From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Thu, 06 May 1999 14:07:50 -0500

I think it's been interesting to watch the development of Cassie Logan as a character through time. In "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" and "Let the Circle Be Unbroken" she was more of a bystander, telling her father and brother's stories from her perspective as a family member. But in "Road to Memphis" Cassie became more the central character, while her brother and his friend were more secondary characters. Perhaps that is the reason that, for me as a reader, "Road to Memphis" is the most compelling story in the Logan family saga so far.

Something else I find intriguing looking at the series as a whole is that as Cassie develops from a young girl ("Song of the Trees") into an adolescent ("Road to Memphis"), the intended audience for the books shifts as well, as "Song of the Trees" is an easy chapter book and "Road to Memphis" a young adult novel, while the two in between volumes ("Roll of Thuder" and "Let the Circle") are middle grade fiction. I sometiems wonder if Mildred Taylor will one day write an adult book about the adult Cassie.



Kathleen T. Horning (khorning at facstaff.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706 608&3930 FAX: 608&2I33
Received on Thu 06 May 1999 02:07:50 PM CDT