*The only family member she can really rely on is her older sister.
*When a teacher notices some "signs" about Effie, she steps in and is granted temporary custody of her.
*While Effie lives with her teacher, she realizes what life can be like outside of her father's environment.
*Effie's well being is brought to a court of law where her future will be decided by a judge. What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *This was my first time reading something by LeZotte and I found the free-verse to be powerful.
*The text was sparse, but each word was full of emotion and delivered a punch to the reader.
*I did think there was something missing from the text as the plot seemed to be missing something and the storyline moved a bit quick.
*I wasn't quite sure how the deer fit into Effie's story, but it could have been representing survival by both of them.
*This was a tough subject matter and the author did a wonderful job of covering it.
Who Should Read It... *For me, this is definitely a middle-school story as the subject matter is mature and quite serious. The plot deals with neglect and abuse. You should be aware of that before sharing the story with a young reader. Happy Reading!
