New York Times-bestseller Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult is a fascinating novel about an African-American labor and delivery nurse, Ruth Jefferson, who works in a mostly white neighborhood in Connecticut. Ruth comes from a poor family and grew up as one of the only African-Americans in her neighborhood who graduated with a professional degree. Ruth, now a widow of a veteran and mother of a smart teenager named Edison, works long hours to pay for his elite education. After almost twenty years of experience as a nurse, she encounters a troublesome family. Ruth does a routine check-up on a newborn of a white supremacist family that was anger that an African-American touched their child. The parents demand she not touch their baby, Davis Bauer. When the baby falls ill and passes, the family accuses Ruth of killing Davis and sues her. Ruth has her medical license revoked and fights to get her licenses back. The book shares her personal struggles and her public fight for African-Americans all over America, showing how racism exists, and proving that she was only accused because of her race. This novel highlights important and deep rooted issues including race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion, all of which resonate today. Jodi Picoult has a unique writing style in Small Great Things. Picoult paints a vivid picture. She uses flashbacks to helps the reader understand the character’s back story. At one point, Ruth invites her caucasian attorney, Kennedy, to go shopping. While shopping, Ruth is followed around by a security guard and is asked for her ID before leaving. Kennedy gains insight into Ruth’s experiences as an African American woman living in a white society. Kennedy is struck with empathy and develops a stronger desire to fight for Ruth’s cause. I too had a realization when reading of how blatantly racist our society can be. A simple trip to the store can be uncomfortable and complicated for others simply because of their skin color. This moment in the novel demonstrates how powerful “little things” can affect someone’s life. Shockingly, Kennedy discovers an unlikely piece of evidence that uncovers the truth and changes everyone’s fate. When Kennedy finds this information, we see her empathy, compassion and loyalty to Ruth. I found this intriguing and was thankful for the unexpected turn of events. Before the end of the trial, Edison tries to protect his mother and ends up in jail, showing his unconditional love and his willingness to risk his college bound future. The deep love he shows for his mother is relatable for me and possibly other readers. The novel delves into important topics that are relevant today such as racism and white supremacy loosely connecting to events from this year, including the recent tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia. This story raises awareness to the many people who do not understand what it is like to be in Ruth’s position and do not face the everyday challenges which she and other African Americans may experience. It demonstrates how people of color or other minorities are marginalized, and though all loose ends were tied up in the novel, in reality this may not have had lasting effect on society. I recommend this page-turning novel because and it was interesting to hear more than one person’s perspective on the various issues presented. I feel that this book is best suited for anyone from young adults to adults. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. Ballantine Books, 2016. Buy the book here and support Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky, Reviewed by Raven J. Callaway-Kidd, age 11
In Holly Schindler’s book, The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky, there are two kinds of people: the ones that shine like Gus’s truck, Old Glory, and the kind who are dull like rusted metal at McGunn’s Scrapyard. The way I see it, books are the same way. Most books I read shine like Old Glory. Very few are rusted metal. However, even fewer books shimmer brighter, remembered fondly forever like sparkling gold. This book did. Ms. Schindler’s book takes place in a small southern town called Willow Grove. It’s a story about an eleven-year-old girl named Auggie who finds a way to make old, broken things become beautiful sculptures. She finds their hidden potential with her grandfather, a trash hauler named Gus, but the book has so much more to it than that. First of all, Auggie’s story includes more than a few discouraging challenges to do what she loves. Auggie’s best friend, Lexi, is giving up their friendship to hang out with Victoria Cole, the antagonist. Victoria is popular and better known in Willow Grove. Not many people listen to Auggie. She’s attending a new school, Dickerson, where she hopes to find her special something. So on top of the “first-day jitters”, she is trying to figure out who she is and face the misjudging Dickerson kids. Secondly, Ms. Schindler represents the elements of the book in fascinating ways. One piece of the conflict’s resolution is represented by the name of Auggie’s neighborhood—Serendipity Place. This name is considered ironic by Auggie in the beginning of the book; everyone in her neighborhood is poor and their houses broken down. It doesn’t seem like a serendipitous, or lucky, community. In the end, though, the residents work on their houses and realize the truth about themselves and the name doesn’t seem quite so ironic anymore. Third, there are