I have just finished the book, Sugarcane Academy, by Michael Tisserand. It is the most incredible book about the children of New Orleans, immediately following Katrina. The book focuses on the kids wanting and needing the routine of school and Mr. Tisserand, a parent, talking with a teacher and being able to start a small school about an hour away from New Orleans. It shows how the love of a teacher, and one who has the willingness to teach "outside of the box" can truly help heal the hearts and minds of these children. The book also opened my eyes to just how many children were displaced from the schools in New Orleans during Katrina, 70,000 in public schools, and the immense size of the task of educating those kids once again.
I think I always looked at the big picture in New Orleans-the homes lost, the lives lost, the economy lost-but didn't stop to think of the smallest victims.
This is a book that I will now purchase. I can't wait until Meghan reads it. With her interest in kids and mental health, she will have a lot of interest in it. Of course, she may also want to take off and go to New Orleans...