Saturday, November 20, 2010

The Private Thoughts of Amelia E. Rye - Bonnie Shimko

Publisher:  Farrar Straus Giroux
Pages:  234
Source:  Borrowed from library
Genre:  Middle Grade Realist Fiction
Amelia has had a hard life.  It seems her mother didn't really want her.  Her Grandpa Thomas loved her and took care of her.  Amelia is a loner and the reason is  because her mother dresses her in her older sisters old clothes.  Everyone make fun of her, that is until Fancy comes to town.  Fancy is the only colored girl in her class. She has learned how to stand up for herself and immediately sees inside of Amelia and becomes her friend.  Amelia loves Fancy's life and would like luck to shine down on her just a little.  As her friendship with Fancy grows she discovers a lot of things about her family she'd never known before.  She also learns what real love from a mother is.  I didn't think I was going to like this book at first but found I really did enjoy it.  It made me look at Amelia's family and think that hidden inside the mess was something that people on the outside couldn't see.  Maybe it is that way with some of my students who live in just as big a mess and so therefore maybe there is hope for happiness for them too.


(The opinions expressed here are mine and not those of the other panalists)

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