My Louisiana Sky

This story conveys the theme “your home is where your heart is”. It also conveys how people with disabilities are given special abilities. For example, Tiger Ann’s Dad was gifted with a sixth sense. He could feel the earth, hear the birds, and knew the hurricane was approaching. Her Mom’s

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special gift was love. My Louisiana Sky is a very heartwarming story. Two characters in the movie portrayed very strong yet compassionate woman: Grandma Jewel and Magnolia, Aunt Dorie Kay’s “working girl”.

Multimedia materials for children must be reflective of the pluralistic nature of our global society. In 2001, the movie won the Children's Jury Award at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival. This award is based on the best in culturally diverse, non-violent, value affirming new cinema for school groups and families. Quality of production is also important when evaluating multimedia materials. In 2002, the Association for Library Service to Children awarded the movie My Louisiana Sky the Andrew Carnegie Medal. The award is given to honor outstanding video productions for children.

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My Louisiana Sky has an excellent voice and great clarity in the storyline, perfect for my seven-year-old self. The characters are very believable, so much that I can recall wanting to be Tiger Ann. A compassionate story about people who are different, and intolerance, about having real values and

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not letting your head be turned by the ‘popular’ thing, and about being true to yourself and your roots.

The back cover says for children ten and up but, obviously, I think any child could read this book. They might not get the mentally slow part, and I’m not sure if I did, but the story is still so wonderful.

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Growing up in Saitter, Louisiana, in the 1950s, twelve-year-old Tiger Ann struggles with her feelings about her stern but loving grandmother, her mentally slow parents, and her god friend and neighbor Jesse.

My 10 year old daughter handed this book to me and said I should read it, she'd just finished it and it was really good. So I read it, and it was good.I liked the characters. All of the major characters had their strengths and their flaws.The story was a bit oversimplified, as children's books

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often are. Situations are resolved too easily. But I can forgive that.All in all, a quick and enjoyable read.

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Tiger Ann Parker wants nothing more than to get out of the rural town of Saitter, Louisiana--far away from her mentally disabled mother, her "slow" father who can't read an electric bill, and her classmates who taunt her. So when Aunt Dorie Kay asks Tiger to sp the summer with her in Baton Rouge,

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Tiger can't wait to go. But before she leaves, the sudden revelation of a dark family secret prompts Tiger to make a decision that will ultimately change her life.Set in the South in the late 1950s, this ter coming-of-age novel explores a twelve-year-old girl's struggle to accept her grandmother's death, her mentally deficient parents, and the changing world around her. It is a novel filled with beautiful language and unforgettable characters, and the importance of family and home.

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My Louisiana Sky is the story of Tiger Ann Parker, a young girl who lives with her parents and Grandma in the tiny town of Saitter, Louisiana. Tiger’s parents are “slow”. They are mentally handicapped. As Tiger gets older, she begins to see just how different her parents are, and to

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understand that many people find them comical. It is one of the reasons that her only friend is Jesse from next door. She is grateful to her Grandma Jewel, who keeps life running smoothly by taking care of everyone, and her Aunt Dorie Kay, who visits from the big city and gives Tiger a taste of a different world.

When Tiger’s grandma dies suddenly of a heart attack, her world begins to fall apart. Her mother, who has the mind of a six-year-old, completely falls apart. Her aunt comes to take care of all of the arrangements and talks Tiger into coming to visit her in the city. Her aunt ultimately asks her to live in the city with her permanently, buys her some new clothes and even encourages her to go by Ann in stead of Tiger. Tiger tries to fit in, even going so far as to cut off all of her long hair, but she is torn. Tiger must choose between leaving everything she has known and abandoning her family and a glamorous life full of promise.

My Louisiana Sky deals with many issues young teens face. Tiger deals with questions about love and friendship, selfishness and selflessness, the importance of family, forgiveness, grief, and the hardship of being different. She is a sweet and simple character that the reader can absorb without difficulty, and her voice is extremely realistic for a girl of her age and background. Three Stars.

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Tiger Ann wants to get away from the rural town where she lives and away from the class mates who tease her. She also wants to get away from her parents who were lots of fun when she was growing up but are now an embarrassment. When, after the death of her grandmother, Tiger’s aunt suggests that

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Tiger move to the city and live with her, Tiger can’t wait to leave. But leaving is harder than she thought.
This is a slow-paced and thoughtful book that would suit girls aged 10 and up who enjoy reading realistic stories set in other times and places.

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I have the absolute worst memory. I read hundreds of books each year and could probably only recall a handful. This is a book that has stuck with me ever since I read it as a young teenager. The author was in my Aunt's Sunday school class and she sent me an autographed copy. I read and re-read this

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book, and loaned it out to people. I just loved it. The story is so good, and the imagery is perfect.I live in louisiana , and I can envision how things were back in the fifties in this area. I really think this would be a good book to introduce to reading classes at a middleschool level. I will definitely share this book for years to come.

