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The Wild Book Margarita Engle Books

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The Wild Book Margarita Engle Books

I loved this book and can think of so many people I would like to buy a copy for, not just because it is a great story, but because of the unique prose, which makes us all appreciate just how wonderful words can be and why they are worth persevering with.

Fefa is dyslexic. Reading makes her feel dizzy. She has never been a great fan of words, the letters get mixed up and make her feel anxious. The doctor has diagnosed 'word blindness'.

"Some children can see everything except words.

They are only blind on paper" he says.

Fefa's mother refuses to accept his verdict.

"Seeds of learning grow slowly" she assures me.

She presents her daughter with a book and encourages her:

"Think of this little book as a garden, throw wild flower seeds all over each page, let the words sprout like seedlings and then relax and watch as your wild diary grows."

Fefa opens the book hesitantly, finds the pages blank within but wide open to her imagination, a place where she can write unobserved, in any way she wishes.

Soon Fefa is nurturing the slow transforming pages of her wild book as she would a precious flower garden, turning those awkward spiky, complex letters into words of beauty and importance.

Margarita Engle's delightful 'The Wild Book' is a tribute in verse inspired by stories told to her by her maternal grandmother, a young girl growing up in rural Cuba, struggling with dyslexia. It will be enjoyed by readers of all ages, both those who struggle with and those who adore words and of course, lovers of the blank page journal everywhere. It is a book to read and reread, silently and out loud.

"No one in my family ever throws anything away, not even an old story that can be told and retold late at night, to make the deep darkness feel a little less lonely."

It is a magical story of a little girl coping with school, homework, older brothers, being left behind as the others go off to boarding school, of facing family threats and danger; all part of daily life on the farm and in the village, aided by a loving mother and uncle who love to recite poetry.

Now couldn't we all do with a wild book...


Tags : Amazon.com: The Wild Book (9780547581316): Margarita Engle: Books,Margarita Engle,The Wild Book,HMH Books for Young Readers,0547581319,Historical - General,Cuba;History;1909-1933;Fiction.,Dyslexia;Fiction.,Novels in verse.,CHILDREN'S FICTION HISTORICAL,Children's BooksAges 9-12 Fiction,Children: Grades 4-6,Cuba,Dyslexia,Fiction,Fiction-Historical,JUVENILE,JUVENILE FICTION Historical General,JUVENILE FICTION People & Places Caribbean & Latin America,JUVENILE FICTION Social Themes Special Needs,JUVENILE NONFICTION Girls & Women,JUVENILE NONFICTION Health & Daily Living Diseases, Illnesses & Injuries,JUVENILE NONFICTION History Central & South America,JUVENILE NONFICTION Language Arts General,JUVENILE NONFICTION Poetry General,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 4-6 Ages 9-11,Juvenile Historical Fiction,Newbery honor;dyslexia;learning disability;Latin culture;kidnapping;education;writing;reading;verse;poetry;middle grade;ages 10 to 14,Novels in verse,People & Places - Caribbean & Latin America,Social Issues - Special Needs,Stories in Verse,United States,JUVENILE FICTION Historical General,JUVENILE FICTION People & Places Caribbean & Latin America,JUVENILE FICTION Social Themes Special Needs,JUVENILE NONFICTION Girls & Women,JUVENILE NONFICTION Health & Daily Living Diseases, Illnesses & Injuries,JUVENILE NONFICTION History Central & South America,JUVENILE NONFICTION Language Arts General,JUVENILE NONFICTION Poetry General,People & Places - Caribbean & Latin America,Social Issues - Special Needs,Stories in Verse,Children's BooksAges 9-12 Fiction,Dyslexia,Fiction,Novels in verse,Juvenile Historical Fiction,Juvenile Fiction,Children: Grades 4-6

