about this world and these characters to ask, “What happened next?” Well now you know!