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Tiger Ann’s Mother and Father are different, but as Grandma points out, different does not mean bad. Corina fell from a tree trying to save her baby sister Dorie Kay, who riddled with guilt, moves away to Baton Rouge to re-invent herself. I would like to know what she did for a living to maintain

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the beautiful clothes and apartment and a maid, as a women, in the south back in the 50’s I’d guess. Anyway, life’s and nature’s injustices are reflected upon as Tiger grows to recognize that the love of her family is nothing to be embarrassed over but to be reveled in and appreciated. The wholesome goodness of Lonnie and Corinna shines, as Magnolia’s breath skips just a little when Lonnie immediately shows his manners and offers to carry her bags, one senses that Magnolia has found a home as well supplanting the Mother figure of Jewel that Corinna needs--the warmest Southern embrace ever.
If You Liked This, Try: When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt, Flood: Mississippi 1927 by Kathleen Duey, Dancing In Cadillac Light by Kimberly Holt, The Missing ‘Gator of Gumbo Limbo by Jean Craighead George.
Awards: The Andrew Carnegie Medal

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This book is about a little girl who lives in Louisiana with her mentally challenged parents. She is faced with many tough decisions, and ends up turning out to be a wonderful person.

Summary:
This is an awesome book about a young girl whose parents have a developmental disability. She lives with them and her grandma in a small Louisiana town. Her grandma dies and she is faced with leaving her small town and moving to the city with her other grandma or staying and dealing with

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being different.

Personal Reaction:
I loved this book because I have a cousin who is autistic.

Classroom Extensions:
1. This is a good book for teaching children about disabled children.
2. I would have the students read this book and maybe write about something that makes them feel like they don't fit in.

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The first thing that drew me to this book was the title, because I am born and raised in Louisiana and love reading books that deal with my home. Although it doesn't exactly take place in my time period I still found a lot of words and traditions that I connect with through my culture. I was also

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attracted to this book because I have read some of Holt's other books and knew I wouldn't be disappointed. I find that the couple of books I have read of hers deal with some form of disability. In this book Tiger is a young girl who has two parents with some type of learning disability and they cannot fully take care of her. They are all looked on by the Tiger's grandmother who suddenly dies and the family is lest with the decision of what to do next. Does Tiger leave her parents to live the big city Baton Rouge life with her aunt, or does she stay home and take care of her family? You must read to find out!

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This book would be good to use when talking about disabilities and how people are all the same. I think students will like this book because they can relate to the main character and her struggle with her parents.

Terrific to have a setting, characters, and theme different than anything I've read before. The storyline wasn't all that different, though, which was good, because otherwise the book would have wound up being too challenging. Instead, it's just a concisely told coming-of-age novel for MG readers

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who like to think about life and love.

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Tiger Ann lives with her father, Lonnie, who is mentally handicapped, her mother, Corrine, who is even more mentally handicapped, and her Granny, who is sharp as a tack. When her Granny suddenly dies, Tiger has a tough decision to make. Should she go to the city to live with her urbane aunt, or

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should she stay in the tiny town she's always lived in, knowing that she will often have to take care of her own parents now that her Granny is gone? One of those rare, lovely tales, in which there is no real "bad guy."
A beautiful coming of age story, set in the Louisiana of the late 1950s. You will fall in love not only with Tiger Ann, but with her parents, Magnolia (her aunt's maid, who comes to town for a spell to help the household get straight again) and even Jesse Ray, the boy who has a crush on Tiger.
A heartwarming story that is never sappy, and rings true.

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This story is told from the point of view of a girl with two mentally handicapped parents. It’s very touching, sincere and sweet. It makes the reader take time to think about the important things in life. My Louisiana Sky is probably best geared toward a middle grade audience but is great for all

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ages.

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This story is told from the point of view of a girl with two mentally handicapped parents. It’s very touching, sincere and sweet. It makes the reader take time to think about the important things in life. My Louisiana Sky is probably best geared toward a middle grade audience but is great for all

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ages.

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A beautiful tale of a young girl living in Louisiana with her beloved grandmother, father and mother. While Tiger Parker deeply loves her parents, she is supremely embarrassed because her parents are retarded (the term used in this book published in 1998,)

Watching school mates laugh at her parents,

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and make fun of them is very difficult. And, while Tiger wants more for herself and her parents, she is also torn between her love of them, and her wish that they were "normal," creating a dilelma that has no easy answer.

Her grandmother does a wonderful job of reminding Tiger of the specialness of her parents, and the love they share for each other and for others, still Tiger couldn't help but even hate the name given to her by her parents.

When her aunt came to visit, she wished her parents could have been born as savvy and beautiful. Tiger appreciates the small things that her parents do, but when a TV becomes obsessive for her mother who loves to watch the Howdy Dowdy show and can repeat every line of the show, it only heightens the realization that her parents are very uniquely unlike the parents of her classmates.

Sadly, Tiger's grandmother died, leaving the issue of who would be able to watch after Tiger, and her parents. Tiger's aunt believes that her parents would be fine alone, and that Tiger deserves to have a life of nice clothes, a good education, and a lifestyle so very different then what she currently experiences.

Tiger went with her aunt for a short trip, and returned believing she would like to move away to a way out of the snickers and put downs. Tiger is faced with a major life-changing decision.

This is all that a YA book should portray. A story line with strong characters, a young person in conflict, and the need to make a major decision.

Three and 1/2 stars!

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