Wicked Girls

I originally published this review on July 14, 2011.  I'm trying to highlight some older materials, too.  I know that the digital hold lists for recent releases at local libraries are long.  So, sit back and enjoy this book.  You can also be astounded at how much my writing has changed over the years.  But no matter how I write my Book Talks, keep in mind I only post reviews of books that I really like and enjoy!  I hope you find something you enjoy!

Annotation:
A fictional account of the Salem Witch Trials, told from the point of view of the real girls involved in the story.

Book Talk: 
The Salem Witch Trials are one of the most infamous periods in Colonial American History.  In 1692, more than 220 people were accused of being witches by a group of 7 girls, ranging in age from 8 to 17.  In total, 144 people had legal action brought against them.  19 people were hanged, and one man was pressed to death.  3 women and several infants died in jail.

To this day, no one knows what sparked the accusations.  The girls would fall into fits on the floor during the trials, and claim that witches were poking them, cutting them, or otherwise hurting them.  They would then name the names of people in the town.  Many of those accused of witch craft went ahead and confessed to being a witch.  For those who did not confess, they were sent to trial.  If they were found guilty, they were hanged.

Journey back in time and join Salem Village at the height of the Salem Witch Hunts.  Follow along from the perspective of each of the girls who were the "seers" of the village.

Here, we join Ann Putnam, Jr (age 12) as she is in the middle of a seizure and sees the witches tormenting her:

I AM AFFLICTED

Someone makes my legs
whip about like sheets in the wind.
Someone curls and bends
my arms behind my neck.
All turns black and cold.
"who goes there?" I cry.

I scream until the room comes lit,
and then I see witches
the same as the Minister's girls-
Tituba, the Parrises' slave, and Goody Good.
I swear to Father 'tis the witches
who twist my limbs and cause me ache.
I blink my eyes and the witches disappear,
but I saw them stand bfore me,
felt them pinch my arm,
I know that I did.

(Wicked Girls, page 58)

Find out more in "Wicked Girls" by Stephanie Hemphill.

Author's Website: http://www.harperteen.com/author/microsite/about.aspx?authorid=35978

Note:
I was enchanted by the set up of this book.  Each girl has a say in this story. 
Here is the thing: the story of each child is told in a beautifully written, succinct free verse poem.  Each poem is titled, and the person who is telling the story is listed below the title of the poem, along with their age.
The story moves, almost dances through the ugly accusations and trials of Salem.
It did take me a few minutes to adjust to the poetry set up of the story, as it is not what I would consider a "traditional" story. 
This book is well worth your time!

Black Brother Black Brother

image: World Cat

Rhodes, Jewell Parker.  Black Brother, Black Brother.  2020.  Little Brown and Company, New York, NY.


Donte and Trey attend the exclusive Middlefield Prep in the suburbs of Boston.  The brothers are smart and intelligent, with one huge difference.  Trey takes after his father and is so light skinned he passes as white.  Donte takes after their mother and is dark skinned.  He is the only student of color in his high school.

Donte finds himself arrested by the school staff when Alan, the captain of the fencing team, blames Donte for a pencil that was thrown across the classroom behind the teacher's back.

Furious that he was arrested, Donte decides that he needs to take charge of his life and find a way to beat Alan at his own game.  Trey discovers a Black Olympic Fencer that lives and works at the Boys and Girls Club in Boston.  While home on suspension, Donte finds the mysterious Arden Jones and convinces him to teach him to fence.

Working in the heart of the Boston Boys and Girls Club with Arden and the members of the Club, Donte begins to appreciate the sport of fencing.  But when the big match rolls around, and Donte faces off against Alan, will he be able to keep his emotions in check long enough to beat him?


I really love several things about this book:
1) Donte and Trey's mom is a lawyer.  She files a suit against Middlefield Prep and all of the Private Schools in Massachusetts for their systematic racism against students of color.  Throughout the book, cases of injustice are highlighted as their Mom talks about how the system is broken and needs to be fixed.
2)  Alexandre Dumas was black.  His father was a General in the French Army under Napoleon.  (Did you know this?)  Dumas, and his book The Three Musketeers, are explored during the course of the story.
3) The Peter Westbrook Foundation is highlighted in the story. This foundation teaches young kids of color in New York City how to fence.  Several of their fencers have advanced to International Level Tournaments.
4) Positivity.  There is so much to celebrate in this story.  In spite of all the injustice, Author Jewell Parker Rhodes does point out where progress has been made and how we can continue to strive forward - together - to make progress against racism.

Author Web Site: http://jewellparkerrhodes.com/children/

The Peter Westbrook Foundation: http://www.peterwestbrook.org/

Alexandre Dumas: https://www.biography.com/writer/alexandre-dumas

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Marks, Janae.  From the Desk of Zoe Washington.  2020.  Katherine Tegen Books.  New York, NY.

image: bw/librarynut

Zoe is a 12 year old who hopes to enter the Food Network's Kids Baking Challenge.  But when a letter from the father she has never met shows up on her front door, Zoe's life takes a turn for the unexpected.  Her father Marcus, is in prison, serving time for a murder he swears he didn't commit.  As Zoe begins to dig into the details of her father's conviction, she uncovers the systemic racism and total lack of effort on the part of the public defender.  When she tracks down the witness who can vouch for her Dad during the time of the murder, she risks her dreams to see if she can finally help her father find justice. 

 

I love that the author explains who The Innocence Project is, what they do, and how they do it.  She also gently broaches the realities of our prison system in a way that children can understand.  This is a powerful, hopeful book.  Zoe is a smart, intelligent young woman who searches for solutions to problems.

 

This is Janae's first book.

 

Author Website: http://www.janaemarks.com/

 

The Innocence Project: https://www.innocenceproject.org/ 

A Home for Goddesses and Dogs

image: World Cat

Connor, Leslie.  A Home for Goddesses and Dogs.  2020.  Katherine Tegen Books.  New York, NY.

Lydia and her Mom found a treasure trove of old studio portraits of women at a flea market.  They use these photos to create collages that they create into works of art.  It's a series that they entitle "The Goddesses".  They create a new Goddess for every event in their lives. 

After Lydia's mom dies, she takes the Goddesses with her to their new home in Connecticut with Aunt Bratch.  As Lydia settles into her situation, she begins the search for a home for the Goddesses, even as she keeps them hidden, afraid to share this most intimate part of her past.  (Do they have anything to do with the secret in the wall behind the sheep poster?)

But when Bratch adopts a wild and wonderful rescue dog who needs a solid home, love, and consistency, Lydia begins to find her place in a world without her mother. 

You will fall in love with this book filled with Rescue Dogs and Goats, new friends, goddesses, and most of all a love that transcends all and makes an unrelated group of people into a family.