BIBLIOGRAPHY
Engle, Margarita. 2012. The Wild Book. Boston: Harcourt Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-547-58131-6
SUMMARY
Fefa is 11 years old and has "word blindness" which is now known as dyslexia. To help Fefa with her to struggle to read and write, her mother gives her an empty book to write her "wild words." Although Fefa has to struggle with unwanted attention from a farm worker and fears of kidnapping from rebels in the Cuban countryside, through the love of her family and her determination to "capture" words, Fefa is able get her disability under control.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Award-winning Cuban American poet and novelist, Margarita Engle's The Wild Book has won widespread acclaim including being named a Kirkus Reviews New & Notable Book for Children (March 2012), a Horn Book's Guide to 2012 Notable Books in Verse, and a 2013 Bankstreet's Best Children's Book of the Year.
Based upon the life of the author's grandmother, Engle's novel-in-verse is told in the voice of Josefa, called Fefa. Fefa discovers she has "word blindness" or what we call dyslexia. It makes her feel a "...deep dread / of slippery / vanishing words / that make me feel / so lonely." Set in Cuba in the early 20th century during the chaos following Cuba's wars for independence from Spain and the U.S. occupation of the island, we're able to experience Fefa and her family's fear of rebels roaming the Cuban countryside.
Engle uses the occasional insertion of Spanish words which even non-Spanish speakers will understand and which add a cultural element to the story - "...I open my wild book / and write a bold word / Valentia. / Courage. / Maybe if I claim / my own share of courage / often enough, it will appear."
The award-winning illustrator and author, Yuyi Morales created the beautiful book cover utilizing many of the themes within the book; a beautiful example is the faint bird over Fefa's face. When Papa tells Fefa that his own family comes from Basque ancestors by way of Columbia, and her mother's family is a mixture of native Cuban indios and musical Canary Islanders who used to know how to talk like birds, Fefa feels comfort in believing that she's part bird-person because "...birds come in all colors, / and they belong to many tribes."
The theme of courage, learning how to overcome difficulties and being a part of a family are themes that young readers will appreciate.
Recommended for ages 10-14.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
A Kirkus Best Children's Book of 2012 & Bank Street College of Education Best Book.
"A beautiful tale of perseverance." ''Kirkus Reviews
"[A] lyrical glimpse of early twentieth-century Cuba." --Booklist
"Engle's writing is customarily lovely." --Publishers Weekly
"The idea of a wild book on which to let her words sprout is one that should speak to those with reading difficulties and to aspiring poets as well."--School Library Journal
"[A] remarkable, intimate depiction of Fefa's struggle with dyslexia; Engle is masterful at using words to evoke this difficulty, and even those reader's unfamiliar with the conditional will understand its meaning through her rich use of imagery and detail."--Bulletin
CONNECTIONS
-In the poem "Uncertainty," Fefa thinks "Can a tower of fear / ever be transformed / into a tower / of hope?" Talk to students about things they fear and whether their fear can be turned into something positive.
-Fefa's sisters and brothers are very mean to her. Why do you think her siblings are mean to her?
-Give students an empty journal or essay book into which they can write their thoughts and ideas. Have them write into their journals for 2 weeks and then discuss with students about their experience. Did they enjoy putting their thoughts down on paper? Did it help them see their experiences differently? Would they consider journaling in the future? Have students decorate and personalize the journal.
-You can also have students journal online with: http://penzu.com/content
-Have students get into groups of 3 and to discuss the following questions.
1. Why is Fefa unhappy at school?
2. How can Fefa's friends help her feel better?
3. Do you like or dislike reading out loud in class? Why or why not?
-If teacher's have access to TeachingBooks.net, listen to a 2 minutes discussion by Margarita Engle. She discusses why she wrote the book and she reads a short excerpt.
http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=7874&a=1
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