From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a heartbreaking and uplifting tale of survival in the face of Hurricane Katrina.

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.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Boys and Towers Falling, Ninth Ward is a deeply emotional story about transformation and a celebration of resilience, friendship, and family–as only love can define it.

BIO

Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for youth, including Ghost Boys; Black Brother, Black Brother; Paradise on Fire; and Treasure Island: Runaway Gold. She is the recipient of many distinguished awards and honors, including the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Green Earth Book Award, an NAACP Image Award nomination, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and the Octavia E. Butler Award. Rhodes is the Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing and Virginia G. Piper Endowed Chair at Arizona State University. 

REVIEWS

A CCBC Recommended Multicultural Book for Children and Teens

"Jewell Parker Rhodes has written a powerful novel about family and survival in the face of tragedy and has created in her twelve-year-old narrator Lanesha, a true heroine. [She] shows a kind of bravery and big-heartedness that is a gift she passes along to her friend, her community and the readers of this luminous book." -- Walter Mosley

"An absolutely exquisite children's debut by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Jewell's vivid writing brings the setting to life, in a story that is both timely and unforgettable." -- Patricia Reilly Giff

"Lanesha is a miraculous candle of a girl: her flame burns steadier in hurricane winds, and glows brighter against dark flood-waters. Jewell Parker Rhodes's book shines with love." -- Sara Pennypacker

"An enjoyable, satisfying novel about the magical spirit of a young girl navigating her way through an American tragedy." -- Christopher Paul Curtis

"A girl with special powers awakens to the New Orleans around her in a story told with gritty poetry." -- Richard Peck

"A beautiful, moving, personal story. Unforgettable. I loved it." -- Justine Larbalestier

"Another gem by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Two youngsters, friends forever, find a way to survive, to love, to begin again. Wow! What a legacy to pass along." -- Nikki Giovanni

[P]  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers  /  August 10, 2012

0.6" H x 7.5" L x 5.1" W (0.4 lbs) 224 pages

For ages 8 to 12