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Summary: An atypical Barry Denenberg book
Review: "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan--The Perkins School for the Blind, 1932" is such an interesting book. The concept is very unique: twin sisters, one blind and one with sight, collaborate to write a diary for the blind sister. The sister with sight incorporates her emotions at the end of some of the entries as well; it's a two for one diary. I thought this "Dear America" book was such a fascinating one and should be read by all. It teaches perseverance and strength, and that we can overcome anything that befalls us. I recommend.
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Summary: A wonderfully unique new book from the Dear America series.
Review: After she is blinded in a sledding accident, twelve-year-old Bess Brennan's life changes forever. Bess would like to hide in her room forever, but her family forces her to face the world, a world that will never be the same for Bess, ever again. For years, Bess has kept a diary, faithfully writing daily entries. Now, Bess's twin sister Elin must write for her instead. Bess's family decides to send her to the Perkins School for the Blind, where she can learn to live in the world without her sight. This was a really fascinating and unique book in the Dear America series. From reading it, I learned what life might be like for a blind girl in 1932, a girl who had sight for the first twelve years of her life, but suddenly and tragically lost it. I highly recommend this book to fans of the series.
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Summary: A must-read book
Review: Bess Brennan lost her sight in a sledding accident, and is having a hard time adjusting. One of the hard things getting used to is writing in her diary, so her sister Elin offers to write down her entries for her.
But Elin isn't always there. Their parents decide to send Bess to Perkin's school for the blind, where Bess can learn to do things for herself. So Bess and Elin agree to write in her diary when she comes home on weekends.This book is absolutely wonderful. Barry Denenburg is a really great writer.
One of the parts I liked is where all the students at Perkin's were going to do a play that came right from Barry Denenburg's other book, When Will this Dreadful War be Over. And Bess got the part of Rachel, the slightly cuckoo cousin! What a laugh:)
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Summary: A Great Book
Review: I was unsure if I wanted to read this book from the school library but when I checked it out and started reading I just couldn't put it down its the best book in the Dear America sires so far.
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Summary: A unique look into the life of a blind girl
Review: Sledding was a yearly ritual for 12-year-old Bess Brennan. That is until the day came when she slammed into her tree and lost her sight forever. For Bess suddenly the whole world had just changed in a split second. An avid diary writer since seven, Bess finds now that she must rely on her twin sister Elin to right entries for her. At first all Bess wants to do is hide from the world, shut herself in a room. But her family wouldn't let her give up on herself and sent her to the Perkins School for the blind. Bess slowly begins to regain her confidence as she finds herself surrounded by people who are much like her, blind and also struggle to grasp the concept of Braille, language for the blind. This unique diary takes you into the life of a girl who is very couragous and I really liked it because it was a fresh new idea from Dear America, the first of its kind. It was also nice to learn about Perkins, where Hellen Keller went to school. All and all another hit from Dear America.
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Summary: AmAzInG!
Review: This book has got to be one of the most unique and unexpected books in the Dear America Series. However, it should be known and remembered, and thankfully it shall be among teenage children. Bess Brennan and her sister are very close and one day when they go sledding, Bess loses her sight when two boys play a trick on her, causing her to sled down into a tree. Bess's sight is absolutely lost when doctors take a chance with a new form of operation and so Bess is now an outside in the world, and may never fit in. The only way out for Bess is the Perkins School for the Blind. Although she is wary at first, Bess soon meets new friends and begins to learn Braille among all the other normal lessons a child would learn. This book was very interesting and special to the series, and hopefully more books like it will be contributed to the series. Although there are a few factual errors in it, including the WWI error in the historical note, the book is overall terrific, well written, very informational, and will open kids' eyes to a new part of American history.
I also noticed that isn't it interesting how Barry Denenberg connects his books? In this book Bess and her friends put on a play called When Will This Cruel War Be Over? That play is the other book Barry Denenberg contributed to the Dear America Series by the same name about the Civil War. Also, in Barry's Irsih Dear America, So Far From Home, the young blind girl attends Perkins School for the Blind in the epilogue. Interesting!
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Summary: A great book
Review: This book is really great. Read it!
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