Carly Strauss, Ivy Cable, and Lauren Pollard
READ 3226 Final Book Talk Project:
Book Details:
Rhodes, Jewell Parker. Ninth Ward. New York: Little, Brown and Company,
2010. Print.
- Winner of Coretta Scott King Award
- Grade level: 4-8
Book Summary:
The story is about a girl named Lanesha who has beautiful green eyes with
yellow specs and is born with caul (a type of netting that can suffocate someone
to death) on her face. In order to save her life, a woman named Mama Ya-Ya
removed the netting and instantly knew that the child would have a special gift
of seeing the dead. During Lanesha’s birth, her mother died and she was taken
in to the care of Mama Ya-Ya, who raised her as her own. Mama Ya-Ya too
had a gift; she used forces around her to predict the future. Time passed on and
Lanesha reached twelve years of age. Because of her gift, she was an outcast to
others; however, this did not stop her from having a gentle heart and always
staying hopeful. She soon became best friends with a boy named TaShon, who
was shy until he became to know someone. TaShon rescues a dog and names
him Spot. This proved useful after Lanesha Mama Ya-Ya discovered that a
large storm was coming their way and they must find shelter fast. Most
evacuated but Lanesha and Mama Ya-Ya could not afford to leave. Even
though the massive storm proved just how deadly it was, the two survived the
first part of the storm but still were to face the obstacle of the flooding after the
nasty winds. Lanesha must rely on the support Mama Ya-Ya has given her over
the years to protect them from the storm.
Story Elements:
Major Characters:
* Lanesha- the narrator of the story who is a twelve year old girl with a special
gift of seeing ghosts. She lives with her surrogate mother in the Ninth Ward of
New Orleans, after her mother died giving birth to her. She is strong minded
and courageous girl faced with obstacles unimaginable for her age. She loves to
learn about everything and doesn’t let herself being an “outcast” stop her.
* Mama Ya-Ya- Lanesha’s surrogate mother who relies on magical forces
around her to see the future. She predicts that a storm is coming but does not
realize how severe the storm actually is.
* TaShon- a young boy who goes to school with Lanesha and is different like
Lanesha in his own way. The two come to know each other well when he is
picked on by a group of kids while saving the dog Spot, and grow closer and
closer as Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans.
Setting(s):
* Where: Lower Ninth Ward New Orleans
* When: August 28, 2005
* Moods: Untroubled and blissful – terrifying and suspenseful – tranquil and
resolved
(Most of the book takes place during Hurricane Katrina. Final part of the book
takes place on a roof to stay safe from the flooding.) –few parts take place in
school and grocery store.
Genre Classification:
* Historical Fiction: Hurricane Katrina was a real storm that hit New Orleans
that destroyed homes and took the lives of hundreds. Hurricane Katrina is the
third strongest hurricane to hit the United States. It peaked at a category 5,
which was too much for New Orleans levees that were designed to handle up to
category 3 hurricanes.
* Fiction: This book is also fictional due to the fact that Lanesha is able to see
ghosts and Mama Ya-ya can predict the future.
Literary Elements
1. Point of View: The narration element comes into play because this
whole story is told in the point of view of Lanesha. This can be
introduced when teaching a class about the difference between first
person and third person. Because Lanesha is telling the story from her
2.
3.
4.
5.
point of view, and we as readers can see that because she uses “I”, the
story is in first person and the narrator is Lanesha. If the story was not
told in third person then the narrator would just be “the narrator”.
Plot: The plot element exists in this story as it would in any. Students
should be introduced to the term plot before reading and should
understand that plot is similar to a summary. They can demonstrate their
understanding of plot by keeping a story map throughout the book,
documenting all major events and providing illustration if they so
choose.
Mood: This is a great book to introduce the term mood to students. For
example, the mood of Lanesha succeeding in school is different than the
mood of New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina. Mood can be
described to students as “the way they feel when reading something”.
Students can practice mood in the classroom given different passages
from Ninth Ward or any other book and jotting down in their notebook
how they would describe the mood. To help, teachers can display a list
on the board of example mood words.
Repetition: Repetition can be the repeating of different words, phrases,
or other literary elements. In this book, the word “storm” is repeating a
lot. For elementary school purposes, repetition can be introduced by
having students underline, write down, place a sticky note, or even
highlight words that come up several times in a text. A teacher should
always explain that when something is repeated in a text, it probably
holds importance to the story or the narrator. Have students discuss any
repetition they found in pairs and why they think that word is repeated so
many times throughout the story.
Setting: The setting can be described as a time and place where
something happens. A setting can be as general as a country, or a very
specific date, time, and location. A great exercise to make students aware
of how often the setting can change in a book is have them place a sticky
note every time the characters go somewhere else. Lanesha spends time
in different places, such as her home, her school, the store, or even
playing outside. Students will quickly realize how many different
smaller settings can take part in one book.
Interdisciplinary Connections
Science: Science could be integrated with Ninth Ward through a lesson on
hurricanes. A teacher can design a WebQuest for hurricane research. Students
can be divided into groups to complete their research together. Students may
choose to compile and present their information to the class through a poster or
a pamphlet. Students should be able to answer questions like:
* How do hurricanes form?
* Where do hurricanes occur across the globe?
* How long do hurricanes last?
* What have been some of the most devastating hurricanes in history?
* What should people do to prepare for a hurricane?
Math: Math could be integrated with Ninth Ward through a lesson on the
engineering behind bridges that Lanesha studies throughout the book. The
teacher can have students compile a list of different types of bridges. Students
can work in groups to build a model of one of these types of bridges with
materials in the classroom or from home. Students should also be expected to
comment/reflect on their building process.
Social Studies: Social studies can be integrated with Ninth Ward through a
lesson on the history of New Orleans or hurricane activity across the United
States throughout the years. Students can research through a WebQuest and
then create a timeline depicting major events of Hurricane Katrina, New
Orleans as a city, or various hurricanes across the United States.
Recommended Readings
I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 by Lauren Tarshis: This book is a historical
fiction text, similar to Ninth Ward. In this story Barry’s family must leave New
Orleans before the hurricane arrives. Barry’s sister gets sick and they are forced
to wait out the storm in their home. Barry is swept away from his family by the
flood and must survive in order to see his family again.
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers: This book is the story of a family in New Orleans
during the time of the war on terror and Hurricane Katrina. Zeitoun stays to
watch over his painting business as Hurricane Katrina approaches. As the storm
ensues he travels through the city by canoe to take care of animals and his
neighbors.
1 Dead in Attic: Post-Katrina Stories by Chris Rose: This book is a collection
of stories by people on their lives during the first four months after Hurricane
Katrina. The stories come from survivors and some are about people who died
during the event. The book includes observations, commentaries, and
interviews.