Witness Paperback | Pages: 161 pages

Present Books In Pursuance Of Witness

Original Title:	Witness
ISBN:	0439272009 (ISBN13: 9780439272001)
Edition Language:	English
Setting:	Vermont,1924(United States)
Literary Awards:	Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award (2002), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2003), Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee (2004)

Narration Toward Books Witness

The Barnes & Noble Review

Karen Hesse's Newbery Award-winning skills are put to great use in Witness, a poetic tale about friendship, fanaticism, and the deadly undercurrents of racial prejudice. The story takes place in a small Vermont town in the year 1924, revealing the devastating impact of the Ku Klux Klan on this pastoral, insular community. At the heart of the tale are two motherless girls who come to the attention of the newly formed Klan: 12-year-old Leanora Sutter, who is black, and 6-year-old Esther Hirsch, who is Jewish.

Hesse tells her story, which is based on real events, through the eyes of 11 different characters. Each point of view is expressed in poetic form, but with a stark clarity of difference that makes the voices unique and identifiable. There is a fire-and-brimstone preacher whose sermons reveal him as a zealot and whose actions brand him as a hypocrite. There is a middle-aged farm woman named Sara who takes Esther under her wing despite the warnings of her neighbors, trying to help the child understand why the Klan has marked her and her widowed father as targets for their hatred. Esther's only other friend is Leanora, who is about to learn some harsh lessons on tolerance and hatred herself at the hands of the Klan. And linking them all together is 18-year-old Merlin Van Tornhout, a young man struggling to fit in with the adult world and determine for himself the difference between right and wrong. The remaining characters who circle the periphery of this core group reflect the various mind-sets and biases that were common during this era of fear and persecution, even in a setting as bucolic as the Vermont countryside.

Hesse weaves real historic events into her tale, such as the murder trial of the infamous kidnappers Leopold and Loeb, giving the work a definite period flavor. Using prose that is both sparse and powerful, she builds the tension with a slow crescendo of inevitability that ends in violence, but also offers up an unforgettable lesson on the true power of friendship and acceptance. (Beth Amos)

Specify Regarding Books Witness

Title	:	Witness
Author	:	Karen Hesse
Book Format	:	Paperback
Book Edition	:	Deluxe Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 161 pages
Published	:	March 1st 2003 by Scholastic Paperbacks (first published July 5th 2000)
Categories	:	Historical. Historical Fiction. Poetry. Young Adult. Fiction. Childrens. Middle Grade

Rating Regarding Books Witness

Ratings: 3.72 From 5007 Users | 779 Reviews

Critique Regarding Books Witness

I had to read this for a class in college, and I just picked it up while cleaning my shelf and reread it. It's a story told in poems each from a different characters' perspective. It's about the kkk and racism in the 1920s and the different people's thoughts and changing feelings on the subject.

3.5 stars.Historical fiction usually isn't quite my thing, but I really enjoyed this. It's written in verse, which made everything feel more close and real to me. The characters were all very vivid to me and I especially loved little Esther and the newspaper editor.The one thing that bothered me about this book was that it was too short. I felt like the plot didn't have enough time to develop and grow. *sighs*Overall though, I really *did* enjoy this book.

It's been a while since I read Karen Hesse's writing, but it's just as powerful as ever.Witness deals with the topic of racism through the perspectives of a wide cast of townsfolk in Vermont on the cusp of the Ku Klux Klan coming to town. The perspectives span from 6-year-old Esther Hirsh, the daughter of a Jewish shopkeeper and 12-year-old Leonora Sutter, one of the few black people in their town, to newspaper editor Reynard Alexander who vows to remain neutral on the KKK coming to town until

We read this in English class, and I first I was very confused and didn't love it. It's a very fast read, being a play and all, but the action really picked up. I read Merlin Van Tornhout's part when we read it aloud in class, and I really liked his character and the way he changed his ways (I was so thankful for that). I FREAKING LOVE THE LAST CHAPTER OF LEONORA'S. I was stunned into being speechless by how wonderfully tied together everything became in Act 5. It was just beautifully written.

1. One of the best books I've ever read. 2. The different points of view were rich and real and had me in the palm of their hand. It's just amazing because this story was told by the whole town. You really got to see the far reaching affects of the Klan.3. Can I adopt Esther? 4. Favorite page by Fitzgerald Flitt:the flapperis not the least bit alarming,not a sign of the declining social standard.though she drinks cocktails and shows and inordinate fondness for lipstick and the rouge pot,we have

Why a 5 star rating?: This is a well written, compelling look at prejudice and hate told through a variety a voices and perspectives. Hesse is masterful when it comes to writing poetry and novels in verse. Because the novel is narrated by a diverse group of characters, you get to experience the story in a different way. It's a quick read that tackles tough subjects and leaves the reader wanting to know more about the characters and the town in which they live.Plot summary:"Witness" by Karen

This little book packs a huge punch.In 1924, the Ku Klux Klan comes to a small Vermont town to protect families. As the Klan becomes more violent and influential, their presence impacts every person in the town. This novel-in-verse is told from multiple points-of-view. The characters are different ages, from different backgrounds, and have different opinions of the Klan. Will the characters give in to the Klans influence, or will they run the Klan out of town?To those who swear our young are on