Willa’s Poppy
Willa considers herself fat and ugly compared to her sister. She is also struggling in school. In effort to encourage her academically, her parents agree to allow her to adopt a puppy for her 14th birthday if her grades improve. When her birthday arrives, her excellent grades win her the prize. She adopts Poppy, a deserted bloodhound pup. Throughout the book, young Willa struggles with her own self-worth. One of her diary entries prior to owning Poppy reads: “I feel this whole worlds a sad bad horrible place to live in … kids burp or wors in my face. im scared and that Bloodhound in the photo looked exactly the way I feel … I know Bloodhound and me would cheer each other up. Each of us would understand the other.” By training and caring for Poppy, however, she builds self-confidence and life begins to change. Then Willa and her baby brother are taken captive by a convicted murderer. She taps into her new-found inner strength that helps sustain both their lives. In addition to this, Poppy utilizes her natural-born hunting instincts to help rescue the two missing children. This book is written in third person, with Willa’s diary entries scattered throughout. Newspaper clippings offer another dimension to the story, offering hints of impending danger. These elements combined do not make the reading confusing. In fact, it enhances the story while enabling readers to follow Willa’s progression academically and emotionally. This is a great book for young girls who may be struggling to find their own self-worth. They can relate to Willa on different levels and rejoice with her in the end. |
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