WITNESS by Karen Hesse

This blog was created for a TWU course.

Bibliography

Hesse, Karen. 2001. Witness. New York: Scholastic Press.

ISBN# 0-439-27199-1



Summary
Witness tells the story about what happens in a small town in Vermont when the Ku Klux Klan moves in. The story is told from the personal view point of eleven different characters. The book is a a verse novel. Each entry is a poem from one of the characters points of view.


Analysis

The title of the book helps to draw you in right away. You start to wonder what you are going to witness. The subject matter of the book has a historical standing and is something that is interesting to most people even today. The free verse forms works well with story. The free verse tends to flow well with the thoughts of the characters. The separation of the stanzas help to break up the thoughts of the characters even more. This is great for students that are intimidated by lots of words.


Review Excerpts

School Library Journal review - "Hesse uses free verse to bring each voice to life, setting it with carefully chosen period details that crystallize the chilling story."



Kirkus Reviews - "stunning piece of little-known American history…the iconography of Americana, carefully researched, beautifully written, and profoundly honest."



Connections:

This book could be used to integrate lessons. Poetry and social studies can be combined with this book. If used towards more of a history aspect it is great because some of the characters are kids themselves. This can help to draw students in. Kids like read things that are from kids their own age. It also helps to break down the book so that it does not seem so long. I would use this book in a social studies setting by splitting the class up into groups and have them do a "reader's theatre" with the book.


For more of a poetry aspect the book can be used to help show the variety and range of poetry. I would use this book in a poetry unit to show the diversity of poetry.