Module 5 - Ninth Ward

Summary:

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes is the story of 12 yr old Lanesha who is born with the "caul" or "the sight"  she sees many dead people, especially her mother who died at her birth.  She lives with 82 yr old Mama YaYa who is midwife and who can predict the future.  Lanesha and Mama YaYa live in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina is on her way to New Orleans.  Lanesha and Mama YaYa must get ready to face the worst storm in New Orleans history and to survive the aftermath of the levees breaking and flooding their beloved neighborhood.

Bibliography:

Rhodes, Jewell Parker.  "Ninth Ward".  Little, Brown Young Readers, 2010.

My Impressions:

I absolutely loved this story of love, strength, understanding, forgiveness and goodbyes.  This story described New Orleans, but captured the essence of the city before, during and after Katrina.  The writing provided visual pictures that dropped me into the storm and brought me back out.

Reviews:

School Library Journal


Gr 5–8—Communicating with ghosts, including the spirit of her mother who died giving birth to her, is a gift that Lanesha, 12, has had for as long as she can remember. The girl's beloved caretaker, Mama Ya-Ya, a midwife and healer, has a gift that allows her to predict the future. When she begins to sense that a big storm is coming to their much-loved New Orleans neighborhood, both she and Lanesha must trust in their senses and in one another to survive. Lanesha is a wonderful character who exudes resilience and fortitude in the face of a catastrophe as well as a personal vulnerability in terms of her status as an orphan and an outsider. Words, numbers, and colors as seen through her eyes show the magic and wonder that exist in everyday things. The unique writing style even allows the unlikely combination of elderly Mama Ya-Ya's heady scents of Vicks Vapor Rub and Evening in Paris perfume to seem wonderful and inviting. Although the outcome of Hurricane Katrina is known, the clever writing allows the unavoidable tragedy to unfold in such a haunting and suspenseful manner that the extreme sense of foreboding and ultimate destruction is personalized and unforgettable. Heartbreak and hope are reflected in Lanesha's story, which will capture even reluctant readers due to the inventive storytelling and the author's ability to bring history to life.—Margaret Auguste, Franklin Middle School, Somerset, NJ

Suggested Use:

I would use this book as part of the history of New Orleans and the people who make up the soul of the city.  It would also be used in studying the weather and what happens during and after a hurricane.

Book Cover: