If you’ve never read Jewell Parker Rhodes, you absolutely must. Her prose is light and crisp at once, and she tells a story like no other. You inhabit her characters fully, and they are strong, sensitive young women. I’ve read Ninth Ward and Bayou Magic, both of which tackle current issues and also include an intriguing thread of magical realism that’s friendly to young readers. I’ve taught excerpts from Ninth Ward to my college Composition I course, and if I was to theme a course around Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, I would absolutely include it. Therefore, I was eager to get my mitts on her newest book, Towers Falling.
Hello, nominee for Best Book of 2016. I can’t emphasize how absolutely perfect this book is for middle-school and early high school kids in 2016, as well as adults (especially teachers) who have lived through 9/11. My full review gives more detail!