Module 5: Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Citation:

Rhodes, J. (2010). Ninth Ward. New York, NY: Little Brown Books for Young Readers.

Summary:

A 12 year old, orphan named Lanesha, who currently lives with the midwife who delivered her, named Mama Yaya. Lanesha lives in the 9^th Ward area of New Orleans. Lanesha sees ghosts and Mama Yaya is known as a Metaphysical type of a person. Mama Yaya has raised Lanesha and taken care of her since the day she was born. Lanesha is a curious, thoughtful and mature teen. Lanesha gets trapped in the hurricane Katrina storm and survives with her friend, but Mama Yaya doesn’t. Throughout this ordeal she becomes stronger and leads Spot (her dog) and her friend to safety with her strength, courage and a row boat.

My Opinion:
This is such an amazing read. The character development in the story is descriptive and you feel as though you know the characters. The storyline is adventurous and fun. This is a must read for an older student and anyone who may want to know what hurricane Katrina was like. The survival and change that Lanesha goes through is a wonderful transformation. I feel that this books is well written and a wonderful story.

Reviews:

Auguste,M. (2010, August, 1). [Review of the book Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes]. School Library Journal Online. Retrieved by http://www.libraryjournal.com/slj/printissue/currentissue/885752-427/grades_5__up.html.csp

RHODES, Jewell Parker. Ninth Ward. 217p. Little, Brown. Aug. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-316-04307-6. LC number unavailable.
Gr 5-8–Communicating with ghosts, including the spirit of her mother who died giving birth to her, is a gift that Lanesha, 12, has had for as long as she can remember. The girl's beloved caretaker, Mama Ya-Ya, a midwife and healer, has a gift that allows her to predict the future. When she begins to sense that a big storm is coming to their much-loved New Orleans neighborhood, both she and Lanesha must trust in their senses and in one another to survive. Lanesha is a wonderful character who exudes resilience and fortitude in the face of a catastrophe as well as a personal vulnerability in terms of her status as an orphan and an outsider. Words, numbers, and colors as seen through her eyes show the magic and wonder that exist in everyday things. The unique writing style even allows the unlikely combination of elderly Mama Ya-Ya's heady scents of Vicks Vapor Rub and Evening in Paris perfume to seem wonderful and inviting. Although the outcome of Hurricane Katrina is known, the clever writing allows the unavoidable tragedy to unfold in such a haunting and suspenseful manner that the extreme sense of foreboding and ultimate destruction is personalized and unforgettable. Heartbreak and hope are reflected in Lanesha's story, which will capture even reluctant readers due to the inventive storytelling and the author's ability to bring history to life.–Margaret Auguste, Franklin Middle School, Somerset, NJ

Green, B. (2010, October). [Review of the book Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes]. Library Media Connection. Retrieved by http://titlewave.com/search?SID=cad11c6c0f98469632be59ce2df939f7

Library Media Connection (October 2010) Released in time for the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Ninth Ward is the story of a young girl, Lanesha, who lives in the Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans. Ninth Ward is set over nine days (chapter headings are days of the week). Lanesha decides to ride out the storm as many of the residents of New Orleans did. Lanesha prepares food, making sure to board up the windows and get bottled water and other provisions, since folks in New Orleans are sure that this storm will ?be like all the others.? The spirit of Lanesha?s dead mother comes to her assistance when Lanesha is forced to leave her home once the floodwaters have overtaken it. Rhodes has done a wonderful job of giving young readers a personal look into what happened in New Orleans during August 2005. This would be an excellent resource to use when students are researching different types of weather, especially since the main character is younger, and her point of view is one that many children can identify with. Recommended. Beth Green, School Library Media Specialist, Wappingers Junior High School, Wappingers Falls, New York [Editor?s Note: \Also available in eBook format.]

Uses for the library:
This would be a wonderful book to introduced and then later discuss in a book club. I would love to be able to sit with a group of students and discuss their feelings and see what they thought about the character development and the role that the characters play in each others lives. I would also like to discuss the elements of the storm and the death of Mama Yaya.