Hope is the thing with feathersthat perches in the soul,
And sings the tune - without the words,
And never stops at all
- Emily Dickinson
Author/Illustrator: Jacqueline Woodson
Plot Summary: Franny is a sixth grader living in 1971 in an African American neighborhood and attending an a school with only black students. She lives with her parents and deaf, older brother. Her mother wants another child but has already had several miscarriages. Her father is a truck-driver and must spend time away from the close-knit family. The majority of the book revolves around a new student in Franny's class who one of her classmates has named "Jesus Boy" for his long hair and pale complexion. The book describes Franny's perceptions of the the relationships between the students in the class, her own family's dynamics including her relationship with her brother. The title of the book is taken from a poem by Emily Dickinson that uses a "feather" as a metaphor for hope and and the idea of looking forward rather than back.
Comments: This is an interesting book because it deals with angst but without making it so dysfunctional as many books for adolescents seem to do. The characters are believable and their issues are real. Although they are dealing with serious issues, there is still an innocence about the characters that I found endearing and refreshing. This book would a great way to introduce the study of poetry which can be a challenging genre for engaging middle school students. It could also be used as a supplement to studying the late sixties and early seventies- race relations, desegregation, reverse discrimination, etc.
Extensions:
1. In a study of poetry, this book could be used a read aloud and a way for students to gain and understanding of how poetry can be used to describe something much larger the specific words of the poem. After the book is read, with discussions along the way, the assignment would be for students to find a poem that represents something familiar to them. They would write a short composition explaining this.
2. In a study of the late sixties and early seventies, this book would be a great complement to facts from a history book. It would give students a realistic idea about how certain social issues played out in the lives of young people.
Themes/keywords: race relations, African Americans, Schools, Deaf, Family life, Religion
Age/Reading Level: Interest Level - 5 - 8; ATOS - 4.4; Lexile - 760
Standards:
ELA6R1/ELA7R1/ELA8R1 - The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts.
For literary texts, the student identifies the characteristics of various genres and produces evidence or reading that:
a. identifies and analyzes sensory details and figurative language
b. identifies and analyzes the author's use of dialogue and description
c. relates a literary work to historical events of the period
d. Applies knowledge of the concept that theme refers to the message about life and the world that the author wants us to understand whether implied or stated.
e. - j.
SS8H11 The student will evaluate the role of Georgia in the modern civil rights movement.
SS8H12 The student will explain the importance of significant social, economic, and political developments in Georgia since 1970.
SS5H8 The student will describe the importance of key people, events, and developments between 1950-1975
Publisher's Info: G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0-399-23989-2
ISBN-10: 0-399-23989-8
Awards/Review Sources:
Wilson's Children 10/01/07 | Wilson's Junior High School 08/01/07 |
| Newbery Medal/Honor 01/14/08 | School Library Journal starred 04/01/07 |
| Notable/Best Books (A.L.A.) 01/01/08 | Book Links (A.L.A.) 07/01/08 |
| Horn Book starred 10/01/07 | Publishers Weekly starred 01/08/07 |
Genre/Dewey: Fiction
Websites:
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Feathers-Newbery-Honor-Jacqueline-Woodson/dp/0142411981
Notes for Booktalk: Great book for Amy Lighthill
Vocabulary:
Comments