Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes. 224 p. Little, Brown Young Readers Group, August, 2010 9780316043076. (Own.)
Middle Grade Monday features Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Lanesha lives with Mama YaYa, her foster grandmother and has never known her parents. Mama YaYa has visions that always come true and she sees that a big storm is about to descend on New Orleans. That storm is Hurricane Katrina. Lanesha and Mama YaYa have nowhere to evacuate to so they stay put. When the levees break, the water quickly submerges Lanesha's house to its attic. This harrowing tale gives readers a sense of the catastrophe that was Hurricane Katrina. Ninth Ward was published in 2010. It was Ms. Parker Rhodes first novel for young readers.
Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods. 136 p. Nancy Paulson Books/ Penguin Young Readers Group, September, 2011. 9780399255076. (own)
In the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, readers get to know eleven-year-old Saint Louis Armstrong Beach. He's a confident kid who lives with his parents in the Tremé section of New Orleans. He's also an accomplished clarinetist who often busks for cash. He doesn't think this hurricane is going to be a big deal. Just as he's about to evacuate the city, Shadow, the neighborhood dog runs off and Saint decides to go looking for him, becoming trapped as the storm surges.
Saint is an engaging narrator. His heart is in the right place and he loves his city and its denizens. Suspense ratchets up as the levees break and Saint has to think quick if he's to save Shadow and his neighbor.
Between Two Skies by Joanne O'Sullivan. 272 p. Candlewick Press, April, 2017. 9780763690342. (Purchased)
Teen Tuesday features Between Two Skies by Joanne O'Sullivan. This debut is set in a tiny fishing village in Louisiana on the gulf coast before and after Hurricane Katrina decimated the area in 2005. Evangeline Riley is turning sixteen and loves nothing more than to glide out onto the water on her skiff and fish. Her sister is more interested in cheerleading and boys and can't wait to flee their tiny town. When they have to evacuate in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, their world is turned upside down as their town is nearly destroyed, and their friends scatter to different parts of the country. This evocative novel has a strong sense of place and a sweet romance.
Seven and a Half Tons of Steel by Janet Nolan. Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. unpgd. Peachtree Publishers Ltd. August, 2016. 9781561459124. (Review from copy borrowed from library.)
Wow. This was a gut-punch. I do not recall where I saw a recommendation for this book. By the time I ordered, then picked up the ILL, I had nearly forgotten the premise. So when I opened the book and viewed the first few pages, I wasn't sure what I was in for.
The story starts on the front end-page. A school-age boy sporting a backpack and baseball mitt looks up into the cloudless sky at a low-flying plane. The page-turn features a double-page spread of early morning traffic in mid-town. Taxis stand bumper to bumper. A pedestrian attempts to maneuver through the gridlocked cabs that block the intersection and crosswalk. In the side view mirror of one vehicle, an extremely low-flying plane can be seen skirting over the rooftops. The next page-turn reveals the title page on the recto and a bottom-up view of that plane hitting the tower.
Yeah. Gut-punch. When it comes to 9/11, it doesn't take much to evoke a visceral reaction, but this art! These incredible watercolor paintings stun, from the familiar-rush hour gridlock, to the solemnity of a scene of a makeshift memorial to the intensity of dismantling Ground Zero to the sheer immensity of a weather map of Hurricane Katrina to the symbolic beauty of Liberty Island. Each double-page spread invites lingering and meditation.
I was aware that the steel recovered from Ground Zero was used in a variety of ways. The town in which I teach used a bit of it in the town's memorial. It is a powerful memorial planned so that on September 11, the rising sun shines through a hole in the granite and lands on that piece of steel at precisely the time the first plane hit the first tower.
It is fitting that a seven and a half ton beam became the bow of a ship and that the ship was named the New York. The construction of this memorial was impacted by another disaster that should not be forgotten, a natural disaster - Hurricane Katrina.
