Synopses & Reviews
Treasures dad has disappeared and her mom sets out to track him down, leaving twelve-year-old Treasure and her little sister, Tiffany, in small-town Virginia with their eccentric, dictatorial Great-Aunt Grace. GAG (as the girls refer to her) is a terrible cook, she sets off Treasures asthma with her cat and her chain smoking, and her neighbors suspect her in the recent jewel thefts. As the hope of finding their dad fades, the girls and their great-aunt begin to understand and accommodate one another. When a final dash to their dads last known address proves unsuccessful, Treasure has to accept that hes gone for good. When she goes back to Great-Aunt Graces, it is the first time she has returned to a place instead of just moving on. Convincing, fully realized characters, a snarky narrative voice, and laugh-aloud funny dialogue make The Perfect Place a standout among stories of adjustment and reconfigured families.
Review
"Though good family-in-transition stories are not rare, ones that authentically portray an African American experience are, and readers will find this one pretty near perfect."
—Kirkus
"Harris weaves humor, a light mystery, and a tender coming-of-age story in this unforgettable novel."
—School Library Journal
"Readers will find sly humor here as well as the pleasure of seeing justice done on several levels. A satisfying first novel with a realistic but heartening ending."
—Booklist
"The small-town dynamics draw on recognizable characters without becoming stereotypes; Great-Aunt Grace, for instance, is full of surprises. Treasure herself is a resourceful and mature sixth-grader who stands up for herself and earns the well-deserved respect of the adults in her life."
—Bulletin
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Lanesha lives in a tight-knit community in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. She doesn't have a fancy house like her uptown family or lots of friends like the other kids on her street. But what she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, her fiercely loving caretaker, wise in the ways of the world and able to predict the future. So when Mama Ya-Ya's visions show a powerful hurricane--Katrina--fast approaching, it's up to Lanesha to call upon the hope and strength Mama Ya-Ya has given her to help them both survive the storm.
Ninth Ward is a deeply emotional story about transformation and a celebration of resilience, friendship, and family--as only love can define it.
Synopsis
From award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a heartbreaking and uplifting tale of survival in the face of Hurricane Katrina. Twelve-year-old Lanesha lives in a tight-knit community in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. She doesn't have a fancy house like her uptown family or lots of friends like the other kids on her street. But what she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, her fiercely loving caretaker, wise in the ways of the world and able to predict the future. So when Mama Ya-Ya's visions show a powerful hurricane--Katrina--fast approaching, it's up to Lanesha to call upon the hope and strength Mama Ya-Ya has given her to help them both survive the storm.
Ninth Ward is a deeply emotional story about transformation and a celebration of resilience, friendship, and family--as only love can define it.
Synopsis
When Treasure's dad disappears and Mom sets out to track him down, twelve-year-old Treasure and her little sister Tiffany are stuck with their Great-Aunt Grace, whose many rules make for a miserable living situation. As time stretches on and Dad doesn't turn up, Treasure, Tiffany, and their mother have to accept that he isn't coming back. It's Great-Aunt Grace who takes them in, and together they learn that their unconventional family can be just as whole without him.
About the Author
Jewell Parker Rhodes is an award-winning author of adult literature. Her books have won awards such as the American Book Award and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association Award for Literary Excellence. Jewell is the Piper Endowed Chair and founding artistic director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University. Ninth Ward is her first novel for young readers.