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REACH Winter 2002
CONTENTS
ADMINISTRATION
ADULT RE
CURRICULUM
RESOURCES
WORSHIP
YOUTH
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By Karen Hesse Reviewed by Jacqui James, Anti-Oppression Resource and Programs Director Religious Education Department, UUA, Boston, MA
Process
Using real events, Karen Hesse tells a story of the Ku Klux Klan in a small town in Vermont in 1924. In this free-verse novel, she uses 11 different voices, each one distinct, including two children who are new to town-Leonora Sutter, 12, who is black, and Esther Hirsch, 6, who is Jewish. They tell the story of the Klan's steady infiltration into the conscience of a small, Prohibition-era community. The townspeople tell their own stories, some seeing patriotism and Protestantism in the Klan. These include community leaders, shopkeepers, and a Protestant minister. References to the world of that time include Prohibition, the Leopold and Loeb case, and a letter from Leonora to Helen Keller. The voices of the characters personalize history and reveal how events felt to different people. Easily read in one sitting, the spare writing allows the readers to imagine more about that time. It allows for discussion about how such things can happen and seems especially relevant now in light of the events of September 11 and beyond. It's a thoughtful look at people and their capacity for love, hate, and change. Written for grades 5-9, this is a book for all ages--an excellent vehicle for an intergenerational discussion. Karen Hesse is the author of many acclaimed books for children, including The Music of Dolphins, Just Juice, and Out of the Dust, winner of the Newberry Medal. She lives with her family in Brattleboro, Vermont. Reflection and Discussion Questions
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Page last updated February 23, 2002
All material copyright © 2002 Unitarian Universalist Association