The Braid

Frost, Helen. 2006. The braid. New York: Frances Foster Books. ISBN 9780374309626

Plot Summary

When their family is evicted from their home in Scotland in the 1850s, teenage sisters, Sarah and Jeannie, are separated. Jeannie emigrates to Canada with her parents and younger siblings, while Jeannie remains in Scotland with her grandmother. Before they part, they braid locks of their hair together, each taking half of the braid so they will never forget one another. Over the next two years, the sisters face hardship and loss, but manage to maintain ties with each other across the ocean.

Critical Analysis

Told through narrative poems that alternate between Sarah and Jeannie, this historical novel tells a sad story while also providing an intriguing glimpse into the lives of immigrants in Canada and life on an isolated Scottish island. “Though seemingly a distant reality from that of today's teens, this gem of a book ultimately tackles age-old issues of teen pregnancy, death, poverty, and first love in a timeless manner.” (School Library Journal)

“Readers will hold their breaths waiting to discover what happens to the sisters while their verbal reservoirs will be restocked with incredible imagery, rich vocabulary and powerful storytelling.” (Kirkus) What may not be immediately apparent is the intricate braided structure of the poems. A note at the end of the book reveals a complex pattern where the last word on each line of one narrative poem is the first word on each line of the following narrative poem, with praise poems woven between in a different pattern. The revelation of this pattern encourages a second reading!

Review Citations

2006. "THE BRAID." Kirkus Reviews 74, no. 19: 1014.

Maza, Jill Heritage. 2006. "The Braid." School Library Journal 52, no. 10: 154.

Stop Pretending: what happened when my big sister went crazy

Sones, Sonya. 1999. Stop pretending: what happened when my big sister went crazy. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060283866

Plot Summary

Cookie, a young teen, reveals the fear, confusion, and sadness she feels when her older sister has a nervous breakdown. Cookie’s sister has a psychotic break at Christmastime, and spends several months in an institution, which throws her entire family into crisis.

Critical Analysis

 

 “Based on Sones' own family experience, this debut novel shows the capacity of poetry to record the personal and translate it into the universal.” (Booklist) Sones gives voice to a mess of emotions and fears about losing her sister to mental illness and the toll it took upon her family. “An unpretentious, accessible book that could provide entry points for a discussion about mental illness-its stigma, its realities, and its affect on family members.” (School Library Journal)

 

Short narrative poems give this verse novel the feel of a journal. Cookie’s fears and emotions are explored day-to-day, showing the gradual transition from crisis to healing.

Review Citation

Cart, Michael. "Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy." Booklist 15 Nov. 1999: 612.

Korbeck, Sharon. 1999. "Grades 5 & Up: Fiction." School Library Journal 45, no. 10: 160.

Persepolis

Satrapi, Marjane. 2003. Persepolis: the story of a childhood. New York: Pantheon. ISBN 0375422307

Plot Summary

An autobiographical tale of a young girl growing up in Iran in the midst of the Islamic Revolution and war with Iraq. Marjane tries to make sense of the confusing messages she gets from school, her parents, and the media, while secretly rebelling against the Islamic strictures of dress and behavior.

 

Critical Analysis

“Persepolis is a moving account, not only of a young girl's coming of age but also of her survival in modern Iran.” (CM)

I believe that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists. This is the message that Satrapi intends to deliver through her account of her childhood in Iran. The black and white drawings show a girl that one can easily identify with, a girl who plays make-believe and puts posters of rock stars on her walls. The details of the successive revolutions and wars can be somewhat confusing, but should pique the reader’s curiosity to find out more about the history of Iran and to question their assumptions about the Iranian people.

“Skillfully presenting a child's view of war and her own shifting ideals, she also shows quotidian life in Tehran and her family's pride and love for their country despite the tumultuous times.” (Publishers Weekly)

Review Citations

Bridle, Jane. 2003. "Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Book)." CM: Canadian Review of Materials 10, no. 2: N.PAG.

Zaleski, Jeff. 2003. "PERSEPOLIS: The Story of a Childhood (Book)." Publishers Weekly 250, no. 28: 58.