A group of people from a small Vermont town express their feelings as the KKK moves among their quiet neighborhoods. Leanora Stutter, the young African American girl and Esther Hirsh, the young Jewish girl, seem to bare the brunt of the burden as far as emotional strain. Knowing they are constant targets for no reason other than race proves to be quite taxing for the young girls. While some members of the community, such as Johnny Reeves and Harvey Pettibone join the KKK out of greed and hatred, others, such as Sara Chickering and Dr. Flitt, make a point to stand against it's principals. Threats and small crime run rampant, particularly in an attempt to run the "undesirables" out of town, but one night one town member takes the hatred even further. As Merlin is sent to poision the well used by the undesirable families, Leanora watches from behind the bush. As Merlin is deciding how far he is willing to go, shots ring out. Someone has shot Ira Hirsch through the keyhole as he sat with his daughter. Merlin was an obvious target for suspision as he ran the night of the crime, by Leanora stood up for him, telling the law that she saw him that night, but not with the Hirsch family. For so long Leanora was a witness to hate, but one day, she witnessed a change of heart.
My Thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed this story. I though the plot was interesting, and found many of the characters to be quite rich. However, I found myself often needing to refer to the photos at the front of the book to help keep the amount of characters straight. With so many presented, each without the interaction of others, there were many that were difficult to visualize. As a child, it might help to have a sentence strip with enlarged photos and descriptions to help them visualize the characters.
Their Thoughts:
Horn Book Review, 2002-
"Eleven different voices record the Ku Klux Klan's effects on a Vermont town in 1924. Many of the fictional cast (two children and nine adults) feel more like types than complex individuals. The free-verse format works well for some characters, but with others, the entries sound heavy and obviously staged. Witness has a compelling story to tell, but one that is too complex to work effectively in this format."
Awards and Accolades-
5 State Reading List Awards
Los Angeles' 100 Best Books, 2001
Notable Books for a Global Society, 2002
Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Books, 2001
My Ideas:
It would be fun to put on a 'Popcorn and Poetry' event in the library. The students could read their own original poems, and listen to the poetry of famous authors. Books in verse, like Witness, would be included to show the wide range of possibility for poetry. Many younger students think that poetry must rhyme, and exposure to many types would be beneficial.
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