Module 5 - Ninth Ward

Summary

Ninth Ward is the story of Lanesha, her adopted parent, Mama Ya-Ya, and TaShon as they experience Hurrican Katrina and her aftermath in New Orleans. Lanesha is a young orphan, rejected by her uptown relatives, who posses the special ability to see and talk to ghosts. She lives with Mama Ya-Ya, the old midwife who birthed her. TaShon, another child birthed by Mama Ya-Ya, and Lanesha are brought together as friends by the discovery of Spot, a stray dog. Unlike many in her neighborhood, Lanesha and Mama Ya-Ya chose to remain at home instead of go to the Superdome to wait out Hurricane Katrina. After being seperated from his parents at the Superdome, TaShon makes his way to Lanesha's home. Together, they must use the skills and knowledge they posses to remain safe during the aftermath of Katrina and the flooding that devestates the Ninth Ward.

Bibliography

Rhodes, J. P. (2010). Ninth ward. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books.

My Impression

I enjoyed this book. I have had it on the shelf in my classroom and have had several students read it and enjoy it. I enjoyed the little touch of fantasy that was created by Lanesha's ability to see and talk to ghosts. I also really like the relationship between Mama Ya-Ya and Lanesha. Mama Ya-Ya was extremely supportive and loving woman who helped Lanesha find her inner strength. I also really enjoyed the fact that the book was told in first person. This really drew me into the story as it enabled me to experience Hurricane Katrina with Lanesha.

To Read or Not to Read:  I think that you should read this book.  It is magical and enjoyable.

Professional Reviews

School Library Journal
"Hurricane Katrina is whirling toward New Orleans in this touching novel (Little, Brown, 2010) by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Twelve-year-old Lanesha is a confident loner in her Ninth Ward neighborhood. Other kids tend to avoid her because she has the sight--she sees ghosts--and casually ignores them. Lanesha concentrates on her studies. She loves math, words, her teachers, and above all things, midwife Mama Ya-Ya who took her in when her mother died giving birth. Lanesha has snooty light-skinned uptown relatives, but they abandoned her to the loving care of Mama Ya-Ya. Lanesha watches in amazement as her beloved Ninth Ward prepares for the storm of the century. Fortitude, a vocabulary word Lanesha relishes, will be necessary to see her through the storm. After Mama Ya-Ya dies, Lanesha must be brave and save herself and her best friend when the water begins to rise. Sisi Aisha Johnson, a gifted narrator, brings richness and texture to each character and her performance emanates with the humor, warmth, and grace of this fine story. This 2011 Coretta Scott King Honor Book is not to be missed." - Tricia Melgaard
Melgaard, T.  (2011, March).  [Review of the book Ninth Ward, by J. Rhodes].  School Library Journal, 57(3), 77.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/.

Publishers Weekly
"With a mix of magical and gritty realism, Rhodes's (Voodoo Dreams) first novel for young readers imagines Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding through the eyes of resourceful 12-year-old Lanesna. Lanesna lives with Mama Ya-Ya, an 82-year-old seer and midwife who delivered Lanesha and has cared for her since her teenage mother died in childbirth. Living in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Lanesha is viewed as an unusual child (she was born with a caul and is able to see ghosts) and is ostracized at school. Lanesha finds strength in Mama Ya-Ya's constant love and axioms of affection and reassurance ("When the time's right… the universe shines down love"). The story becomes gripping as the waters rise and Lanesha, with help from a young neighbor and her mother's ghostly presence, finds a way to keep body and soul together. The spare but vivid prose, lilting dialogue, and skilled storytelling brings this tragedy to life; the powerful sense of community Rhodes evokes in the Ninth Ward prior to the storm makes the devastation and the hardships Lanesha endures all the more powerful. Ages 10-up."
[Review of the book Ninth Ward, by J. Rhodes].  (2010, August 2).  Publishers Weekly, 257(30), 46.  Retrieved from  http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/home/index.html.

Library Uses

• This would be an excellent book to use as a read aloud.
• The library could create an emergency preparedness display.  It could provide patrons with important information on preparing for and handling various emergencies, especially hurricane.  This display could be set up at the beginning of hurricane season.

Image retrieved from:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ninth-ward-jewell-parker-rhodes/1100163909?ean=9780316043083

The library could create a display and provide information and pamphlets about emergency preparedness, especially at the beginning of hurricane season.