Jewell Parker Rhodes (A)

List Price: $8.99 (Paperback – Family / Katrina Tragedy / Survival – 2012)

Twelve-year-old Lanesha lives in a tight-knit community in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. She doesn’t have a fancy house like her uptown family or lots of friends like the other kids on her street. But what she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, her fiercely loving caretaker, wise in the ways of the world and able to predict the future. So when Mama Ya-Ya’s visions show a powerful hurricane–Katrina–fast approaching, it’s up to Lanesha to call upon the hope and strength Mama Ya-Ya has given her to help them both survive the storm.Ninth Ward is a deeply emotional story about transformation and a celebration of resilience, friendship, and family–as only love can define it. (224) Ages 9-12

• Grade Level: 5 and 6
• Lexile Measure: 470  
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces