Ninth Ward Audiobook

" The book recreates the before and after events surrounding Hurrican Katrina for a twelve year old black girl named Lanesha, who grows up in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans. After her mother's death, Lanesha is cared for a woman who helped birth her- Mama Yaya, who is considered a healer and midwife. Abandoned by Lanesha's uptown family, Mama Yaya didn't hesitate to take the girl in. Unfortunatley, Lanesha is bullied at school and made fun of for her green eyes, despite loving math and being a smart girl. Lanesha and Mama Yaya both have mystical powers, as Lanesha is able to see ghosts and Mama Yaya is psyhic and can see the future. Yaya dreams of a storm that is followed by blackness, which is Hurricane Katrina. With no money to evacuate, Lanesha has to take on the responsibility of survival for the two of them. This is when Lanesha's character fully develops, and we see her become a strong reslilent young woman. Rhodes further develops the plot at this point with Mama Yaya's health failing, the water continuing to rise, and the chaos that took place after this horrible event. This book uses clean languange and could be used in an upper elementart classroom, but I would target it at middle school students. This is a book that I would have in my classroom library, but one that I would use to teach about New Orleans and Hurrican Katrina, mystical themes, and stong family relationships. "

" I loved the book. It was very interesting and sad. "

" Good book ever!! "

" this book made me think of the writing of toni morrison and jeannette winterson. sort of mystical/magical. a very gripping story at the end. "

" Great book about Katrina for kids in 4-8th grade. The last 1/4 of the book was especially riveting. "

" This was beautiful! I love stories about New Orleans, specifically about Katrina. And I loved the tie-in of the supernatural ability to see the non -living :-) "

" the book was sad and exiting at the same time "

" Loved this story - heartbreaking yet hopeful. "

" A lovely story about love and the strength and confidence that you can draw, regardless of the situation from being so very loved. This is a great way to introduce a very ugly story to younger readers. "

" This book was a very real account of people surviving in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. It was very inspirational, easy enough to read, and really raised cultural awareness! I'd recommend this book for middle schoolers. Overall an interesting read! "

" Touching story about Hurricane Katrina and its effects on a child. "

" Spoiler alert:tear tear- Mama YaYa dies -sniff sniff "

" The book is good and has a lot of morals in it. It shows how important life is, and the struggles people face. In my opinion the book was nice to read. At first I thought it was boring but then it became interesting. "

" This book was ok i mean it really grabbed me and it felt like i should start preparing for Katrina [despite that it already happened]it had a really good plot and it was exciting just what every book should be like!!! "

" I feel like this proves to me again that things become more real and thought provoking on page. "

" I really enjoyed this book about a young girl's experience with Hurricane Katrina. It gave wonderful insight on the less fortunate in New Orleans and provided great insight into cultural beliefs. "

" Great read for all of us who are continuing to deal with the devastation left by the April 27th tornadoes. "

" A wonderful, beautiful book. Lanesha is an amazing character. Too bad we all don't have the self-empowerment and positivity she does. "

" Loved the writing style- very lyrical and poetic. Beautiful imagery and cadence. "

" Listened to this one. The reader is fabulous. It only took me FOREVER to listen to because I had to take a break in the middle. Why? Because I was listening to it during the April 27 tornadoes, and it was hitting too close to home. "

" Quick read. The strongest part of the novel is the description of the Hurricane and the breaking of the levees. As the author described the rising water, my heart was in my mouth. Excellent depiction of the fear that must have gone through the 9th Ward. "

" Very interesting fictional account of Katrina. "

" After reading this, I can't imagine a children's book about Katrina being written any other way. "

" So sad and beautiful. I became pretty attached to Lanesha, and would definitely read another book about her. I want to know what happens next! "

" Jewell Parker Rhodes uses imagery that evokes all the senses to paint a picture of New Orleans' Ninth Ward and then builds tension pitch-perfectly depicting Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. "

" A slow start, but an excellent book. "