Witness by Karen Hesse

Assignment: #7 of ten narratives
Author: Karen Hesse
Publisher: New York : Scholastic Press, 2001. 161 p.
Date: 03/07/2007
Format/Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Grade Levels: 6th grade- adulthood
Awards: The Best Children's Book of the Year, 2002
Christopher Awards winner 2002
Summary: Lenora Sutter is a twelve year old girl living during 1924. She and her friend Esther,6 years old and Jewish, find themselves to be the target of the Ku Klux Klan. The story is set in a small town in Vermont where no one is safe especially the young girls. The book is told through the voices of the towns people. Everyone is a witness.
Comments: This is another one of Karen Hesse great novels. When I first picked up the book I was concerned that the story was being told by many characters. Hesse solved this problem by having pictures of all of the characters and their descriptions. This was a genius idea. The book was easy to follow with this help. My only concern for students would be the southern slang and the back in forth of looking to see who is talking.
Booktalking Ideas: Research the Ku Klux Klan and how there influence in Vermont at that time.
VOYA: 4Q 5P