Blue

Blue is an incredible historical fiction novel about a thirteen year old girl, Ann Fay. Her father goes off to fight in World War II and leaves her his overalls—a symbol that she's stepped into the role of "man of the house." With the help of her family and neighbors, Ann Fay keeps up the garden and works hard to care for her family. When a polio outbreak hits the town and and her family is directly affected, Ann Fay has to find courage within herself to overcome the obstacles she faces. 

I chose to read this book for our "Choice Week" because I have always been interested in World War II. It has been a topic that I've always read about and I enjoy reading historical fiction novels about it. I always wondered what it felt like to live through that period of historical tragedy. Blue gave a very realistic perspective of this for me. I was in awe of Ann Fay's bravery, despite how many unfortunate things she had to deal with at such a young age. Her voice and her internal monologue was encouraging and refreshing, as she continuously chose to do what she knew would be difficult for her.

I think that Ann Fay serves as a model character for many children. She comes down with Polio herself and throughout the entirety of her stay at the hospital, encourages herself to get better and improve. She makes friends with a black girl at the hospital—something uncommon in the 1940s—and fights to spend time with her against the nurse's wishes. Ann Fay models resilience and determination that anyone would want to aspire to have. 

In terms of my future classroom, I think that this would be a great book for upper elementary students learning about World War II or segregation. Additionally, I could use this book to talk about diseases and health around the world.

Blue
By: Joyce Moyer Hostetter  

Published in 2010