"Omg, we just found a treasure!"
Nichelle is waiting for her mother at City Hall. Every day after school, she goes over to city hall to meet her mother, who works for the mayor as a historical perservationist. She tries to balance historical and financial interests. Accidentally Nichelle overhears her mother talking to Mr. Evans about a new office building that will be put up over the African American burial ground in lower Manhattan. Nichelle's mother thinks that they should wait some weeks and check the burial ground first, as it has been covered with another building earlier. Mr. Evans is employed by Curtis, who put money into the mayor campaign. He will make more money if the building is up before they wait to investigate the burial ground. He threatens to fire Nichelle's mother if she goes to the press or the mayor. Nichelle pretends she hasn't heard anything, but she keeps thinking of the burial ground. The family will stay in together in their lovely house on Sunday, for once and they'll also invite Nichelle's grandmother, M'dear. M'dear accompanies Nichelle on all of her model work. Nichelle writes a letter to her cousin, Niecy, telling about her school, work and modeling projects and asking how it's goin there in New Orleans, before she goes to sleep.
Nichelle is in Mr. Budge's history class with Barbie. She asks Mr. Budge about slavery in the north and why they never hear anything about the African American burial ground. He answer that she can work on it in an extra-credit project among a partner.Her brother, Shawn, tutors Barbie in history. Nichelle's favorite subjects are maths and science. She and Barbie will look up information later tonight.
Nichelle has a photo shoot for Teen Style, her biggest job as it's for a national magazine. Nichelle wears a big watch from her father and a perfume bottle charm from her other, deceased grandmother. Today Nichelle will model hats in a spring scene. She's quite popular in the school and has a high position in the student government. She dislikes being showed around in the subway, and prefers taking it in the calmer times of the day, listening to jazz tapes with her headset, M'dear is already there. Nichelle enjoys the shoot. She thinks about boys she is crushing on when she is asked to look like she has a secret. The clothes are lovely and all the other girls are really nice.
Barbie and Nichelle are doing research in Nichelle's room. They're keeping it secrets from Nichelle's family. The girls print an article called "Gravesite objects" among some others. They find about that the burial ground extends about five or six acres. Nichelle thinks it really sad that most people forget the persons buried there. Then she reads about a mall in new England that was delayed because of the unearthing of a Native American burial ground. The girls will explore the site to see if they can find anything. Nichelle bets her new blue overalls that Curtis would not like to get his building delayed. They both giggle and bet silly stuff like a baseball cap and a donut.
Nichelle does her math homework in the newspaper office. Then she tries to read a chapter in her history book, but it's too noisy there, so she wishes she was home in peace and quiet. Mr Toussaint asks her if she can write something for the newspaper. Nichelle is short on time, but will think about it. She goes to meet her friends at Eatz. Nichelle has a salad with lots of cheese and olives, and a bottle of hot water. She tells Barbie about what Mr. Toussaint said and Barbie asks if they should do it about the...thing...you know. The other girls get very curious and Nichelle makes them promise not to tell. She tells then what she knows about the burial ground. Barbie will call her tomorrow and they'll look around after school tomorrow.
Shawn- Nichelles brother - and Nichelle drinks juice together. He can tutor Barbie this weekend. Shawn takes the phone to his room, where he can use it for hours. Later, Nichelle mother comes in to say good night to her. She thinks it's sad that Nichelle is too big to get picture books read to her at bedtime. Nichelle asks about what will happen if she came across some information about the burial ground that might stop the building. Her mother replies that Nichelle should follow her conscience. Barbie has left a note under the loose floor tile that she will receive some general information about digging up artifacts from her parents. Nichelle is listing to Zoot Sims in her head phones in history class. She and Barbie talks about their project and Nichelle's upcoming shoot. Mr. Budges catches them talking.
Nichelle and Barbie skip along to the burial ground, happily singing musical songs. They walk into the federal office building, where there will be a museum and memorial, and takes some pictures. They go outside and film on the proposed memorial site. Then they walk down to Curtis' site, where there's nothing but rocks, dirt and a sign and start to film. They see a man with a suit and clipboard watching them. He asks what thery're doing there. His limo stops. They understand that this is Mr. Curtis and say that they're just tourists from California. Mr. Curtis knocks on an old brownstone house and gets the door slammed in his face by the man who lives there. The girls are curious what this is about.
