My heroes
One of the reasons that I love literature geared to middle-school students is the fantastic array of protagonists, the main characters, the heroes. Authors who bring out the possibilities, the opportunities, the crossroads, the good and bad decisions, and give readers a chance to walk in someone else’s shoes without being preachy, that is the best!
I read a great book on the Lone Star list called Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen. Holly is a 12-year old orphan who is fed up with her foster home nightmare. Her bid for freedom is unexpectedly successful and she records her thoughts in a journal that is her sole companion as she tries to make a new life. Street-smart though she is her daily struggles keep anyone from envying her “independence.” Fortunately, she meets someone she can trust before she does become a statistic.
Only after reading the author note did I realize that Holly’s friend is another of Van Draanen’s quirky female characters, Sammy Keyes. Its been a number of years since I read one of these delightful mysteries (Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf) but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sammy also is a survivor and original thinker and I think that readers of mysteries should give her a chance.
Firegirl by Tony Abbott also expands the concept of hero. A “new” girl enrolls in Tom’s ordinary seventh grade class creating fear and revulsion. Jessica has endured countless procedures because she was trapped in a burning vehicle. No one can see past her disfigurement until Tom is “guilted” into dropping off her school work after an absence. Slowly he begins to know the “real” Jessica. Each is a model of courage.
Comment on these books or tell me about other characters who are heroes. What are their heroic traits?
I can’t really say what my main hero is but who can? There are so many! Like all of the military and all of its branches along with police and fire men. They are all our heroes keeping our cities, communities and country safe from harm. They do this everyday even if half of us don’t know it.
I read the book Runaway at the beginning of this school year. I really enjoyed the book it is easy to pick it up and not put it down for a few years. I like Holly she has had a hard life but she is still a good kid. Her mom did drugs up until she died, and then after she died Holly was sent to alot of mean foster parents. One of the foster parents even shoved her head in the toilet as a punishment. Finally Holly had enough and ranaway from the foster parents. The book is a journal Holly has written in while while she was running. It tells about the troubles she had, where she lived and how she had to resort to stealing to get through it until she found a mother and daughter who took her in.