From: fondrie at gmail.com <fondrie>
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2007 23:11:05 -0600

I just finished Freak, by Marcella Pixley, and it was a relief to have it end. It spells out the horrific bullying too many students endure in school, just for acting or looking out of the mainstream...or just for being. Perhaps this book will help adults notice what's happening right in front of them, whether in the classroom, the lunchroom, on the bus, or at home.

Two others I'm recommending to family and students are:

Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller (Sarah Miller), told in the voice of Helen's Teacher, Annie Sullivan, and

Keeping Corner, another fine novel by Kashmira Sheth, which details the impact of customs on a young married girl in Ghandi-era India.

I agree with everyone else who said this was a year for interesting and well-crafted books, and I'll be pulling for The Wednesday Wars to walk away with the Newbery. On the other hand, I was also discouraged by what I saw as a downturn in literature featuring diverse voices. If I overlooked any of those, I'd appreciate others pointing them out to us.

Sue Fondrie UW-Oshkosh Curriculum & Instruction
Received on Sat 15 Dec 2007 11:11:05 PM CST