Girls, girls, girls...

Have been reading about some interesting girls lately...

In Sure Signs of Crazy, Karen Harrington brings Sarah Nelson's sufferings as a child are not so different or absurd as a reader might initially believe.  Sarah's mother attempted to drown her and her father is an alcoholic.  Basically, Sarah raises herself and has no one or nothing to rely on other than her words.  She loves books and words. Although I have a wonderful support system, I can totally relate! I find great comfort in a story.

Ricki Jo Winstead is a Kentucky girl; someone my students can totally relate to.  She's a little older than my students, but they enjoy reading about high school students, so her age is perfect for them!  She's a Freshman and I love that Alecia Whitaker just tells it like it is!  The high school experience can be a traumatic one and Ricki Jo's is no exception.  I appreciate the internal conflict she experiences between choosing Luke (the good guy) and Wolf (the bad boy).  Would love for my girls to learn this lesson sooner rather than later! 

And finally, Tituba...a woman from the past!  Ann Petry does such a good job in this work of historical fiction of writing a character that I already feel connected to within the first three chapters.  Tituba is intelligent.  She's wise.  She's cautious.  As a slave in 1690 Boston, she's  already learned enough about humanity through her experiences as a slave in Barbados to know that she should trust no one and keep her thoughts to herself.  Especially when Abigail's around.  I  have strong emotions against Abigail, the niece and concerns about Betsey, the daughter.  I'm predicting that Tituba will be accused of witchcraft and that Abigail will have something to do with it! 

Happy Reading!
RC

Spring Reading

Spring cleaning took a back seat to Spring reading this year!  (As it usually does.)  I was able to finish reading Mesu Andrews' Love in a Broken Vessel during the week off and once again absolutely loved her retelling of the Biblical story of Hosea and Gomer.  I appreciate that she doesn't add unnecessary details to the story.  In fact, she uses scripture as the story arc and simply fills in the missing details with historically accurate information to help bring the old story to life.

Another book that I was happy to finish was The Boy on the Wooden Box, a memoir by the youngest Jew on Schindler's List.  Astounding and thought-provoking for middle school students.  Can't compare it to Night by Wiesel, which I recently finished, because the audience isn't the same.  However, I appreciate that the family posthumously published this book with the intentions of educating the world's youth about a horrific event that will soon be forgotten if we don't put forth an effort to remember.  

I also managed to reread The Kidnappers  by Willo Davis Roberts.  I read it along with one of my favorite eighth grade classes.  They enjoyed the quick read and the suspense.  They especially enjoyed the plot twists and the bully's character development.  We talked about static and dynamic characters and then took a look at police sketch artist software used to create the faces of literary characters.  Because they'd read The Outsiders, they loved getting to see the sketch of Dally.  The police sketch artist rendition was a turning point in the plot. 

And finally, I found myself engrossed in a book loaned to me by my cousin, who also loves books.  The Cross Gardener is Christian fiction for those dealing with grief, which can last a lifetime.  Debilitating grief, like what the main character deals with, can be impossible to survive.  If you have someone in your life who is heartbroken and grieving the loss of a family member or friend, this book is for them.  Perhaps you'll want to wait until they are willing to read a book on this topic.  I find that most people drowning in depression really do want to be rescued, they just don't know how to ask.  This book opened my eyes to the miracles God can perform in our daily lives.

Happy Reading!!!
RC