BookTalk

Title: What Jamie Saw

Author: Carolyn Coman

Publisher: Arden, NC: Front Street

Date Published: 1995

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Problem Novel

Grade Level: 5-8

Booktalker: Karen M. Schuebel

Background note about the author:

In addition to this title, Carolyn Coman is the author of five other childrenπs books, including Tell Me Everything, The Big House, Bee and Jacky, Many Stones, and Sneaking Suspicions. Carolyn was born in Illinois and was a member of the first graduating class of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. She worked as a hand bookbinder and as an editor at an educational publishing house for several years before writing, What Jamie Saw, her first novel for young people.

Background about the selection:

I chose this book to booktalk to this grade level for several reasons. The storyπs details are riveting but much of what makes the book interesting is what isnπt said. Thus, the reader is given the task of inferring a great amount of information about the characters and their circumstances ≠ a meaningful task for many readers in this grade level. I have chosen to present this booktalk through the voice of Jamie as I believe his ≥story≤ is what will best motivate students at this grade level.

Booktalk:

Have you ever seen something so scary, so frightening yet amazing, something that you knew would change everything from that moment? It happened so quickly but luckily my mom, Patty, was there to catch my baby sister, Nin, when Van threw her out of the crib. Then we moved away from Van and went to live in Earlπs trailer ≠ it reminded me of a big silver toaster the first time I saw it. It only had a bed for me ≠ mom slept in the recliner and Nin slept in a pulled-out drawer in one of Earlπs old bureaus. This made me wish there was a drawer big enough for me. I often wondered if I pushed that drawer in if Nin would slide in and still be able to breathe. Thatπs all I was trying to do the night me and mom got back from the Groveton Christmas Carnival. I knew my mom was upset because we thought we saw Van at the carnival ≠ but it was only someone who looked like Van. It was enough to make mom a little crazy though because when I pushed in Ninπs drawer to see what would happen mom yelled at me, and then I threw up. Later, when I asked her what had happened, well thatπs when the truth came out, and she told me what we were up against.

For a while I got to stay home from school and practice my magic. Iπm getting really good at the coin trick, wanna see? (Perform magic coin trick for booktalk audience). Then my teacher, Mrs. Desrochers, came to the trailer and convinced my mom that I needed to go back to school even though we all felt safe in the trailer. I could see that mom felt better after Mrs. Desrochers came, but I was so angry.

≥Why would his mother send him away from the trailer, back to the exploded, contaminated world? Why couldnπt they just stay together the way they had been and Earl could bring them food sometimes.≤

Then mom left in a hurry to give Mrs. Desrochers her book bag, and I got really jumpy so I ran ≠ hard and fast ≠ didnπt know if my mom was coming back ≠ didnπt even see her come back but then she did and picked me up like a baby and laid me on the bed in the trailer. Thatπs when I knew she hadnπt left for good. But I kicked her anyway.

Christmas was coming, so I marked all the magic tricks I wanted in the catalog. Then the ice storm hit and Earl had to come and rescue us. ≥Might as well live at the damn North Pole≤ is what mom said, and I didnπt see anything wrong with that. It was good that Earl came though because he brought my Christmas present a little early. Even though I was anxious and a little unsure ≠ those skates sure did make me forget about things.

Vanπs visit was another surprise we werenπt counting on. It was Christmas Eve and my mom had gone to the store. When she came back I was showing Van my coin trick. I showed my mom how I had protected Nin. She wanted me to take Nin and leave the trailer but I wouldnπt leave her ≠ wouldnπt leave my mom alone with Van.

What Jamie Saw by Carolyn Coman

Additional information/curriculum suggestions:

This book could be paired with these titles whose theme is related to child abuse concerns:

-  Cruther, Chris. Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes.  1993.  Greenwillow.
-  Deem, James. 3NB's of Julian Drew.  1994.  Houghton Mifflin.
-  White, Ruth. Weeping Willow.  1992.  Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
-  Woodson, Jacqueline. I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This.  Delacore. 1994

What Jamie Saw by Carolyn Coman. Web Page Compiled By:  Karolyn Schulte, Molly Coy, Lauren Jones, Erin O'Toole, James Michael Barton. Retrieved March 3, 2007, from http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~elbond/jamie.htm

This website, http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/Pubs/0300-22.pdf, also contains field-tested teaching ideas.