This seemed like a good fit for my school library, but I don't think it will. It's a little too advanced for my population.

The third book in the outstanding Zora and Me trilogy sees young Zora Neale Hurston and her best friend, Carrie, facing quickly changing times in Eatonville: grief, loss, and racism are closing in on Eatonville and will change Zora's life forever. A fugitive is hunted down and lynched in Eatonville - America's first incorporated Black township - and the mob gleefully terrorizes the citizens of Eatonville; a longtime resident's death and grave desecration sparks fear into the town and Zora and Carrie worry that voodoo and zombies are somehow involved. Zora's mother, meanwhile, is in failing health and her father decides to run for town mayor; a decision Zora knows will make her egotistical, grandstanding father even more difficult to live with. Carrie, meanwhile, worries about her own future with her beau, Teddy, when he falls mysteriously ill. Paralleling major events in Zora Neale Hurston's life, Victoria Bond brings this early part of the author to a bittersweet close. The characters are so fully created, so real, that it's sad to leave them, especially knowing what awaits Zora in the years ahead. Back matter includes a brief biography, a time line of Hurston's life, and an annotated bibliography. Powerful, loaded with emotion, this is a necessity for your historical fiction shelves. Handsell this to your middle schoolers; you'll be giving them her work, Their Eyes Were Watching God, for Banned Books Week when they're in high school. Publisher Candlewick has a chapter excerpt and discussion guide available on their website.

Zora and Me: The Summoner has starred reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus.

I was really looking forward to reading this final book in the Zora and Me trilogy, but I'm afraid I was rather disappointed. Carrie and Zora are no longer children and are entering 8th grade, their last year of school in Eatonville. The story begins with the capture and murder of a fugitive, and is quickly followed by the grave robbing of Chester Cools, a man who seemed possessed before he died. It doesn't take long before other people seem to be possessed by the same thing that killed Chester. Soon there is talk of zombies and voodoo in the village. Can Zora solve this mystery? It is baffling. I basically like the story, especially the way that Carrie's preacher father and the mysterious illness attributed to voodoo were contrasted, although I found it has too much preaching in it. Bond brought the time period and the dangers African Americans faced from the white people who lived around Eatonville. Lynching, torture and murder are presented semi-graphically, and the entitled feeling by whites that Blacks had not right to privacy in their own homes are also included. But the heart of the story is the grave robbing, which would be a spoiler if I said more.
I do recommend Zora and Me: The Summoner, and although it stands alone, I would read the first two books before this one.

Set in 1905 Eatonville, Florida. Up until now, Zora’s first incorporated hometown, Eatonville, has been a great place to grow up. When a lynch mob, pursues a fugitive grave robber over the town’s border, life as she knows it begins to change. Soon she is faced with her father’s public campaign for town’s mayor, a heartbreaking loss in the family, a friend’s sudden illness, and the suggestion of voodoo and zombie-ism in the air. Will Zora find her way in the new craziness of her world? Engaging, heartwarming, and well-written, this book is told through the eyes of Zora’s childhood friend. The narrator pulls the reader easily into the story. The character is true to Zora Neale Hurston and the author does a great job of bringing her world to life. Readers will draw parallels between the past and the world of today. Those who enjoy historical fiction and coming of age stories will enjoy reading this book.
Please note: This was a complementary review copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

Zora & Me: The Summoner is the final book in the Zora & Me trilogy which is set in the summer of 1905 and is the historical fictionalized account of author Zora Neale Hurston's early childhood as narrated by her best friend Carrie. The setting of Eatonville, Florida brings the historical significance of not only being the home of Zora Hurston, but was also the first black incorporated municipality in the U.S. What I enjoyed about the setting was its community atmosphere, where neighbors help neighbors, and day to day life revolved around work, chores, school work, visits to church, the post office, and how Joe Clarke's store was at the heart of the town.

The story begins with an impactful moment, the tragic death of Terrace Side, and the resultant trauma of how his lynching affected the entire town. From the moment that the town is invaded by a lynch mob in the middle of the night, to the pounding on doors, intimidation of the town people, to the instilling of fear in the residents of Eatonville. It's a chilling moment that brings insight into a dark historical period from the past. Moments that not even Mr. Chester Cools, one of the residents of Eatonville is able to escape from. Moments that trigger memories of past events from Mr. Cools own life and contribute to his own subsequent death.

Following Mr. Cools' death, Zora and Carrie try to visit his gravesite to pay their respects, only to discover that graverobbers have stolen his body. Zora begins to speculate whether Mr. Cools has become a zombie because just prior to his death, Zora and Carrie had a run-in with him where he proclaimed he was already dead. Or was the body-snatching the work of Summonoer's, necromancy, Hoodoo, alchemy, or that of thieves who may have sold his body to a medical school for their anatomy dissections? Either way, Carrie and Zora were determined to unravel the mystery and get at the truth. I quite liked Zora, she's strong-minded, has no plans to marry, and be like the girls around her who don't get to fulfill their dreams. At fourteen, soon to graduate at the end of eighth grade, she's forced to grow up so quickly. It's hard to imagine any child at this age transitioning from childhood to adulthood. I admire Zora's firm belief in making things happen for herself. Carrie and Teddy are my next two favorite characters. They both are level headed, have a calming demeanor, and possess this inner strength. I so enjoy the relationship these friends share. The Summoner rounds out the story of Zora Hurston's life and is a powerful story. I especially love the idea from the story that the elderly are "caretakers of the past." ** Thank you to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for the E-ARC. **

This is the last book of the series Zora and Me, and definitely inspires me to read the previous two books in the series. This can be read as a standalone as well.. The series is told from the point of view of Carrie, one of Zora's bestie. Having read Zora Neale Hurston's "Their eyes were watching God" I was interested in reading this biographical middle grade series on the author, intrigued by the strong woman (Janie) character she created. Thanks to Net Galley and the Publishers for this opportunity to read and review this lovely book.

As people of color, are still fighting to emphasis Black Lives Matter, this story that is about events more than a hundred year old leave us thinking about how much has really changed. The brief encounter of Carrie and her mother with the armed men who storm in to search their home for the missing fugitive Terrace Side, later lynched, sends chills down the spine.

Grave robbing, the politics behind that, the Summoners, alchemy, zombies, the book travels through several paths and ends perfectly connecting all the dots. Teddy comes across as a warm and calm person, while Carrie is very loving, caring and supportive, Zora coming across as a strong willed person, and achieving her dreams, is due to her experiences in Eatonville.

A wonderful, inspiring read for the young and the old alike.

This finale to the Zora and Me trilogy is fast paced and ties up loose ends in a way that should satisfy readers that were frustrated in the endings for the first and second novels. If you love alternate history in historical fiction you will enjoy this piece. This story tackles some pretty heavy topics which may need some front loading by teachers depending on the students.. However, readers that choose this story independently will be able to handle the topics in the recommended age range for middle grade readers.