Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

ISBN: 0-7887-4217-5
Recorded Books, NY 1998 (recorded by arrangement with HarperCollins Children's Books)
Performed by Christina Moore
Audiobook

Plot Summary

Sara Louise Bradshaw has spent her entire young life in the shadow of her talented and beautiful twin sister, Caroline. They live on a small island in the Chesapeake Bay during WWII and Caroline even wins a scholarship to attend high school on the mainland while "Wheeze" is stuck being home-schooled. Wheeze does love to go crabbing with her father but a time comes when it's not seemly for a girl child to be out on the boat overnight with him. Wheeze and her best friend do befriend an older gentleman, who may or may not be the mysterious man who left years before in disgrace.

Critical Evaluation

This coming-of-age tale is written so skillfully that you can imagine the twins' home island and how tough it must have been to earn a living crabbing during WWII. This book won numerous awards but seems a little anachronistic. I'm not sure that younger teens would understand why Sara Louise could not just get on a boat and go to the mainland. Christina Moore does a fine job reading the part of Wheeze.

Reader's Annotation

Sara Louise (Wheeze) Bradshaw has lived in the shadow of her beautiful and talented twin sister, Caroline, for as long as she can remember. When Caroline is able to go to school on the mainland and even steals away Wheeze's best friend, her resentment grows intolerable.

Author Info

Author Katherine Paterson is a Newbery award-winning author for this book and for A Bridge to Terabithia. She is the daughter of Chinese missionaries. She has taught school, been a missionary in Japan, and has been for many years the wife of a Presbyterian pastor.

Genre

YA coming-of-age

Curriculum Ties

Required reading lists

Booktalking Ideas

1. Why does Wheeze suddenly feel funny around Captain Wallace?

2. How does Sara Louise (Wheeze) react to the news of Caroline's engagement?

Reading/ Interest Level

I had a little trouble with this because I felt that the reading level was middle school but that the interest level would be high school to adult. The audiotape that I listened to recommended it for listeners 10 and up.

Challenge Issues

I can't imagine any

Why I Included This Book

I felt that although the reading level might be lower, this would be an appropriate book for high school age students. It is a Newbery award winner and the NY Times Book Review called it a
"novel of special brilliance."