Product Description

In 1958, Mendy puts herself in danger when she discovers that the Ku Klux Klan is planning to bomb the Highlander Folk School in order to disrupt a visit from Mendy's hero, Eleanor Roosevelt.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1019370 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 147 pages

From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. In this suspenseful novel in the History Mystery series, the time is June 1958; the setting is a small town in Tennessee. The heroine, an African American girl, Mendy, is best friends with Jeffrey, a white boy she has known all her life. But that summer, things change. Jeffrey's parents forbid him to play with Mendy; and Mendy's mother won't let her go to the Highlander Folk School, where blacks and whites study ways to improve race relations; and Mendy learns how insidious the Klan is when she accidentally discovers them in some nearby woods. Mendy is thrilled to learn that Eleanor Roosevelt plans to speak at Highlander, but her excitement is short-circuted when she and Jeffrey uncover a Klan plot to bomb the school. As readers learn in an afterword, the events in this intriguing story are based on a true incident: Eleanor Roosevelt did speak at the school, and the FBI foiled a Klan plot to disrupt her visit. Shelley Townsend-Hudson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Another Good History Mystery
Mendy is a twelve-year-old African American girl living in rural Tennessee in the late 1950's. She is an admirer of Eleanor Roosevelt and is thrilled when her father tells her that Mrs. Roosevelt is coming to visit the Highlander School, which is located only a few miles away. Soon, however, she discovers that the men that have been meeting in her favorite clearing in the nearby woods belong to the Ku Klux Klan and are planning an attack on Mrs. Roosevelt when she appears at Highlander. Mendy feels she must do something to prevent the attack, but what can she do? Will she get herself in danger?

This story is based on a real incident and conveys a small taste of the violence, hatred and fear inspired by the KKK. As a piece of literature, it is not quite up to the standard set by such things as the Harry Potter books. Nevertheless, this book gives young readers experience of a genuine American historical setting while also providing a positive role model and some insight into the evils of bigotry and racial discrimination. It is another solid entry in the "History Mystery" series and my daughter and I both enjoyed it together. We recommend it.

Great Book



The "circle of Fire" was a scary book. It made me feel sad for the girl named Mendy too. It seemed like she had a lot of tough times. This book was scary because of the things that are happening in Mendy's life. That is why this book is scary!

This book is about a girl named Mendy. Mendy has a secret place that she likes very much. But then she finds out there are people that come to her secret place. Now she needs to stop these people before they do something terrible! This was a good book and I think you should read it!

Exciting, Suspenseful, and Interesting
Mendy Thompson, a very brave 12 year old girl, who has two sisters and four brothers, is forced to stay home by her mother over the summer of 1958 with her little brother. She amuses herself by going to visit her favorite place; her Taj Majal, which is a clearing in the woods she is not allowed to go to. Because she is black, and her best friend Jeffrey is white they are no longer allowed to see each other. When Mendy realizes tesspassers are coming to the Taj Mahal, she sets a trap to try to stop them. She and Jeffrey meet each other secretly, and she tells him about the tresspassers. Jeffrey says it is the Klu Klux Klan, a group who does not like people who are different from them, anyone who is not white or Christian, which makes Mendy very scared. Together, they must figure out who is in the KKK before the group destroys an event Mendy has really been looking forward to.
I liked Aunt Sis, an elderly black woman, because she was so loving towards Mendy like when she would welcome her into her house and listen to her problems.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes exciting books. It was suspensful like when Mendy and Jeffrey saw the KKK meeting in her Taj Mahal.