The somber, measured writing recounts the attack gently and simply making this suitable to share with younger students (grade 3), but should reside in middle and high schools as well. Language arts and social studies teachers will find it an apt story to share with classes each anniversary. The paintings could be utilized in a VTS lesson and thus encourage student's to be reflective while pondering each image.
I am not sure how I missed this and wonder why it isn't being talked about more. It is absolutely a first-purchase.
ETA: January 22, 2017
I don't know why I hadn't thought to search for this before, but I found a couple of interviews and a book trailer.
Janet Nolan's website. Click on the book, there's a link to a teacher's guide.
Becky Anderson's interview of the author.
Both the author and illustrator spoke at the National Book Festival.
Book trailer.
USS New York - Facebook page.
181 p. Blue Sky Press/ Scholastic, February 25, 2014. 9780545633475. (Arc obtained at Scholastic Preview)
Twelve-year-old Zane Dupree is quite happy living with his mom in New Hampshire and doesn't even miss his dad, thank you very much. He died in an accident before Zane was born. "You can't miss somebody you never knew, can you?" So he's a bit chagrined at having to travel to Smellyville, aka New Orleans at the end of August, 2005 to meet his paternal great-grandmother. His mom, who knew little to nothing about his dad's childhood, has been searching for his family all these years and finally found Trissy, who raised Zane's dad.
Zane won't go without Bandit, his beloved mutt. His mom relents and the two take off for New Orleans. Zane warms to Trissy but when he learns he had an uncle who, "got hissef killed," and nothing when he asks why his dad ran away from home, Zane also learns that when Trissy doesn't want to talk about something, she usually changes the subject. With ice cream.
When Hurricane Katrina bears down on the Gulf and the flight Zane's mom arranged for him and Trissy is canceled, Trissy's pastor arranges for them to be evacuated in the church van. He's not happy about including Bandit though. Unfortunately, Bandit bolts and Zane takes off after him. The dog leads Zane back to Trissy's house where the two hunker down for the duration.
And that's when the tension ratchets up. The descriptions of the storm are so vivid and terrifying.
"A gust slams into the side of the house, rattling the
windows. Bandy hunkers down on his tummy, whimpering.
obviously scared of hurricanes. Smart dog.
The storm gets stronger and stronger, until the house
whimpers, too." (36)
I found myself gripping the book when Zane describes the flooding that occurred when the levees broke following the storm. That wasn't the last time, nor was I immune to reading ahead when the suspense got too great. Zane is a terrific character who, while articulate, sounds like a kid. Malvina and Tru are compelling characters as well. I was so caught up caring for these three and Bandit that I didn't stop to question any coincidences.
The author does a lot in 180 pages. Short chapters and the nearly constant tension and danger will keep even the most reluctant of readers engaged and flipping pages. I love the cover and the water-stained pages were a nice design touch. This is one I can't wait to put on the shelves. I will be booktalking this like crazy.
by Janet Wyman Coleman. Illustrated by Yan Nascimbene. unpgd. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, August, 2013. 9780547719238. (Borrowed from public library.)
In the wake that was the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, this is the story of the improbable rescue of eight dolphins who were born in captivity but swept out into the Gulf of Mexico when a 40-foot wave destroyed their tank. The gorgeous photograph of two playful dolphins on the cover may cause one to expect a photo-essay. Indeed, I looked twice to see if this was a Scientist in the Field entry. Instead, watery paintings illustrate the story of storm preparations, disaster and recovery efforts. It's a short and gentle story for younger readers.
The second part of the book discusses instances where dolphins saved human life. An "exclusive" scrap book of the
dolphins before and after their rescue concludes the volume.
It was nice to see how the trainers cared for and about the dolphins who, having been raised in captivity, had no survival skills for life in the wild. It was incredible that the dolphins found each other and stayed together in the Gulf. Just as incredible was their willingness to learn new tricks in order to assist in their rescue.
The illustrations fit the stories nicely. The photographs in the scrapbook were well-chosen. This real-life rescue story will appeal to animal lovers.
Non-fiction Monday is hosted this week by Jean Little Library.