feathers- Jacqueline Woodson

Kidsread has an excellent review on this slim Newbery Honor book. I read it some time ago and occasionally, seem to have difficulty in deciding what to say about a novel. Sometimes it’s because I really did not love it and have difficulty criticizing anyone who can actually write a book. I bow to authors everywhere. Other times, it seems to be because the book was enjoyable for myself, but I question its appeal for kids. That is why I started this out with a review from another site. Woodson is undeniably an excellent author. I use The Other Side and Show Way, mature picture books, with units on acceptance and slavery, respectively. Feathers is a novel with many layered themes, all excellent. Frannie attends a school of all black children when a white kid arrives on the scene. Not quite knowing what to make of him, they dub him “Jesus Boy.” Frannie begins to take an interest in him after discovering that he knows American Sign Language, familiar to her because her beloved older brother,Trevor,is deaf. There is a school bully, her mother’s sorrow over the loss of babies, and Trevor’s anger over not being able to fit in the “regular ” world. A poem about hope helps Frannie to realize that perhaps all of these things might yet work out in her life. So although I personally enjoyed this story, I can’t help but wonder how many children will pick it up and read it and on what basis it was chosen as an Honor book.

Here is a link to the author reading a portion of this book.