The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul CurtisMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this book for the middle grade book twitter chat being held by #YearofYA on 10/9 at 8PM EST, come join us. I could not put this book down (CPC's writing is thought-provoking, powerful and true) but I wanted to turn away (the horror of what Cap'n Buck was & what he did to ALL people, but slaves mostly made my stomach turn) from the painful, fearful reality of 12 year old Charlie Bobo's once his father dies & Cap'n Buck enters. This book takes place in 1858 and features the South Carolina dialect which middle school kids (and some adults) might have problems with ---but I also think this is a perfect class novel, with a teacher's wonderful guidance, knowledge of history, and understanding of human nature enriching the middle school reader experience. There was so much stacked against Charlie (even his height) it didn't seem fair---but I loved that he was able to constantly recall what he was taught by his parents and that helped him as his fear and despondency threatened to take over. Little Charlie's ignorance, being raised on racism and bigotry, and the poverty he suffered really had me rooting for his courage and bravery. A must read for all; Curtis does a powerful job!
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment