Recently I was given a chance to read Walking with Miss Millie by Tamara Bundy. This is the most tender, honest, heartfelt book I have read in awhile for this age group. It's geared for middle school readers, but Kaden who is 10 loved it and read the whole thing in only 1 day. We have recently read a biography on Harriet Tubman and in the process of reading Uncle Tom's Cabin together, so this was a breath of fresh air, because it was so endearing. Straight from Kaden's mouth.... " This is a Perfect addition to my Personal Selection of Historical Fiction". Yes, he has a "personal selection" of all genres that only he can thumb through.
You can read Below all about the book, but I want to share with you what we felt and talked about after Kaden and I read it. First of all it's based in Georgia, so you know we had to make a yummy Peach Cobbler. But, we also talked for days about the precious moments of time with our loved ones that we have. Not long ago we lost a very dear elderly friend that was like a Grandma to our Family. She was like Miss Millie, filled with Wisdom, Love and offered an unlikely Friendship to us all. While reading we were reminded of our sweet friend and it etched this book even closer to our hearts. I wished that every child in the world could have a Miss Millie in there lives. This book paved a way for us to explore the South in the late 1960's. Kaden was able to relate to some of the characters especially with having a disability of his own. We talked about the Politics, the Music and even some of the iconic 60's clothing.... Yes we tie-died a shirt for the very 1st time ever and even experimented with Slime!!!
I encourage you to take a little trip in time with your kiddo and read this book together. Not only will you experience the beauty of young Alice and Miss Millie's friendship that comes at the right time in Alice's life....when she needs it the most. But, you will find that this book gently shows some pretty tough subjects like racism, divorce and disabilities in a way that young minds can understand and have compassion towards. I know you will treasure it as much as we do.
About
the Book: Eleven-year-old Alice has just moved to Georgia with
her mom and little brother, and barely has time to unpack before she
gets herself in trouble. When she's caught eavesdropping on a phone call
on the party line, her mom sends her next door
to apologize to their new neighbor, Miss Millie, a spry
ninety-two-year-old African-American woman. To make up for her rudeness,
Alice agrees to walk Clarence, Miss Millie's blind dog, for the rest of
the summer. But he refuses to go anywhere without Miss
Millie, so the three of them soon develop a daily routine: walking
together and Miss Millie sharing wisdom and stories from her long life.
Alice is fascinated,
learning about Miss Millie's parents being slaves, and Miss Millie
living most of her life in the segregated South. When she's not with
Miss Millie, Alice spends her time plotting to get her parents back
together—she's
hardly heard from her dad since he left the family a year ago—but it's a
wasted effort. Fortunately, her growing bond with Miss Millie eases her
sadness, broadens her understanding of life, and gives her a true,
unbreakable friendship she'll never forget.
About the Author:
Tamara Bundy is a high school English teacher with a Master's degree in writing, and is a former columnist for
The Cincinnati Post (her regular column on being a mom also appeared on EWTN global Catholic radio).
Walking With Miss Millie is her debut novel, and she lives in Cincinnati, OH.a Rafflecopter giveaway
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