Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Summary: When a white boy joins Frannie’s all-black sixth grade class, she doesn’t know how to feel. The other students nickname him Jesus Boy for his long hair and calm demeanor. While the school bully harasses the new boy, Frannie’s best friend, Samantha, starts to hope that he really is Jesus. Meanwhile, Frannie must grapple with issues at home: an older brother who is deaf, and a mother who is grieving after several miscarriages. Though life is difficult, Frannie is able to find hope in the little things. An afternoon sitting on Grandma's lap. Coming home to the good smell of Mama cooking chicken. And one black girl getting along with one white boy. Like a feather, hope floats through Frannie’s life.
Reading Level: 5.5
Rating: 8 stars
Kids: Even though Feathers is a short book, you should read it slowly and really think about what the author is trying to say. The story is a simple one, but there are a lot of deeper meanings behind it. I liked it, but it is a serious book. It’s a good book to read with a friend so you can talk about it.
Parents: Feathers is full of morals and Christian values. You might want to read this book with your child so that you can discuss the themes of prejudice, faith and goodness so prevalent in the story. One of my favorite lines in the book sums up the story’s theme. "Maybe Jesus is just that something good or something sad or something . . . something that stays with us and makes us do stuff like help. . . Maybe Jesus is that hope you were feeling."
Teachers: This book is beautifully written and the theme of hope is well developed. However, as an educator in a public school, all the religious references made me feel a little uncomfortable; I couldn’t read this book as a Read Aloud. This book needs to be given to just the right student: a mature and deep thinker who can look beyond the obvious.
Accelerated Reader test: Available (check your school)
Awards:
2008 Newbery Honor book
If you liked Feathers, I’d recommend:
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Manic Magee by Jerry Spinelli
ISBN-10: 0399239898
