Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson (chapter book that addresses diversity)

Jacqueline Woodson won a Newbery Honor in 2008 for her outstanding work, Feathers. I feel this book should be in every elementary and middle school library media center. There are numerous components embedded throughout the story that cleverly address diversity. This book allows the reader to step inside the 1970s to take a closer look at many themes such as racial tension, cultural language, Christian religion and faith, inside the world of a young boy who is deaf, and even adoption. The book also metaphorically weaves a part in one of Emily Dickinson's poems "Hope is the thing with feathers."
Frannie, the narrator and main character in the story, is a sixth grader who attends an all black middle school; that is until a white young boy joins her classroom one winter day. For a girl Frannie's age, she has had many things to cope with her older brother's deafness and her mother losing a young child. So, when the calm white boy shows up in Frannie's classroom, she is able to "see" him differently than most of her other classmates. The class calls him "Jesus Boy." While there is no more segregation in this time period, the reader gains a sense of the racial tension that was still present. For example, throughout the book Trevor, the class bully, constantly harasses Jesus Boy and Frannie also mentions life on "both sides of the highway." However, toward the end of the story, there is a warm sense of hope that leaves the reader feeling appreciative.
The book is an excellent choice because there are many dimensions that allow the reader to make connections and also to gain a better perspective inside the different lives of other people. I feel if this book were used as a literature unit, there would be many wonderful and deep discussions on diversity and the idea of feeling different. The story also allows the reader to come to the important realization that even though we are all different, we all have things in common as well, i.e hope, and I believe that is one of the best features of this story!