Citation:
George, Elizabeth. The witch of Blackbird Pond. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 1958. Print.
Summary:
Kit was a native to Barbados until her grandfather passed away. She finds herself headed to a strange new life with her Puritan aunt, uncle and cousins. She has a very difficult time fitting into the somber lifestyle with her being vivacious and bright. She finds herself faced with two paths: one of stability and security with little of the pleasure to which she was accustomed and a path of uncertainty and excitement yet filled with love.
Personal Impression:
This was a beautiful, romantic story that appears to be a precursor to historical romances. The story is well-crafted if a bit disjointed at times but that I attribute to the fact that the main character is a teenager and they tend to wander themselves. It is also historically realistic though it seems some punches may have been pulled in consideration of the audience.
Review:
"Strong plot, fully realized characters and convincing atmosphere distinguish this historical narrative of a girl whose rebellion against bigotry and her Puritan surroundings culminates in a witch hunt and trial."--Booklist.
Retrieved from Amazon.com
Suggestions in a Library Setting:
Besides being displayed with the other Newbery winners, this book can be used in conjunction with history lessons concerning New England settlements, Puritans and even with studies about the witch hunts. It should get the attention of at least the girls of the appropriate age groups.
Citation
Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.
Summary
Salamanca is an unhappy adolescent who is made to move from her beloved Tennessee hills to the radically different Ohio. The move is sparked by the supposed desertion of her mother to Idaho. In Ohio, Sal meets a family with troubles as great as her own so she begins to emerge from her shell. She heads with her grandparents on a pilgrimage to find her mother in Idaho; an eventful six day road trip during which she relates the tale of the family and her father's "friend" Mrs. Cadaver to her grandparents.
Personal Impression
On the School Library Journal site, there were some serious criticisms for this book as a Newbery winner. I disagree with the opinion that this book wasn't worthy of the honor. This tale will always stick with me. It is a wonderful coming of age tale that is told with humor and invites empathy with the main character if not her friend. It was deserving of it's award.
Reviews
"Thirteen-year-old Sal Hiddle can’t deal with all the upheaval in her life. Her mother, Sugar, is in Idaho, and although Sugar promised to return before the tulips bloomed, she hasn’t come back. Instead, Mr. Hiddle has moved Sal from the farm she loves so much and has even taken up company with the unpleasantly named Mrs. Cadaver. Multilayered, the book tells the story of Sal’s trip to Idaho with her grandparents; and as the car clatters along, Sal tells her grandparents the story of her friend Phoebe, who receives messages from a “lunatic” and who must cope with the disappearance of her mother. The novel is ambitious and successful on many fronts: the characters, even the adults, are fully realized; the story certainly keeps readers’ interest; and the pacing is good throughout. But Creech’s surprises--that Phoebe’s mother has an illegitimate son and that Sugar is buried in Idaho, where she died after a bus accident--are obvious in the first case and contrived in the second. Sal knows her mother is dead; that Creech makes readers think otherwise seems a cheat, though one, it must be admitted, that may bother adults more than kids. Still, when Sal’s on the road with her grandparents, spinning Phoebe’s yarn and trying to untangle her own, this story sings.
(Reviewed November 15, 1994)— Ilene Cooper and retrieved from
From School Library Journal
"Grade 6-9-An engaging story of love and loss, told with humor and suspense. Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother leaves home suddenly on a spiritual quest, vowing to return, but can't keep her promise. The girl and her father leave their farm in Kentucky and move to Ohio, where Sal meets Phoebe Winterbottom, also 13. While Sal accompanies her eccentric grandparents on a six-day drive to Idaho to retrace her mother's route, she entertains them with the tale of Phoebe, whose mother has also left home. While this story-within-a-story is a potentially difficult device, in the hands of this capable author it works well to create suspense, keep readers' interest, and draw parallels between the situations and reactions of the two girls. Sal's emotional journey through the grieving process-from denial to anger and finally to acceptance-is depicted realistically and with feeling. Indeed, her initial confusion and repression of the truth are mirrored in the book. Overall, a richly layered novel about real and metaphorical journeys.Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc."
retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Two-Moons-Sharon-Creech/dp/0060560134/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301430160&sr=1-1
Suggestions in a Library Setting
This would be an excellent source to use in a group dealing with youths confronting grief.
