Book Talk
By Shelley Wockenfuss
READ 3226
9/27/2011
Rhodes, Jewel Parker. Ninth Ward. New York: Little, Brown and
Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc., 2010.
The Ninth Ward received the CSK Award, which is the Coretta Scott
King Book Award for authors.
This book is recommended for grades four thru eight.
The Scholastic reading level is 3.3.
Book Summary:
The Ninth Ward is a beautifully written story about the devastation to New Orleans,
Louisiana caused by Hurricane Katrina. This story was written in the eyes of a twelve year old
girl named Lanesha, who lives in the Ninth Ward with Mama Ya-Ya, her caregiver. Lanesha’s
mom died while giving birth to her at the age of sixteen. Lanesha was born with a caul over her
face and if it was not for Mama Ya-Ya, she too would have died. Since Lanesha’s uptown
relatives did not want her, Mama Ya-Ya, who delivered Lanesha, took her in. Mama Ya-Ya had
the talent to see into the future, as well as the ability to see ghosts. Lanesha could not predict
the future, however, she could see the unliving and knew her Mom was still in the house with
her and Mama Ya-Ya.
Lanesha did not have many friends; the other children thought she was different and that
Mama Ya-Ya was crazy. Lanesha loved school and books. Everyone in the Ninth Ward knew
each other and it was a close community. Lanesha befriended a boy named TaShon, who was
also different. TaShon was born with twelve fingers, six on each hand. TaShon’s father removed
the extra fingers when he was a baby, leaving only stubs. Lanesha and TaShon became friends
after Lanesha told some bullies to stop hurting him. They were hurting TaShon because he was
protecting a stray dog from the boys physical abuse. TaShon named the dog Spot. Knowing his
family could not afford another mouth to feed, Lanesha agreed to keep the dog at her house.
Mama Ya-Ya began having dreams of a bad hurricane on the way. Everyone in the Ninth
Ward began watching the news, which was calling for an evacuation. Some chose to leave and
stay with family, others who did not have much money went to the Superdome, and several
decided to stay in the Ninth Ward. Mama Ya-Ya and Lanesha stayed because they had no
vehicle or family to stay with. TaShon and his parents went to the Superdome.
After Hurricane Katrina had passed, TaShon came back to the Ninth Ward without his
parents, who he had lost in the surplus of people who fled to the Superdome. Mama Ya-Ya took
him in. Next came the flooding. Homes were buried with the thick, muddy water of the
Mississippi River. Lanesha, TaShon, Mama Ya-Ya, and Spot moved to the attic of the house,
where Mama Ya-Ya became increasingly weak and died. Lanesha, TaShon, and Spot climbed out
the window and into a small rowboat and were then rescued.
Story Elements
Major Characters:
Lanesha: Lanesha is a twelve year old girl who is the narrator of the book. She is not like most
children her age; she sees ghosts. Lanesha likes school, books, learning new words, and is
fascinated with bridges. She was delivered, saved from death, and cared for by Mama Ya-Ya.
Lanesha did not have many friends, just TaShon and a girl from school, who she was starting to
become friends with before the hurricane hit.
Mama Ya-Ya: Mama Ya-Ya is an elderly lady in her eighties, who used to deliver babies for
many people in the Ninth Ward who had very little money. She has the ability to predict the
future and to see ghosts. She has very little money, but still took Lanesha in when no one else
would. Mama Ya-Ya wears thick glasses, false teeth, and smells of Vicks Rub and Evening in
Paris perfume.
TaShon: TaShon is Lanesha’s friend who was born with twelve fingers. He is extremely shy,
keeps to himself, and is much shorter than the other children of the same age.
Spot: Spot is the stray dog that TaShon saved from the bullies, who where causing physical
harm to him.
Setting:
The setting of this story was a poverty stricken area in New Orleans, Louisiana called the Ninth
Ward. Most of the homes were old and in need of some repairs. The Ninth Ward is a close-knit
community where everyone knows each other.
Genre:
The Ninth Ward is a narrative of the life and experiences of a twelve year old girl named
Lanesha. She describes in detail, her experience of Hurricane Katrina and the major flooding
that followed. Lanesha describes the rising muddy water of the Mississippi River, as it quickly
covers the houses in the Ninth Ward. She expresses her fear, exhaustion, and bravery as she
struggles to survive and help her friend TaShon.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
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Social Studies/History: This story can be incorporated into a Social Studies unit by
Locating New Orleans, Louisiana and the Mississippi River on a map. Children can then
explain why the geography of this city is unique. Students can Google various attractions
in the area or list some important facts about the city. What type of food and music is
New Orleans known for? Students can form small groups and create a brochure to list
the information they have learned from their research.
Science: Students can research information about hurricanes, such as: how they form,
how the strength and severity are measured, and if they are more prevalent in certain
areas and why. Students can compare and contrast hurricanes to other storms, such as
tornadoes and perhaps do an experiment on wind speed. They can also compare other
natural disasters and how people and communities handle the devastation, such as the
tsunami in Japan. Students can then get in small groups and choose one type of storm to
create a poster about and then present to the class.
Math: Lanesha is fascinated with bridges and sees herself building them one day.
Students can use this information to research the four main types of bridges (arch,
beam, cantilever, and suspension) and then build one using recycled materials. Students
can keep a log of the steps used in creating their bridge and finally create a powerpoint
presentation about what they learned.
Strategies:
Vocabulary – The strategy I chose to use for this text is the Context-Structure-Sound-Resource
(CSSR) System. The objective is to help students acquire the four-step strategies that will lead to
independently constructing meaning for new words in the story. The four steps can be
displayed in the classroom for easy reference. These four steps are as follows.

