Author: Katherine Hannigan
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Publication Date: 2007
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel
Summary: Ida B. has the most perfect life that she could even imagine. She is homeschooled and gets to spend her days learning from her mama, her daddy and the nature surrounding her home including the apple orchard, brook and the old tree on the hill. Everything is exactly as she'd want it to be, but then tragedy hits her family and everything changes.
What I Think: I wish I knew Ida B. She is such a neat young lady! She is obviously a gifted young lady and I love how Katherine Hannigan translated a gifted/talented child's thoughts into this story.
I listened to the audiobook of Ida B. (which was very well done, by the way) and as I was listening I wish I was reading, because there were snatches of mentor texts everywhere! Within the first couple of chapters, I was mesmerized with Katherine Hannigan's way with words!
I also loved the different issues that were dealt with in the story that aren't dealt with in many books for middle grades- human/environment interactions, change, anger,
As a teacher, I also am so glad that Ida B. met Ms. Washington- when you read the book you will see why. It is another book where you can see the importance of being a thoughtful, caring teacher and treating our students as individuals and people.
Read Together: Grades 2 - 6
Read Alone: Grades 3 - 7
Read With: Junonia by Kevin Henkes, Marty McGuire by Kate Messner, Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord, Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen-Fernlund, Mackenzie Blue by Tina Wells, The Great Green Notebook of Katie Roberts by Amy Hest, A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
Snatch of Text: "Now a school of goldfish could go swimming in the pool of drool that dog makes while she's sleeping. But as soon as he heard his name and saw me heading for outside he jumped up, cleaned up the extra slobber around his mouth, and in two and one-half seconds' time, he was waiting for me at the back door." (p. 4)
"Rufus and I hiked up the mountain- which isn't really a mountain, but 'hill' is just too tiny a word for it- till we got to the old tree that has no leaves and hardly any bark. That tree's bare and white, and people think it's dead, but it's not; it's just older than old." (p. 13)
Reading Strategies to Practice: Making connections, Predicting, Visualization, Vocabulary
Writing Strategies to Practice: Imagery, Description, Characterization, Voice
Writing Prompts: Ida B. talks about her favorite sounds and sights by using descriptive language; what is your favorite sound? Sight? Smell? Feeling? Use imagery and descriptive language while describing your favorites.
Topics Covered: Family, Change, Challenges, Environment, Fitting in
Translated to Spanish: Yes
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