Module 7 - Ninth Ward

Summary:

Lanesha is a young girl that is living with her grandmother, Mama Ya-Ya.  Her mother died leaving her to be raised by Ya-Ya.  Lanesha was born a little different than other children and also has a gift in which she can see ghosts, mainly her own mother.  She is taunted by children at school and yet the relationship between her and Ya-Ya is so strong that she is able to carry through. With her grandmother’s gift of foresight, she is able to predict a terrible storm that will hit New Orleans.  They live in the Ninth Ward.  Hurricane Katrina is the storm that she predicts.  Both she and Lanesha prepare for the worst.  This is the story of a young girl on the brink of a disaster and how the love and strength of those around her help them pull through together.


APA Reference:


Rhodes, J. P. (2010). Ninth ward. New York, NY:  Hachette Book Group.

My Impressions:

I liked this book.  I think that Hurricane Katrina was so highly publicized and there were so many issues surrounding the mishandling of the situation that I tired of the story quickly.  However, this book brings back the realization of the tragedy itself and how it affected so many people. I also like how this book shows the struggles and triumphs of this terrible ordeal through the eyes of a child.  This was particularly eye opening because it shielded the reader from the negativity that surrounded the event during the aftermath. It was her experience.

Professional Reviews:

Booklist Review

Grades 5-8. New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina is the setting for this tense novel that blends the drama of the catastrophic storm with magic realism. Twelve-year-old Lanesha’s teenage mother died while giving birth to her, and, because her mother’s wealthy uptown family won’t have anything to do with her, she is raised in the Ninth Ward by loving Mama Ya-Ya, 82, who feels like her “mother and grandmother both.” Born with a caul over her eyes, Lanesha is teased at school, but she is strengthened by her fierce caretaker’s devotion and by a teacher who inspires Lanesha to become an engineer and build bridges. Lanesha also has “second sight,” which includes an ability to see her mother’s ghost. As the storm nears and the call comes for mandatory evacuation, Mama Ya-Ya envisions that she will not survive, but Lanesha escapes the rising water in a small rowboat and even rescues others along the way. The dynamics of the diverse community enrich the survival story, and the contemporary struggle of one brave child humanizes the historic tragedy. - Hazel Rochman

Rochman, H. (2010, May 1). [Review of the book Ninth Ward].  Available from Booklist Website:  http://www.booklistonline.com/Ninth-Ward-Jewell-Parker-Rhodes/pid=4109026

Library Uses:

a.       This book could be used to teach the events that surrounded Hurricane Katrina.

b.      There could also be a great lesson in servicing your community using Lanesha’s story.  There were many issues that surrounded that event and students could be recruited to learn about their local emergency services.