Gentle’s Holler by Kerry Madden

RL – 5.1 

“The sixties may have come to other parts of North Carolina, but with Mama pregnant again, Daddy struggling to find work, and nine siblings underfoot, nobody in the holler has much time for modern-day notions. Especially not twelve-year-old Livy Two, aspiring songwriter and self-appointed guardian of little sister Gentle, whose eyes “don’t work so good yet.” Even after a doctor confirms her fears, Livy Two is determined to make the best of Gentle’s situation and sets out to transform the family’s scrappy dachshund into a genuine Seeing-Eye dog. But when tragedy strikes, can Livy Two continue to stay strong for her family?”
- Publisher’s Description

Cindy’s Two-Cents Worth:

This is the first book in the Maggie Valley trilogy (Louisiana’s Song and Jessie’s Mountain will be the sequels), which tells the story of an Appalachian mountain family living in the early 1960s. It is definitely a family relationships, touchy-feely kind of story. The story is told from the point of view of the main character, Livy Two (short for Olivia, who was named after her sister who died at birth, also named Olivia, therefore why she is known as Livy Two). The story touches on poverty issues and living in a large family. I thought it was a good story with many touching moments, but I think it will be one that won’t immediately appeal to our 3^rd and 4^th grade students (especially boys – kind of a “girly” book). I think it will take some adult encouragement to get them to give it a try, but it’s worth the try. The author really makes you care about this family and the tragedies that happen in the story. If you are an emotional person, you might want to keep a box of tissues handy.

Online Resources

Author’s Website
http://www.kerrymadden.com/books/bk_gentl1.html 

A brief profile of the town of Enka, North Carolina
http://www.basf.com/careers/careersenkancprofile.html 

Ghost Town in the Sky Amusement Park
http://www.ghosttowninthesky.com/ 

Maggie Valley Visitors Bureau
http://www.maggievalley.org/ 

History of the Mountain Dance and Folk Music Festival
http://toto.lib.unca.edu/findingaids/mss/mountain_dance/default_mountain_dance.htm

Cas Walker Radio Show
http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=W004 

Braille Bug
http://www.afb.org/braillebug/ 

You’ve Got Braille
http://pbskids.org/arthur/print/braille/index.html