1.Witness by Karen Hesse is historical fiction novel told by eleven characters. It has the structure of a play consisting of five acts. Each individual shares events that occur while the Klu Klux Klan comes to their small Vermont town in 1924. Some characters are more influential than others. Such as Lenora Sutter, a motherless, black girl. Esther Hirsh, age six, also motherless and a Jew. These children tend to reside under the roof of Sara Chickering, the farmer. Merlin Van Tornhout, eighteen, is a classic trouble maker who gets mixed up with the Klan. Jonny Reeves, the clergyman also gives some interesting perspective to the story.
The inhabitants of the community turn on each other and there is constant unrest while the Klan is in the town. Over the course of the book there is a suicide, a shooting, a branding and other horrors. Some of the people in the town loose their sense of what is right and wrong and their common sense.
One of the characters, Esther Hirsh, reminded me of Bruno in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. They both don't quite understand what's going on in traumatic situations because they are so young and innocent.
2.Shelf Life:Stories by the Book edited by Gary Paulson is a collection of ten short stories revolving around the idea of friendships and family relationships. Each story is set in a different time period, different environment and through the eyes of a child. There is no central character to analyze.
This book reminded me of the novel What's a Fish Got to do with Anything by Avi. It's structure is similar in that each story is told through the eyes of a child and the book explores the difficulties of family relationships.
Because there isn't a main character, the conflict is really more about the interactions within the family relationships and friendships. The conflicts seem to be resolved too quickly, and the relationships change because of small, insignificant events.
3.
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson is a historical fiction novel set in 1776-1777. It's told through the eyes of Isabel, an orphan slave girl living in the North. She and her sister, Ruth, are forced to leave their Rhode Island home when their former owner passes away. Isabel is conflicted because by law they are free, but their former owner's descendant doesn't believe Isabel and will not further investigate the situation. In Boston the sisters are sold to a loyalist family, the Locktons, who are returning to their New York home. During her time in New York, Isabel attempts to juggle many problems such as her sister's secret, the part she plays in the war, and her constant fight for freedom.
Isabel internally struggles greatly in the book. She cannot decide what's more important: helping her friend Curzon, or escaping with her sister. Externally, Isabel receives harsh treatment verbally and physically from her cruel mistress.
Isabel reminded me a lot of the character Katniss, from The Hunger Games, because of their constant perseverance to protect their families.
Genna Holtz
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