My Louisiana Sky Book

We've all encountered a time in our lives where we wished we lived a completely different lifestyle. Those of us who grew up in the city, often wished for a quiet calm farm life. Reversely, those of us who grew up in the country often wished for the hustle and bustle of never-sleeping city life. "My Louisiana Sky" is a novel about the latter.

"Some people in Siatter say Momma and Daddy should never been allowed to get married because their different. Folks around here c all it retarded, but I like 'slow' better." Tiger lives in the swamp land of Louisiana with her mentaly deficient paretns and grandmother. As Tiger grows up, she becomes more aware of the fact that her parents are different. Tiger is introduced to social situations and strives to fit in at school. Her parents love her, however, are not able to provide much help in the social area. Tiger would do anything to move to the big city of Baton Rouge with her aunt. When Tiger's grandmother dies, she is given this option. Tiger is forced to decide to move into a life that she has always dreamed of or stay with her parents that love her.

Be advised: The following review reveals certain aspects of the novel that some readers may wish to discover on their own.

I enjoyed reading this novel. I think everyone can learn something from Tiger about family loyalty. We are given a young girl who is coming of age and faced with some tough obstacles. She could have ditched her "retarded" parents and led a more successful life with her aunt, however, she took the high road. I Tiger's choice demonstrated great maturity. More than anything this is a novel about self-discovery and family love.

As a future teacher, I could incorporate this novel into my classes. I think it is important for students to see a positive example of a girl who is striving to make the right decisions. I think students should be introduced to these positive role models throughout their reading history. I could see teaching this book as a prelude to a cultural unit. Such a unit would require students to analyze thier heritage and lifestle. Seeing where Tiger came from and her proud feelings toward that place would help students see that there are positive aspects to every walk of life. Seeing this example would persuade them to empathize with their classmates, seemingly different pasts. I think students in middle school would enjoy reading this novel. It would be a great complement to a cultural unit.