many different characters in The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky. Characters who support Auggie. Characters who don’t. Characters who look at her sculptures and see art. Characters who can’t. Characters who choose not to see beauty in Auggie’s sculptures for personal or social reasons, like Lexi. Deep down, Lexi feels the sculptures are beautiful art, but pretends like she sees them as junk, like Victoria does. Lexi wants to impress Victoria because she wants Victoria as a friend. Victoria is rich, after all. Lexi thinks she needs Victoria. She doesn’t realize she already has who she needs—Auggie. And finally, I can relate all those characters to people in real life. I notice qualities about people I have known for a long time I haven’t noticed before. Now that I understand the community of Willow Grove, I understand humans better. What makes the story so real, so relatable, so irresistible to read is that the people in it aren’t the perfectly fictitious characters we hear about so much. Not even Victoria, who appears perfect on the outside, but broken and insecure inside. The other characters hold pieces of the world inside of them too and each is just as intriguing. And then there is Auggie’s art. Her creativity, determination, and what comes out of it is so inspiring. Even when Victoria and the House Beautification Committee discourages her, Auggie plows on because she loves and respects what she is doing. Anybody might wish to be more like Auggie and I certainly do. The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky brought the truth about art and people alive to me. If you are looking for an honest and inspiring book I would certainly recommend it. The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky by Holly Schindler. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2014. Buy the book here and support Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Reviewed by Laura Chiu, age 12
Opening Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I felt almost like I was in fourth grade again-overly eager, attentive, and absolutely addicted to the Harry Potter series. I devoured up her books, one by one, despite the fact that they were, well, enormous. I immersed myself in Harry’s world as best as I could. Nobody could possibly pry me away from those books. I even dreamt about attending Hogwarts, only to wake up the next morning and sadly realize that I was still attending the same old school. Needless to say, I hadn’t changed much since fourth grade-well, not when concerning Harry Potter. I finished the entire, 376-page book, in less than two hours, from top to bottom. When I finally, closed the book, one thought popped into my head. “What did I just read?” I probably have the most unpopular opinion. I actually enjoyed the book very much, despite the fact that it was in script form. While other readers griped that the script formatting took a lot away from the book, I thought it added more to it. Instead of relying on J.K. Rowling’s descriptive imagery, I now had to think deeper and examine what was really happening-a fact that, apparently, many readers disliked. I felt like only having the character’s dialogue gave me a deeper understanding of the situations, and that, in only one book, I had established a much closer connection with all of the characters than through all seven books of the series. Speaking about characters, one new character that J.K. Rowling introduced to me in the play struck a chord in my heart. I felt myself sympathizing with him, celebrating with him, and, at times, scolding him. It’ll probably come to no surprise to you that this character is Albus Severus Potter. Yes, he’s Harry’s son. Albus doesn’t seem to be a particularly outstanding character at first, as he’s rotten at Quidditch and turns out to be, unlike his mother and father, not a Gryffindor, but a Slytherin. He also befriends Draco Malfoy’s son, Scorpius Malfoy, who’s rumored to be Voldemort’s son. Poor Albus has to deal with the bullying of other students, who judge him by Harry’s legacy. You know when they say, “Like father, like son?” Yeah, forget that. I sympathized with Albus, because his story hits a little too close to home with me. My older sister excels in all of her subjects. She gets perfect scores on every test and scores 100’s on state-wide exams. Sometimes, people judge me and treat me the way they do with my sister, even though I’m not like her. I’ve come to peace with this fact, however, unlike Albus (though he does learn to in the end of the book). Despite being quite a good follow-up on Harry Potter’s world (it’s so interesting to see how Harry and the rest of the Hogwart’s gang has matured), there are some things in the book that slightly disappoint me. As it’s adapted for a play, it’s very short, and makes me feel as if something is missing. The ending seems to wrap up much too quickly and neatly, unlike the Harry Potter series. And in the end, instead of feeling satisfied and moving on, I still felt like there was more to the story (there wasn’t.) In conclusion, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was an excellent book (which goes to show that J.K. Rowling never disappoints her readers). I read it three times, then some more, if you can believe it. Now, it’s your turn. Read it. I promise it won’t disappoint. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2017. Buy the book here and support Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