Context: This is looking for clues in the paragraph that would help give meaning to the
word.
 Structure: This is looking for parts of the word that are recognizable, such as prefixes.
 Sound: After sounding out the word, does it sound familiar?
 Resource: Use available resources, such as a glossary or dictionary for further
explanation.
The writing vocabulary worksheet, located at the end of the book talk, comes from:
http://jewellparkerrhodes.com/children/books/ninth-ward/
Comprehension – Reciprocal teaching is a comprehension strategy that consists of four parts.
Students get in small groups and take turns being student teacher, in order to use the skills of
predicting, guessing, clarifying, and summarizing what the teacher has modeled for them. The
reading discussion guide, located at the end of the book talk, comes from:
http://jewellparkerrhodes.com/children/books/ninth-ward/
Motivation – Background knowledge and comprehension, through small group discussion, will
make a child successful. If students understand the text they are reading, they are motivated to
continue reading. Showing children a map of New Orleans, Louisiana will give them a visual
strategy to help with motivation. Reciprocal teaching and the CSSR system, mentioned earlier,
are also useful strategies with motivation.
Recommended Readings:
The first recommendation for further reading, about similar topics, is the text: About
Disasters, by J. Berry. This book discusses twelve different natural and man-made disasters, one
of which is flooding, and ways to prepare for and survive them. The book uses illustrations that
add a bit of humor to the text and is recommended for children in grades four thru six.
Hobie Hanson, Greatest Hero of the Mall, by J. Gilson, is another recommended reading. This
is a humorous fiction book about a fifth grade class that has to meet for school in a shopping
mall, when the town is devastated by a flood. Through a series of funny and daring escapades
that happen in the classroom, Hobie learns that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
Eyewitness Disaster, by Angela Royston, is a book series that provide information about
natural disasters from survivors and rescue workers. Hurricanes, which is one of the books in
the series, provides quotes from hurricane survivors that describe the atmosphere, feeling, and
terror that storms can bring.
READING DISCUSSION GUIDE
1. After reading the first 10 pages of the novel discuss
Lanesha’s life with Mama Ya-Ya in the Ninth Ward of New
Orleans. What have you learned about her?
2. How is Lanesha treated at school? Who else is treated as
an outsider?
3. Lanesha says, “I need all the signs. Dreams. Words. Word
problems. Math. Like air, they make my mind breathe.” (p.
31) What does she mean by this? What do you need to make
your mind breathe?
4. What is special about Lanesha? What gifts do you have that
are unique in your family or neighborhood?
5. Why does Lanesha get involved when there is a fight? Who
were the bullies picking on? Why? How is she rewarded for
standing up for what is right? How do you handle bullies in
your school or neighborhood?
6. What is an ordinary day like in the Ninth Ward? How does
it compare to an ordinary day in your own neighborhood?
7. Who is Ginia? Why hasn’t Lanesha accepted her
invitations to be together after school? How does that
change? How do new friendships start? How do they get
better over time?
8. Why is Ms. Johnson Lanesha’s favorite teacher? Who is
your favorite teacher? What makes a good teacher? What
does she give Lanesha that is so special? How has a teacher
encouraged you to do more?
9. Is Mama Ya-Ya Lanesha’s real grandmother? Why could this
be an important detail? Why did her rich family not accept
Lanesha? Mama Ya-Ya says, “Love is as love does.” What does
this mean? How does Mama Ya-Ya show love?
10. Why don’t Lanesha and Mama Ya-Ya leave New Orleans
with the impending hurricane? Why do some people stay
while others evacuate?
11. Why is Mama Ya-Ya so nervous and agitated about the
hurricane? What does she ask Lanesha to do for the first
time? Who does Lanesha appeal to for an answer? How
would you feel if you had Lanesha’s gifts?
12. As the storm approaches, how does Lanesha turn the
tables and take care of Mama Ya-Ya? What does she do
to prepare for the storm? Does doing all these things
prove she is growing up or is the work itself making her
grow up? Why do you say so?
13. How does the author use poetic elements such as
metaphor and simile to bring the storm to life for the
reader? What can you do in your own writing to make it
feel this immediate and intense?
14. What does Mama Ya-Ya tell Lanesha about her life?
Why has she held on all these years? Would it be better
to know that you might lose someone and be able to say
everything first or would you rather it be a surprise to
lose someone suddenly? How do Mama Ya-Ya and
Lanesha say goodbye?
15. Why does TaShon show up at the house? How do
they prepare for the rest of Mama Ya-Ya’s predictions?
Describe how they survive the flood. What would be the
most difficult part for you? How does Lanesha save the
day with her mathematical thinking? Who else helps
Lanesha to survive?
READING: CHARACTER
Create a character web for Lanesha after reading the
first 10 pages of the novel. Try to fill in bubbles with as
much detail as possible about her and her life with
Mama Ya-Ya.
WRITING VOCABULARY
Lanesha loves words and the subtleties of their meanings. As you read the story find the
following words in their context and try to figure out what they mean by how they are used.
Sometimes Lanesha gives you the definition exactly, but other times you can probably figure it
out. If not, check your hypothesis by looking it up in a dictionary (just like she would do).
Vocabulary word:
Fortitude
Quantity
Suspension Bridge
Unfathomable
Exasperated
Anxious
Evacuate
Loitering
Omen
Devastating
Vacuum
Perpendicular
Sentence it’s
found in:
Hypothesize
meaning from
context:
Dictionary
definition (if
necessary)