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[CCBC-Net] life changing books
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From: Benita Strnad <bstrnad>
Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 15:32:36 -0500
I grew up and lived most of my life in a small farming community that had a population of 150. For the first five years of grade school I was the only girl in a class of 9 boys. Then in fifth grade Rita Blecha came to school in town from the one room country school in her township. From then until the day she died we were fast friends. She actually read more than I did, but in fifth and sixth grade we both read
"Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare. I am not sure that the book changed my life but I have always remembered it. Kit was a wonderful heroine and she loved the wide open spaces of the marsh and the plants that grew there. Massachusetts isn't Kansas but somehow Kit and her life spoke to both Rita and me. It was one of the first hardback books I ever purchased and my water warped and stained copy is still on my bookshelves at home.
Rita's favorite book at that time was "A Lantern in Her Hand" by Bess Streeter Aldrich. Rita died in 2000 when she was 44 years old. The day after Hurricane Katrina blew through this part of the state of Alabama my father called early in the morning and greeted me with these words.
"Let the winds blow!" I knew by the tone of his voice that he was quoting something and when he told me it was something that Abbie Deal said in "A Lantern in Her Hand" I started crying. Not because of the circumstances, but because if the memories of my friend, and what she would have thought of my father quoting Abbie Deal on the occasion of Hurricane Katrina making landfall. To this day I cannot think of that book without getting all choked up. I am not sure that it is a book that changed my life, but it has remained with me throughout my life.
I also recall Doris Gates "Blue Willow". I know that read this book around 1965 and was surprised today to discover that it has a 1940 copyright date. I had no idea that book was that old when I read it in grade school. I simply remember that this was a farm girl with whom I could identify. I liked that book so much that I purchase a paperback copy from the Scholastic Book Club and had it for many years among my most prized books.
As an adult one young adult book that really hit home in my life was the book "Jane's House" by Robert Kimmel Smith. I come from a large family and have 37 first cousins who lived close to my home. Of those 37 half of them lost a parent before they reached the age of 18. I was assigned to read the book for a Young Adult literature class back 1984 and it was one of those serendipitous discoveries that provides great insight. The story of Paul and his children Bobby and Hilary had great personal resonance and relevance in my life, and it is a book that I recommended for many years. It is out-of-print now, but I still have a paperback copy of this book on my desk.
Katherine Paterson's "Jacob Have I Loved" is a book that also spoke to me as an adult. I too had a pretty vivacious sister that was popular with both sexes. Even though my sister and I loved each other our relationship was contentious and rocky. Sibling rivalry was definitely a factor in my growing up. I can't say that the book changed anything for me, but I could readily identify with the characters.
Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 15:32:36 -0500
I grew up and lived most of my life in a small farming community that had a population of 150. For the first five years of grade school I was the only girl in a class of 9 boys. Then in fifth grade Rita Blecha came to school in town from the one room country school in her township. From then until the day she died we were fast friends. She actually read more than I did, but in fifth and sixth grade we both read
"Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare. I am not sure that the book changed my life but I have always remembered it. Kit was a wonderful heroine and she loved the wide open spaces of the marsh and the plants that grew there. Massachusetts isn't Kansas but somehow Kit and her life spoke to both Rita and me. It was one of the first hardback books I ever purchased and my water warped and stained copy is still on my bookshelves at home.
Rita's favorite book at that time was "A Lantern in Her Hand" by Bess Streeter Aldrich. Rita died in 2000 when she was 44 years old. The day after Hurricane Katrina blew through this part of the state of Alabama my father called early in the morning and greeted me with these words.
"Let the winds blow!" I knew by the tone of his voice that he was quoting something and when he told me it was something that Abbie Deal said in "A Lantern in Her Hand" I started crying. Not because of the circumstances, but because if the memories of my friend, and what she would have thought of my father quoting Abbie Deal on the occasion of Hurricane Katrina making landfall. To this day I cannot think of that book without getting all choked up. I am not sure that it is a book that changed my life, but it has remained with me throughout my life.
I also recall Doris Gates "Blue Willow". I know that read this book around 1965 and was surprised today to discover that it has a 1940 copyright date. I had no idea that book was that old when I read it in grade school. I simply remember that this was a farm girl with whom I could identify. I liked that book so much that I purchase a paperback copy from the Scholastic Book Club and had it for many years among my most prized books.
As an adult one young adult book that really hit home in my life was the book "Jane's House" by Robert Kimmel Smith. I come from a large family and have 37 first cousins who lived close to my home. Of those 37 half of them lost a parent before they reached the age of 18. I was assigned to read the book for a Young Adult literature class back 1984 and it was one of those serendipitous discoveries that provides great insight. The story of Paul and his children Bobby and Hilary had great personal resonance and relevance in my life, and it is a book that I recommended for many years. It is out-of-print now, but I still have a paperback copy of this book on my desk.
Katherine Paterson's "Jacob Have I Loved" is a book that also spoke to me as an adult. I too had a pretty vivacious sister that was popular with both sexes. Even though my sister and I loved each other our relationship was contentious and rocky. Sibling rivalry was definitely a factor in my growing up. I can't say that the book changed anything for me, but I could readily identify with the characters.
-- Benita Strnad Curriculum Materials Librarian McLure Education Library The University of Alabama Love is alot like pork: there's loin steak and there's bologna Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz ZafonReceived on Tue 23 May 2006 03:32:36 PM CDT
