Did any of the other madwomen out there read They Cage the Animals at Night? I'm having some serious flashbacks to reading this lovely work by Jennings Michael Burch for summer reading before 8th grade. It's an incredibly heart-warming and heart-breaking autobiography about a boy growing up both in poverty with his family, and in the child welfare system (foster care, group homes, etc).
Between my child welfare class and the book I'm currently working through for pleasure, A Child Called It by David Pelzer, I've been thinking a lot about the aforementioned novel; one of my favorites in middle school. I was wondering if anyone else had read it? If you have and want a similar story (or maybe you just want to get in touch with your inner social worker) I would recommend A Child Called It. It's another autobiography of a boy who is taken from his home, in this case because of extreme abuse and neglect. I'll warn you that it will break your heart to read a lot of his story, but the underlying success, the fact that this boy has become a successful man able to love a family of his own, is really beautiful and hopeful.
Miss. H
Way to keep the dream alive, Miss H! What do they say about a dream deferred? I don't want to see this blog shrivel up like a raisin in the sun!
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Not only have I read, They Cage the Animals at Night, I have seen Jennings Michael Burch speak (and he brought Doggie with him - still has Doggie after all these years!) To be honest, the speech was a little odd. Jennings wasn't nearly as warm and fuzzy as I imagined he would be. Then again, he was pretty old and he probably deserves a little leeway considering everything he went through in his life.
Another middle school favorite that I read around the same time as They Cage...was Go Ask Alice. Have you read it? I remember thinking it was very scandalous. I wonder if it's dated now. If you get a chance, you should check out Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. A fantastic YA book that isn't so YA.
I have not read A Child Called It, but I've heard good things. For some reason, the title always makes me think of I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. I think maybe I saw them together on a display rack once at Barnes and Noble. Have you read it? It's been about ten years, but I remember being really into it. Although it's fiction, a lot of it read like a memoir to me. Give it a look when you get a chance!