FEATHERS
by Jaqueline Woodson
by Jaqueline Woodson
Image credit: www.scholastic.com
1. Bibliography
Woodson, Jacqueline. 2007. Feathers. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 9780399239892
2. Plot Summary
This is the story of Frannie, a young girl in the sixth grade in the winter of 1971. At school, Frannie is pondering a poem in which feathers represent hope. As a kid from the "this side of the highway", Frannie doesn't think about hope very often. When a new student joins her class and quickly receives the nickname "Jesus Boy" due to his long hair and white skin, the students become curious and some bully him. Her religious best friend Samantha starts to believe he really could be Jesus, but Frannie is doubtful.
At home, Frannie worries about her mother who is pregnant again after having two miscarriages and losing a baby. Frannie looks up to her handsome older brother and communicates with him through sign language, as he is hearing impaired. While dealing with all of these issues, Frannie sparks an unlikely friendship with Jesus Boy and learns the truth about his parents. When the bully Trevor confronts Jesus Boy, Frannie decides to help the mean Trevor up because she knows it is the right thing to do. With the support of her loving family, Frannie finds that hope does exist as she says "I guess that's how hope is too--all light and and everywhere like that."
At home, Frannie worries about her mother who is pregnant again after having two miscarriages and losing a baby. Frannie looks up to her handsome older brother and communicates with him through sign language, as he is hearing impaired. While dealing with all of these issues, Frannie sparks an unlikely friendship with Jesus Boy and learns the truth about his parents. When the bully Trevor confronts Jesus Boy, Frannie decides to help the mean Trevor up because she knows it is the right thing to do. With the support of her loving family, Frannie finds that hope does exist as she says "I guess that's how hope is too--all light and and everywhere like that."
3. Critical Analysis
This first-person narrative is quickly paced and seems to be a story of ordinary life on the surface. However, Frannie's adolescent experiences breach the topics of race, class, religion, bullying and hearing-impaired individuals. Frannie is still a little girl in some ways, but in her sixth grade year she faces some difficult situations that show who she truly is. She begins to understand how her deaf brother is treated by others as she explains his disability to his peers. The interaction between the sibling pair is genuine and a bright spot in the plot. She also sees her mother's fear after having suffered from miscarriages. In this short novel, Frannie faces adversity in many areas of her life, but remains a strong, female protagonist who is coming of age.
The cultural markers abound in this story about a young African American girl who goes to a public school. As her class turns against "Jesus Boy", the only white student in an African American school, Frannie begins to question the prejudice she sees in her peers. The students continually wonder how a white student could have a black father, until Jesus Boy reveals he was adopted. Frannie discusses her hairstyle choices, indicating that her mother will not let her wear an "Afro" until she is older, so she wears her hair "mostly in braids". Another cultural marker is that religion and the Bible is mentioned throughout the story, with Frannie's Grandma exclaiming, "You don't want a piece of my Bible on your head, now, do you?" Many of the cultural references are also linked to the 1970s time period, such as mentions of the Black Panthers, the Draft, and the Jackson 5.
This first-person narrative is quickly paced and seems to be a story of ordinary life on the surface. However, Frannie's adolescent experiences breach the topics of race, class, religion, bullying and hearing-impaired individuals. Frannie is still a little girl in some ways, but in her sixth grade year she faces some difficult situations that show who she truly is. She begins to understand how her deaf brother is treated by others as she explains his disability to his peers. The interaction between the sibling pair is genuine and a bright spot in the plot. She also sees her mother's fear after having suffered from miscarriages. In this short novel, Frannie faces adversity in many areas of her life, but remains a strong, female protagonist who is coming of age.
The cultural markers abound in this story about a young African American girl who goes to a public school. As her class turns against "Jesus Boy", the only white student in an African American school, Frannie begins to question the prejudice she sees in her peers. The students continually wonder how a white student could have a black father, until Jesus Boy reveals he was adopted. Frannie discusses her hairstyle choices, indicating that her mother will not let her wear an "Afro" until she is older, so she wears her hair "mostly in braids". Another cultural marker is that religion and the Bible is mentioned throughout the story, with Frannie's Grandma exclaiming, "You don't want a piece of my Bible on your head, now, do you?" Many of the cultural references are also linked to the 1970s time period, such as mentions of the Black Panthers, the Draft, and the Jackson 5.
4. Review Excerpts and Awards
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (April 2007) "With her usual talent for creating characters who confront, reflect, and grow into their own persons, Woodson creates in Frannie a strong protagonist who thinks for herself and recognizes the value and meaning of family. The story ends with hope and thoughtfulness while speaking to those adolescents who struggle with race, faith, and prejudice."
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY (January 2007) "Set in 1971, Woodson's novel skillfully weaves in the music and events surrounding the rising opposition to the Vietnam Wat, giving this gentle, timeless story depth. She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch"
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (April 2007) "With her usual talent for creating characters who confront, reflect, and grow into their own persons, Woodson creates in Frannie a strong protagonist who thinks for herself and recognizes the value and meaning of family. The story ends with hope and thoughtfulness while speaking to those adolescents who struggle with race, faith, and prejudice."
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY (January 2007) "Set in 1971, Woodson's novel skillfully weaves in the music and events surrounding the rising opposition to the Vietnam Wat, giving this gentle, timeless story depth. She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch"
Newbery Honor Book, 2008
5. Connections
- In this story, Frannie ponders the the ways people find hope in their surroundings. Students could reflect on how Frannie finds hope and brainstorm a list of things that give them hope in their own life.
- Read another title by Jacqueline Woodson and look for similar themes by comparing to Feathers.
- Create a character map to analyze how Frannie changes and evolves throughout the story by recording the important events that happened to her.
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