The Wild Book Margarita Engle Books Reviews

Summary
This is based on the stories that Margarita Engle's grandmother told of her childhood. It is written in free verse form.
Fefa struggles in school because of reading and writing. The words do not seem to make sense to her. She says that they slip and jump away like frogs. The doctor says that she has word-blindness and will never be able to read or write. Fefa's mother disagrees and gives Fefa a blank book to fill with her own words. Fefa begins writing in it nearly everyday. Through this, she begins to feel more confidence in her reading and writing. Outside of her reading and writing, there are other dangers about Fefa. Cuba is a lawless place where bandits are stealing children for ransom. Everyone is scared of the possible danger. When the family is threatened, they do not have enough money to pay for all of the ransoms, but Fefa's book helps her solve the family's troubles. She becomes the heroine, even with her struggles in reading and writing.
My thoughts
This is a very touching novel. I happen to love novels written in verse, so I came into it biased. The voice of the young girl comes through perfectly. I can hear the struggles of developing words, sounding out syllables, and then the growing boldness of her choices. I root for her when she has to read things out loud, and feel bad when she describes frustrations and loneliness. This was a fairly predictable book, but it does not detract from the language and flow. It's also such a quick read that I don't know why someone would put it down or not pick it up to begin with. I've given it 5 stars because I really can't think of a reason to not recommend this to my students. I think the advanced readers will enjoy it just as much as the struggling ones. Bravo Margarita Engle!
Excellent book! My ten year old loved ever page!
Purchased for a niece who deals with dyslexia.
The wordings are sample, but are able to move an adult. Great job!
Cute and empowering story for young readers. I like how it is narrated through the main characters poetry. It's a great book for children who not only love to read, but have learning disabilities or are very creative.
Margarita Engle’s poetic soul came through in full glow in The Wild Book, a beautifully written tribute to her grandmother who as a child suffered “word blindness” (today’s dyslexia). Beside this heart-warming story, Engle masterfully weaves in a portrayal of a Cuban family during a turbulent, fearful time at the break of the 20th century. Fefa’s mother, who loved poetry and reading, and Fefa’s brother, who wanted to become a teacher, helped Fefa become a reader and writer, encouraging her patience and belief in herself. At the end, Fefa’s observant nature as well as her effort to learn how to read and write in a blank notebook she received from her mother help her family discover a criminal who lives on their farm and is ready to kidnap their children and blackmail the family that would never have enough money to pay for all the kidnapped children. This novel in verse depicts Engle’s deep connectedness, love, and understanding of her Cuban heritage.
I loved this book and can think of so many people I would like to buy a copy for, not just because it is a great story, but because of the unique prose, which makes us all appreciate just how wonderful words can be and why they are worth persevering with.

Fefa is dyslexic. Reading makes her feel dizzy. She has never been a great fan of words, the letters get mixed up and make her feel anxious. The doctor has diagnosed 'word blindness'.

"Some children can see everything except words.

They are only blind on paper" he says.

Fefa's mother refuses to accept his verdict.

"Seeds of learning grow slowly" she assures me.

She presents her daughter with a book and encourages her

"Think of this little book as a garden, throw wild flower seeds all over each page, let the words sprout like seedlings and then relax and watch as your wild diary grows."

Fefa opens the book hesitantly, finds the pages blank within but wide open to her imagination, a place where she can write unobserved, in any way she wishes.

Soon Fefa is nurturing the slow transforming pages of her wild book as she would a precious flower garden, turning those awkward spiky, complex letters into words of beauty and importance.

Margarita Engle's delightful 'The Wild Book' is a tribute in verse inspired by stories told to her by her maternal grandmother, a young girl growing up in rural Cuba, struggling with dyslexia. It will be enjoyed by readers of all ages, both those who struggle with and those who adore words and of course, lovers of the blank page journal everywhere. It is a book to read and reread, silently and out loud.

"No one in my family ever throws anything away, not even an old story that can be told and retold late at night, to make the deep darkness feel a little less lonely."

It is a magical story of a little girl coping with school, homework, older brothers, being left behind as the others go off to boarding school, of facing family threats and danger; all part of daily life on the farm and in the village, aided by a loving mother and uncle who love to recite poetry.

Now couldn't we all do with a wild book...