From: Kathryn Erskine <kathy.erskine_at_mac.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:31:46 -0500

Thanks, Pam -- I'm looking forward to reading that. Also, This Thing Called the Future, by J.L. Powers, set in a shanty town in South Africa, shows the culture clash between traditional and contemporary cultures, and the difficulties women face even today.

Kathy www.KathrynErskine.com THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE (2011) MOCKINGBIRD (2010) QUAKING (2007) On Dec 20, 2011, at 1:06 AM, CCBC Network digest wrote:

CCBC-NET Digest for Monday, December 19, 2011.

1. another favorite added to my list

I just finished Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams, a novel about two boys from Zimbabwe: Deo and his mentally impaired older brother, Innocent. After their mother and grandfather are murdered by soldiers, they flee to South Africa to avoid the brutality and political persecution of the current regime. This was a powerful little novel that highlights the terrible price children pay in countries dealing with political brutality and warfare. Themes of family, resilience, and hope turn the underlying despair to an affirmation of the power of the human spirit. This would be a wonderful novel for the classroom!

Pam Gardow, LMS Memorial High School Eau Claire, WI 54701
Received on Tue 20 Dec 2011 06:31:46 AM CST