The Color of Earth

The Color of Earth
Kim Dong Hwa

The art was good, the characters were good, the writing good. However, I am not a fan of this style of coming of age story. Perhaps it is a realistic portrayal for some people, especially those who have no sex education in school and parents who don't educate them about puberty, sex, and healthy relationships between men and women.

I was saddened that the mother never told her daughter what was really happening with her body or about how the village boys were developing into men. The mother was so wrapped up in her own life that she rarely expressed interest in her daughter's life, and in fact tells her daughter at the end that she would be lost if she didn't have her daughter to confide in. Who did her daughter have?

The mother rarely asked her daughter questions about what she was doing, thinking, and feeling. Often making observations about what might be going on with her daughter, but never following up by having a conversation about it. The daughter in fact is more aware of what is going on with her mother than her mother is aware about what is going on with her.

This is a story about a mother who needs her daughter to be her friend and confidante, not about a girl whose mother guides, nurtures, and educates her daughter through puberty to be a strong woman.

I would read professional reviews, research to find out if it has won any awards, and assess my collection carefully to find out what else the library owned that expressed this point of view, culture, and style to determine whether it is appropriate for a high school library. I would rarely recommend it to teens. However, I may recommend it to other adults if their reading interests suggested they might enjoy this title or find value in the art, cultural, and point of view expressed.

Hannah's Winter

Hannah's Winter
Kierin Meehan

I loved this book. Nothing in particular was spectacular, but everything was very well done. The writing was good, the characters were strong, the plot was well developed, the mystery element was not obvious, and I learned about Japanese cultural and Australian turns-of-phrase.

Bread and Roses, Too

Bread and Roses, Too
Katerine Paterson

Excellent historical fiction for upper elementary and middle school students. The characters were very well drawn, and Paterson does what I believe she does best... develop wonderful, believable friendships between a boy and girl. As a girl who grew up with the boy across the street as one of my two closest friends, I really connect with this, and appreciate that it can be be written with no expectation that anything more than friendship will develop.

In addition to the excellent character development and relationships between friends, family, and caregivers, the history is excellent. I had practically no knowledge about the 1912 labor strike in MA. I did not know where the term bread and roses originated, I did not know children of the strikers were sent away to live with supporters of the strike because the city was too dangerous.

It is important that children learn such things happened in the US. Most believe that such things happened only in Europe or Asia to protect children from war--bombs, guns, gas and certain death. The book also explores ethnic tension and language barriers that are as important and relevant today as they were back then.