"The vivid story of a black family whose warm ties to each other and their land give them strength to defy rural Southern racism during the Depression. . . . Entirely through its own internal development, the novel shows the rich inner rewards of black pride, love, and independence despite the certainty of outer defeat." —Booklist (starred review)

* Newbery Medal Award
* American Book Award Honor Book
* An ALA Notable Book
* A NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
* A Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book