9th Ward

 

Author: Jewell Parker Rhodes

Title: Ninth Ward

Genre: Magical Realistic Fiction

Rhodes, Jewell P. Ninth Ward. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010.

 

 

Grade Level: 8th grade

Pages: 168 pages 

Ninth Ward is a story about twelve-year-old Lanesha who lives through the traumatic events of Hurricane Katrina. Lanesha is from a small community in New Orleans where family and friends are everything. She is extremely close with her caretaker, Mama Ya-Ya who claims to have visions that predict the future. When these visions warn that a storm is going to hit, Lanesha must do whatever she can to make sure her and Mama Ya-Ya survive. 

Possible Teaching Concerns: 

There aren't a lot of teaching concerns as this was a book specifically written for children. It does surround a rather charged political issue, which would be the only concern that I would have when teaching this book. It is important for teachers to stay neutral on political issues and not push for one side over the other. The other concern might be the supernatural elements of this novel. I could see parents being a little concern; however, a lot of this is part of culture and genre of the book.

Personal Reactions:

I will be honest, I am not a huge fan for children's literature or for magical realism. The magical elements of this story really threw me off. I just didn't like it personally. Overall, I just wasn't a fan, but it wouldn't keep be from teaching this in the classroom.

Canonical Work:

I struggled to find a canonical work for this specific book but finally decided on The Call of the Wild by Jack London. This was one of my all time favorite books from when I was younger. I chose this book to pair with Ninth Ward because both deals with elements of injustice that cause both protagonists to have to fight for survival. 

Background to 9th Ward

 

 

The Call of the Wild (2019)