State Library of Kansas  :  Kansas Center for the Book  :  Letters About Literature  :  Past Winners

2006 Winner: Jessi Glueck, Leawood (Level 1)

Book Title: Sahara Special

Book Author: Esme Raji Codell

Dear Esme Raji Codell,

I sat on the sunlit couch, tears blurring my eyes as I read the last words in the book and let it slip from my hands. I felt torn apart, because though the ending was wonderful, it seemed so sad. I let the tears slip from my eyes as I thought of the little girl, her dad gone forever, learning to reconcile herself to the surprises life could throw at you when you were least expecting it. A ray of light fell on the cover of the book, illuminating the title: Sahara Special. “Sahara is a special girl,” I thought, “and Sahara Special was a special book.”

I have read Sahara Special twice now, and it made me see things in a different light every time. I never really understood how life was for someone who had to repeat a grade. It could have been so embarrassing, but somehow, Sahara’s teacher made her feel at home, more at home in the classroom than anywhere else. I never went through anything like this, living in a neighborhood and loving school from the start. But something in your book touched a nerve, made me think, “For all the huge differences that separate us, Sahara is just like me.”

There’s something in me that’s always wanted the world to see what my life is like through my writing, and ever since I first read the book, I’ve fantasized about where I’d hide my memoirs. Considering how much I myself love to write, one of the big points about the book that drew me in was watching Sahara, an aspiring author, learn and grow behind closed doors. I also loved reading about how her teacher opened the doors up.

This book also confirmed what I have thought for a long time: one of the best ways to teach is to tell a story. The magic of “Miss Pointy” is that she taught important life lessons, things like sharing and kindness and courage and truth, simply be telling a story. Some may say that experience is the best way to learn, but I disagree; the most effective way is telling, or reading, a great story. Sahara Special itself is a kind of lesson.

Though Sahara Special is a thin book, and though I have since moved on to Agatha Christie and P. G. Wodehouse, I think I’ll be reading it again soon. Because the greatest lesson it taught is something we never grow out of: it taught us about that special person within us all.

Sincerely,
Jessi Glueck

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