Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Converting Kate by Beckie Weinheimer

Here is the book on Amazon.

Okay, first of all, I just want to say that I really really liked this book. The plot was unique, it was set in Maine and the writing was really enjoyable to read.

Now, moving on to the more "professional " feedback. Beckie Weinheimer reminded me, yet again, why I love living in Maine. She was able to capture the sort of "crusty" nature of Mainers while also highlighting the strengths of the people. Kate Anderson is a 15-year-old young woman caught in the middle of a divorce. While her parents split when she was 10, the conflict is still not settled on the battlefield of religion.

After the divorce, Kate's faith weakened and this causes turmoil between her and her mother. The black and white view of her mother's church and the grayscale options of the new world around her cause Kate to examine her life and who she is. This book really looks at a lot of the internal struggles adolescents face -- struggles that others may never really see. I think it's a valuable book and could definitely be used in the classroom. I would like to use it as an example of how important setting is and as a way to illustrate to students that there are many of angles from which to tell a story.

Converting Kate seems like it would be appropriate for almost any age in the high school spectrum. I really liked this because it made me feel like I didn't need to seek a certain audience to teach this text and I could really use it at my discretion without worrying too much about appropriateness. It's a well-written book and I think students would really enjoy it. I think it could also be useful as a bridge to discussions about the moral issues surrounding religion, so this book really has multiple applications.

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