Review-The Hired Girl, by Laura Amy Schlitz

The Hired Girl
Laura Amy Schlitz
Candlewick Press
Publication month: September 2015
978-0-7636-7818-0
$17.99/$23.99 Canada
400 pages
Age 12+




                                                                  Review by Wisteria©

The heroine of this coming of age novel is a feisty, headstrong, inherently impulsive powerhouse-a memorable character destined to be a classic. The Hired Girl, set in the year 1911 on a Pennsylvania farm is historical fiction.  However, the author has a storyteller's magical gift to transport the readers  into the mind  of Joan Scraggs and her experiences through her daily diary. Joan, fourteen, lives with her three brothers and evil tempered father.  After her mom dies, Joan is forced to assume her mom's arduous chores, exhaustive and thankless. She seeks solace in her passion for reading. The few books she owns have been read again and again.  Her father is determined to end her educational goals and the close relationship she has with her favorite teacher. Joan is very quick witted and eager to learn. Yet, when her teacher tries to persuade her father that Joan should stay in school she is rebuked.  Later, her father spews words of vitreous hatred at his daughter. Sadly, it just confirms what she has felt all along.  Unloved and shackled to a hard life on the farm she makes plans to flee.  As hateful as her father is, she recalls her mom's love and support.  Fortunately, her mother left a rainy day treasure in the ruffles of her favorite doll. With her mother's gift and and timely luck Joan secures a job as the hired girl, with a Jewish family.  Although she leads her employers to believe she is eighteen, assumes the name Janet, she settles into this new life.  It is through her diary that the reader will come to empathize and love Janet (Joan).   Her struggles with her own faith, love, women's roles, Anti-semitism and the social class prejudice prevalent are believable. The author captures not only the flavor of this period in history, but she allows the reader to experience Joan's her inner most thoughts, as only a diary will allow.  Laura Amy Schlitz is a gifted storyteller, one of my favorite young adult/tween writers. This one is now on my list to be order for my school's media center. The Hired Girl, with multiple themes and character study possibilities, is the perfect novel for classroom libraries, literature study and read aloud.  Yet it will stand out as a well loved free choice read for young and adult readers. Highly recommended. ~Wisteria Leigh

View all my review on Goodreads

Disclosure: An uncorrected proof was sent to me with a request for an unbiased review.  This review is my honest opinion.

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Review-Beholding Bee, by Kimberly Newton Fusco

Beholding Bee

by Kimberly Newton Fusco

Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
February 12, 2013
Hardcover, 336 pages
978-0375868368
Lexile: 790L

Review by Wisteria©

Beeholding Bee will engage readers from the first page.  Life has not been fair to Bee who at eleven became an orphan when both parents were tragically killed.  She was born with a disfiguring facial birthmark which causes her to hide and withdraw inwardly.  However, fortunately,  Pauline, a carnival worker who knew her parents has befriended her.  They both work for Ellis, the sleazy owner of the traveling carnival.   By day Bee cuts onions and works with Pauline at the hotdog concession.  Her home is the back of a hauling truck used by the carnival. She fears Ellis, who lurks around with threats to include Bee in his freak side show act.  

Kimberly Newton Fusco uses precise descriptive prose to setting and place for readers to fully realize.   Characters are multi-dimentional, descriptively real thus a perfect novel to have students focus on character traits.  The novel is written in first person through Bee's voice an important author strategy that makes the reader feel Bee's pain and low self-esteem.  Bee would rather be a shadow, hidden and forgotten.  Another devastating break forces Bee to take charge, in order to find a new place to live.  Readers will adore her spunk and vulnerability, a memorable and relevant character to identify with. 

Beholding Bee lends itself to classroom discussion and literature group study in elementary and early middle school.  A perfect classroom read aloud with themes reminiscent of Wonder, by R.J. Palacio. 

Themes that emerge for discussion-difference, acceptance, bullying, special needs, courage and perseverance, women's roles/rights and more. 

Beholding Bee, by Kimberly Newton Fusco is an essential first choice purchase for school and public libraries, and consider a classroom set purchase grade 3+. I'm sure this will be a student favorite...highly recommended. 

View all my review on Goodreads

Disclosure: This book was borrowed with no compensation. 

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, illustrated by Erin McGuire

I came across this new book by Anne Ursu and wanted to share the recent release. (9/27/11).

My students love the idea of  fractured fairy tale.  I think the idea of how creative the author can be with an already published story is fascinating to them. This one looks great and I am anxious to read it myself. Take a look at the publisher's synopsis:

A stunning modern-day fairy tale from acclaimed author Anne Ursu

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.  Harper Collins

Anne Ursu Website

It's a rainy, dismal day in New England, but fortunately the weekend has a promise in our forecast for a welcome relief when a crisp chill of autumn sets in for a visit. Welcome back, Autumn!!!

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].

Review-The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

THE HUNGER GAMES
Suzanne Collins
Scholastic Press
978-0-439-02348-1
384 Pages, $19.99US/$19.99CAN

Review by Wisteria Leigh

 

I must be the last person to have read THE HUNGER GAMES, and so I will be brief with the summary. 

In future North America in a nation called Panem. It consists of twelve districts that surround the Capitol. After an attempted coup came the Dark Days. Originally there were thirteen districts. After the uprising one was decimated and the other twelve were held accountable by the Capitol city. In order to maintain order and firm control over the people they devised an annual competion called The Hunger Games. Once a year at the Reaping, a lottery was held in each district where one girl and one boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen were chosen to compete at the games. It was not a time to celebrate as these games were deadly. The youths were made to fight to the death in an arena televised to the entire country of Panem. It was for the entertainment of the leaders of the Capitol. There could only be one winner. 

You may think as I did that this book is gruesome and of no interest to me. Surprisingly, this is not true at all.  This book is wonderful. The characters are so well defined that despite the premise of the games, you will be a nail-biting spectator. You can't help but empathize with the sacrifice that a sister makes for her sibling. Disgust and loathing for the game organizers is natural and makes you shutter with disbelief.  The plot is highly engaging and will satisfy the most reluctant young reader. Adults and teachers will find lessons abound in this thriller.

It is forecast of the future, a dystopian society that offers a window through media entertainment with a first hand look at human nature, the good and bad. This book rivets you in place as you speed through the thrilling action provided by Suzanne Collins' remarkably original story. Fortunately, I have both CATCHING FIRE and MOCKINGJAY on my bookshelf. Don't miss your opportunity to read this one. You will love it!

 

Disclosure: The copy of this book was provided by Scholastic Press

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].