Amber was brave, Essie was smart Book

Essie and her little sister Amber live in a small apartment with their mom, who works all of the time. Their father is in prison for forging a check. If their not being watched by their neighbor or cousin, they are taking care of themselves. Essie is smart because she loves to read, knows how to double tie her sister's shoes and can make the small amount of food they have into a meal. Amber is brave because she is not afraid of rats, climbing up high and asking the grocery man for milk even though their mother can't pay him until payday. Amber and Essie do the best they can to console and comfort each other through hardships and unanswered questions.
This story, told in poems and pictures, really moved me. I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of the fluidity of the story, but each poem read like a one-page chapter in a book. The occasional colored pencil drawings added a lot of emotion to the story, too. This would be a wonderful story to share with students. Amber and Essie are such strong protagonists, and some students may relate to living with one parent, depending on a sibling or even having a loved one in jail. Also, this story shows students that poems can be very powerful and do not have to rhyme. Amber was Brave, Essie was Smart could be read out loud one poem at a time or in bigger chunks like a chapter book. Grades 3-7