Summary: Twelve year old Lanesha who lives with her foster grandmother, lives in the ninth ward of New Orleans and is somewhat of an outcast. Lanesha and her grandmother can see and talk to the dead and grandmother can sense that something bad is about to happen in New Orleans. This is a story about Lanesha's survival during Hurricane Katrina.
Citation: Rhodes, J. P. (2010). Ninth ward. New York: Little, Brown and Co.
Impression: This was a unique and impressionable recount of the events leading up to and during Hurricane Katrina told by a child, Lanesha. The majority of my knowledge about the events of Hurricane Katrina was formed by news reports during the hurricane and after it all unfolded into the devastating natural disaster. The Ninth Ward sheds light on how the poorer communities endured the storm told through the innocent eyes of Lanesha. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read more about Hurricane Katrina and historical fiction.
Review:
Kyle Greenwood (Kutztown University Book Review)
This genre is my favorite. The fact that this story focuses on a contemporary piece of American History is even more appealing to read for those history buffs. In August of 2005, the colorful city of New Orleans was darkened by the devastation and destruction of Hurricane Katrina. Floods and winds destroyed many sections of the city, the worst located in the impoverishedNinth Ward section. The character of Lanesha, represents the spirit of New Orleans. She is born to a family who abandons her from birth after her mother dies from the procedure. A local caretaker, Mama Ya-Ya intervenes and raises her in the Ninth Ward while her family refuses to speak with her, while living in the upscale area of New Orleans. The old-school inhabitants of The Big Easy are believers in spirits and voodoo. The spirits of the dead are thought to be part of the living world through communication. Mama Ya-Ya is no exception to this persona. Lanesha and Mama Ya-Ya are very close. However, she is goofed on by her classmates because they are threatened by Mama Ya-Ya's fortune telling, voodoo ways. That doesn't bother Lanesha because she has aspirations to be an engineer. With the plot swept up by a looming natural disaster, Jewel Parker Rhodes, known for her adult literature, delivers a jewel of a heartwarming story of love, devotion and survival for the younger audience. Adults will not be able to put it down either.
Greenwood, K. (2011, Spring). [Review of the book Ninth ward by J.P. Rhodes]. Kutztown University Book Review. Retrieved from http://kutztown.edu/acad/coe/ls/
Beth Green (Library Media Connection)
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.
Green, B. (2010, October). [Review of the book Ninth ward by J.P. Rhodes]. Library Media Connection. Retrieved from http://www.librarymediaconnection.com/
Anchorage School Review (Worldcat)
A story about how Lanesha and her grandmother deal with hurricane Katrina. This is an excellent story for young readers about how Lanesha and her grandmother deal with Hurricane Katrina. Lanesha learns a lot about herself and that she is capable of dealing with the challenges that come her way when Katrina hits New Orleans. She learns to be happy with herself and that she can have friends. She realizes that her mother loves her especially when she keeps her from drowning. Young readers will find this book hard to put down.
[Review of the book Ninth ward by J.P. Rhodes]. Anchorage School Review. Retrieved from http://www.worldcat.org/profiles/AnchorageSchools/reviews/1307293
Uses: This would be a great novel for a book club sponsored by the library for young adolescent girls. There are several intellectually stimulating conversations that could stem from this book that would normally not be approached by other books. Some topics could be socio-economic desperately amongst Americans, also the controversies surrounding Hurricane Katrina, feeling like an outcast and the need for friendship and acceptance.
Beth Green (Library Media Connection)
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.
Green, B. (2010, October). [Review of the book Ninth ward by J.P. Rhodes]. Library Media Connection. Retrieved from http://www.librarymediaconnection.com/
Anchorage School Review (Worldcat)
A story about how Lanesha and her grandmother deal with hurricane Katrina. This is an excellent story for young readers about how Lanesha and her grandmother deal with Hurricane Katrina. Lanesha learns a lot about herself and that she is capable of dealing with the challenges that come her way when Katrina hits New Orleans. She learns to be happy with herself and that she can have friends. She realizes that her mother loves her especially when she keeps her from drowning. Young readers will find this book hard to put down.
[Review of the book Ninth ward by J.P. Rhodes]. Anchorage School Review. Retrieved from http://www.worldcat.org/profiles/AnchorageSchools/reviews/1307293
Uses: This would be a great novel for a book club sponsored by the library for young adolescent girls. There are several intellectually stimulating conversations that could stem from this book that would normally not be approached by other books. Some topics could be socio-economic desperately amongst Americans, also the controversies surrounding Hurricane Katrina, feeling like an outcast and the need for friendship and acceptance.
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