iamnotest

__I am Not Esther__ by Fleur Beale ISBN: 0-7868-0845-4 ©1998 250 pages

Good sections to read aloud: pp. 9-11 where mom packs up and gets ready to leave everything behind pp. 26-30 when Kirby meets her new "family" and becomes "Esther"

Summary: Kirby is living a fairly normal life (if you count taking care of your mother as normal) when all of a sudden it is ripped out from underneath of her. Her mom has always been a bit odd and scatterbrained, so Kirby has basically taken care of both of them. But this is different. Mom receives a letter that upsets her terribly. Before Kirby can read it, mom rips it up, but afterwards tells Kirby that she is moving to Africa to do charity work and Kirby will be going to live with her uncle (who hasn't existed until now). Kirby pleads and begs her mother to change her mind, but she won't. What Kirby doesn't realize is that she is in for the biggest shock of her life. Her uncle practices a very strange religion which Kirby dislikes immensely. She has never remotely had religion in her life, so to have it to this extent is extremely difficult, not to mention the fact that they change her first name as well! She isn't allowed to do anything, speak out of turn, talk badly, etc..., and when she does, she is sent to the discipline room for an entire day (or longer) to memorize psalms and verses. Can Kirby (Esther) survive in this family? Read to find out. This is an entirely different kind of novel with some very interesting lessons.

YA fiction-- teen issues; family life; religion

©Jennifer Lang - WDMS - 2009