The Way a Door Closes and Keeping the Night Watch are companion works of poetry by Hope Anita Smith. In The Way a Door Closes, C.J.’s Dad abandons his family when he loses his job. His mother and grandmother work to hold the family together, and C.J. tries to fill his father’s shoes with his younger brother and sister. C.J. “keeps the night watch” and struggles to accept his father’s return in the second book, Keeping the Night Watch. The watercolor illustrations for Keeping the Night Watch by E.B. Lewis really enhance the text. Smith uses various forms of poetry to express C.J.’s anger and loss of trust: “I walk around with my words drawn, ready to fire. Because this house isn’t big enough for the two of us.”
reviewed by Victoria
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One comment on “The Way a Door Closes/Keeping the Night Watch”
Miss K on said:
>I just read The Way a Door Closes and really enjoyed it. I think it will appeal to a lot of my students. I didn't realize there was a sequel; I look forward to checking it out.
The Way a Door Closes and Keeping the Night Watch are companion works of poetry by Hope Anita Smith. In The Way a Door Closes, C.J.’s Dad abandons his family when he loses his job. His mother and grandmother work to hold the family together, and C.J. tries to fill his father’s shoes with his younger brother and sister. C.J. “keeps the night watch” and struggles to accept his father’s return in the second book, Keeping the Night Watch. The watercolor illustrations for Keeping the Night Watch by E.B. Lewis really enhance the text. Smith uses various forms of poetry to express C.J.’s anger and loss of trust: “I walk around with my words drawn, ready to fire. Because this house isn’t big enough for the two of us.”reviewed by Victoria
>I just read The Way a Door Closes and really enjoyed it. I think it will appeal to a lot of my students. I didn't realize there was a sequel; I look forward to checking it out.