Feathers' # 40

 
1.      Author: Jacqueline Woodson
2.      Title: Feathers
3.      Genre: Juvenile Fiction
4.      Subgenre: Chapter Book
5.      Theme: Race relation, African American, Schools, Deaf, Family life, and religion
6.      Primary and secondary Characters: Frannie with Samantha, Sean, and Jesus Boy
7.      Awards: Newberry Honor Book
8.      Date of Publication: 2007
9.      Publication Company: The Penguin Group
10.  A summary about the book and how you will use it in your classroom.

    In 1971 Frannie is living in an apartment on her side of the highway.  Her brother Sean was older and she looked up to him but became very angry when they encountered people who wouldn’t give him the time of day when they found out he couldn’t hear.  Their mother had a history of miscarrying and Frannie became frustrated at the thought of going through the tragedy of losing a baby again.  Frannie was in class, in the middle of a winter that seems like it will never end, when a white boy walks in there class with long dark curly hair.  Jesus boy along with her other thoughts caused Frannie to view the faith of some of the people around her and sometimes made her envious.  As it turns out to Samantha’s disappointment that this new boy is no Jesus after he stands up to the bully.   Frannie and him become friends and realize that her own faith is something she is proud of.  I would use this book to read to third through sixth grade students to help them realize it is ok that people are different.  Students need to be able to respect the differences of other people but also respect themselves because they are different.