Zora and Me by Victoria Bond & T.R. Simon

Zora and Me by Victoria Bond & T.R. Simon

Bond, V. & Simon, T.R. (2010). Zora and Me. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Historical Fiction; Multicultural Literature; Chapter Book

Zora and Me was written by Bond and Simon based off the stories and life of Zora Neale Hurston, author of the well-known novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. The story is narrated by Zora’s best friend Carrie, and tells the adventures of the children with the young Zora’s very imaginative and detailed stories. The novel reveals the enriched culture of the small town of Eatonville, Florida, home to the renowned author and “gators”. In the novel, Zora tells this elaborate story about a townsmen being part gator and part man, sticking with her story whether people believed her or not. Through her investigation, Zora reveals the secrets and mysteries behind the killing of a town visitor, finding the truth behind her imaginative story. In the end, her story was not entirely true; however her ability to have such an extraordinary imagination gave her the chance to endure great adventures.

This book would be great to introduce when students are learning to write stories or to encourage them to have an imagination. School and the media often forces children, especially at an older age, to give up their imagination and think more logically about situations. Having an imagination is the fun part to exploring different aspects of the world. Studies have shown that having a great imagination leads to greater creative thinking skills as students get older, helping them become innovative thinkers. This book could help encourage students to have an imagination when exploring and use their creative writing skills.