Ninth Ward | Jewell Parker Rhodes
Lanesha is not like the other girls in the Ninth Ward. She's got the sight, like her caretaker Mama Ya-Ya. But will her ability to detect signs be enough to protect her makeshift family from Hurricane Katrina?
I admire this book's take on a sensitive topic. At first, the devastation of New Orleans' Ninth Ward does not seem the most likely backdrop for a sci-fi/fantasty story. But Lanesha's spirit and innate goodness are a good foil to life's unpredictable moments, such as teenage motherhood, untimly parental deaths or the misfortune of living beside poorly constructed levees. JPR does heavy in a light way, never detracting from the seriousness of these topics, but focusing more on the acts of strength and love that allow children to survive when all hope seems lost. I was hoping there'd be a sort of reader's guide in the back, with more information on the topic, but there was only a note from the author which a contained a watered down version of the situation. I think this book has the potential to be an excellent teaching tool, particularly as time goes on for students who may not have been old enough to remember watching the live video footage.- Posted from Jersey City, NJ
Posted on Thursday, Oct 28, 2010
