A remarkable young adult author whose earlier book RED KAYAK was a must-read recommendation from me, has done it again in her latest BLINDSIDED by Priscilla Cummings (Dutton, 2010, $16.99. July 2010). In this story we meet 14 year old Natalie. She’s a typical young girl does well in school and has many friends. Her life is turned upside down, when on a recent visit to the eye doctor she is told she will soon be blind.
After the news is accepted, Natalie’s family arranges for her to attend a School for the Blind. Her eyesight at this point is still functioning on a limited basis and the family feels this will help Natalie when all of her sight is gone. Initially Natalie is withdrawn and tries to weather this new school without any companionship. She starts out as a single but son is assigned a roommate.
One of America’s premier authors for young readers, who took them into Terabithia and then into the mills in early New England, now takes young readers to the conflict in Bosnia. In Katherine Paterson’s latest book, THE DAY OF THE PELICAN (Clarion books, 2009, $16.00), we first meet Meli Lleshi on the day she draws a picture of her teacher with his pelican nose. From that day on serious problems begin, and Meli blames herself for the trouble.
For any middle school or even high school teacher who has to teach about the Holocaust, may I recommend a book from 2008, This very short book would help answer students who ask “How could this happen?” T4 A NOVEL takes today’s reader back to Germany in 1939. Hitler has issued T4 order to kill any mentally or disabled person. The government soon realizes the populace will not allow simply massacring these people. So, they get medical doctors to vouch that the disabled with be compassionately housed in institutions.