Betsey Brown

1. I can relate to a lot of the scenes in the book, which is one of the reasons I like it so much. However, one of the ones that stuck with me the most was when Betsey and her siblings concocted a plan to send Bernice away. I've never done something that mean, but I've definitely at least tried to think of a way to get people I didn't like out of my house.
2. I would want to spend time with Greer, because I think out of all of the adults, he's the only one that actually provides the family with the things he feels they should have.
3. Whenever people talk about how Betsey lives in the "rich colored neighborhood," I'm confused. This isn't exactly what bothered me, but I am a little confused because Jane talks as if they're poor, but it's been said several times that they're not.
4. I think Shange plays with grammar and sentence structure the way she does because she wants to reflect the tone of the time period; also, it gives the book a more unique feel than it would've had otherwise.
5. I think that while Betsey will continue to struggle, she'll end up okay, because it's a coming-of-age story and that's generally what happens in these kinds of stories.

Betsey Brown by Ntozake Shange

We've just begun reading a book called Betsey Brown by Ntozake Shange. We've only read the first and part of the second chapter, so I can't talk too much about the book or even whether I like it; simply because I don't know enough about it.
The book centers around a family in St. Louis. The parents and five children live in a small house with their maternal grandmother. The first chapters detailed their morning and their interactions with one another; the size of their family seems to make everything a jumbled mess of relationships.
So far, I've enjoyed reading the book, although I find it rather confusing.

The Good Thief

   We were introduced to The Good Thief far before we actually held a book. For weeks our creative writing teachers raved about how fantastic the book was, how great of a read it is for teenagers and how much we would enjoy it. Writers and Books, a local establishment that offers writing programs for kids and adults all year long began a city-wide reading campaign; "What if all of Rochester read the same book?" The idea is to get everyone reading and talking about one specific book. That book is The Good Thief, by Hannah Tinti. The book's main character, Ren, grows up in an Catholic orphanage in the 19th century. He was given to them without a hand and therefore has spent all of his eleven or twelve years at the orphanage and doesn't have much of a chance of being adopted. So, when he is adopted, he's thrilled. Unfortunately for him, he soon discovered he's been adopted by a thief who forces him through grave-robbing, petty theft, lying and all sorts of different scams. 

    The Good Thief was a good read. It had adventure and excitement, it wasn't overly predictable and the characters were, for the most part, likable and easy to relate to. However, I didn't think it was all that my teachers thought it was. It was nothing more than a good read. It has achieved wide-spread popularity amongst both teens and adults, which is something I respect, and it doesn't have the horrible plot and characters that books such as Twilight does.

     However, I didn't (and don't) have the fantastic opinion of the book that my teachers do. I found it to be a lot like Oliver. In the interview Hannah Tinti does state that while people have compared Benjamin and Tom to Bill Sykes and Fagin, she doesn't believe they're that similar. I however, thought there was a huge similarity to the entire play. There were differences, of course, but I was disappointed by the lack of originality the book held at times.

     Hannah Tinti will come visit our school on March 24th. I'm eager to see what she says about the book and the inspiration she draws upon as a writer; regardless of how I personally feel about the book, it is highly successful and well-liked by many, and simply for that I respect her and think meeting her will be a worthwhile experience.