They will go over to take a look. The resident of the house is Ed Brooks, an African American pensioner. Curtis wants to force him to sell his house so Curtis can finish his building plans, but Ed refuses to do so. Nichelle tells him that if they find any artifacts, Curtis has to wait until the archeologists have excavated the site before continuing his building plans. The girls shall dig until they find an artifact. Ed Brooks allows them to dig on his property. He advices them to dig in the morning as Curtis are never there before noon. They thank Ed and say they'll be back next morning, then they take the subway home with Nichelle's mother. None of them say anything about the burial ground, even if they all think about it. Barbie calls Sam and Terri to ask if she's allowed to stay at Nichelle's for dinner. They buy a lot of ingredients on the way home and cook up a delicious meal. Btw, Barbie eats everything except beet and anchovies. The girls go to Nichelle's room to use the computer. Barbie has received an email from her parents saying that when they find an artifact like a cup somewhere they think is a grave yard, they dig some more to try to find a body. If they find a skull they check how old it is by radiocarbon dating. Barbie and Nichelle have a day off school tomorrow, so they will meet at the Curtis compound to dig at six thirty. Barbie and Nichelle stand outside admiring the beautiful stars thinking that their ancestors must have looked up on the same stars.
Nichelle got some weird looks as she carried two shovels on the subway. She's so excited that she's fifteen minutes early. She exclaims "I love him!" when she hears a Sonny Rollins solo playing from Ed Brooks's house. Ed invites them in to see. He has a lot of old original jazz records, even a Zooty Sims LP. Ed serves them muffins and tea and asks them which songs they want to hear. Nichelle says that Zooty Sims is her favorite. Ed puts on the LP and says that Sooty is his favorite too. Nichelle walks around Ed's living room, studying the photos of his relatives and Ed's drawings. One of them is of his grown-up daugther, which has moved to California. After finishing their muffins, the girls go out to dig. Nichelle's shovel hits something hard. They find an animal bone. Animals and people used to be buried in the same place, and if the bone is from the 1700s it can stop the construction. An hour later they find a broken vase. Barbie tapes everything, they wrap the stuff in their clean clothes, and they go over to Nichelle's mom to show what they have found. Nichelle is really excited. Her mother has to pause her meeting as Nichelle pulls her aside and the girls show her what they have dug up at Ed's place. Her mother will have the objects tested as soon as possible. Nichelle and Barbie look extremely grubby and have used their change of clothes to wrap the articfats.
They go to Lara's place for a shower, as it's closest to the City Hall. Barbie and Nichelle are so dirty that they get some slightly odd looks from strangers in the subway. Chelsie has slept over at Lara. They wonder what on earth happened to those grimy girls. Nichelle tells then all about it after she has showered and sears the girls to secrecy. Barbie showers and Lara makes them a big batch of blueberry pancakes and then they help each other with the washing up. Nichelle walks home happily and sleeps a couple of hours before her photo shoot. M'dear and and Nichelle rides the bus down to the shoot in the park. The shoot goes very well. And M'dear comes over on Sunday and the whole family has a great evening playing board games and eating a southern meal.
Nichelle and Barbie's article for Generation Beat are on hold as they're waiting for the test results. It has been a week and Nichelle can't wait. After school she walks over to the city hall and fall asleep in the hallway. She has a strange dream, about Ed Brooks, and someone playing a sax, and Curtis with an easel sketching a giant cat with sleepy red eyes. Nichelle suddenly wakes. Mr. Evans rushes out of her mother's office, tripping over Nichelle's backpack and nearly tripping over Nichelle, too. Then Mrs. Watson and the mayor come out, her mayor congratulates Nichelle's mom on saving one of the city's main historical sites. The bone is a dog bone dated from the 1700s. Nichelle are super happy and her mom tells the mayor that the site was saved thanks to Nichelle and her friend. Nichelle will have a presentation for the class on friday, so she asks the mayor to come then. Barbie and Nichelle work on creating the script of the multimedia project until eleven o'clock. On Wednesday they splice it all together and on Thursday they take turn practising their presentation. They call Chelsie and make sure that all their friends are sitting up front to support them.
Friday. Barbie and Nichelle leave early for school. Nichelle is terribly nervous. Her friends sit on the floor in the front of the stage. Ed Brook, M’dear, Mrs. Watson and Shawn are all there. Nichelle introduce the program and Ed Brook, then they show the tape, and then Nichelle introduces the mystery before showing photographs of bone and vase. The applause is overwhelming, but Nichelle sees that Mr. Curtis has watched this, and he turns his head and leaves the auditorium. Nichelle and Barbie receive their extra credit. Later in the day, Nichelle receives her modelling photos, which she’s really pleased with and she write another letter to here cousin where she thanks her for inviting her to New Orleans.
This book felt very short and like it had few interesting plots and snarkworthy details.
Okay article about the burial ground. More important, there's no writing=honesty=truth. :0 How come? Is this book ghostwritten?
Hey, you forgot the word that describe this book
SvarSlett