Faith, Hope, and Ivy June

Faith, Hope, and Ivy June
By:  Phyllis Naylor
Houghton Mifflin
Copyright 2007
Blue Stem Award Winner
pp. 280

                                                                Faith, Hope, and Ivy June

     Faith, Hope and Ivy June is about two seventh grade girls, who do an exchange program between their schools. Ivy June Mosley is from Thunder Creek, Kentucky and Catherine Combs is from Lexington, Kentucky. This book tells the stories of their experiences, mostly in the third person. After almost every chapter are entries from Ivy June's and Catherine's journals; therefore telling their own perspectives and making the book seem more personal. During the program the girls experience the very simple and basic living of Thunder Creek. They use outhouses instead of bathrooms and take "showers" once a week in a tub outside while rinsing with a hose. In Lexington, Ivy June attended an all girl private school, learned to ride horses, and went to a show.
     I enjoyed reading this book because of the lessons it taught throughout its entire reading. Ivy June and Catherine learned to appreciate what they have in their lives. The book also emphasizes that it is important to never hold any prejudices on anyone, because everyone has something special to offer. Even though the two girls come from different lifestyles, in the end of the book they share a common fear for the safety and health of their family members, making them realize that they are not so different after all. I highly recommend this book mainly for middle school aged girls, mostly because there is never really a perspective from a guy's point of view. It is filled with great lessons and a heartfelt ending.