Children's Fiction City & Town Life
Willa's House
- Publisher
- Plumleaf Press Inc.
- Initial publish date
- Jul 2019
- Category
- City & Town Life, School & Education
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9780921156703
- Publish Date
- Jul 2019
- List Price
- $22.95
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
Willa’s House, David Booth’s final book, is a tribute to women teachers, to the joy in life’s small moments, and to home. Inspired by a true story, this heartwarming chronicle of a teacher’s life in a small Canadian town illustrates the tragedies and triumphs that centre around this one home. These events demonstrate Willa’s strong ties to family, friends, and students as well as the ways in which she makes a lasting impact on her community. With her less-than-typical trajectory, Willa shows us that there is more than one way to lead a fulfilling life.
About the authors
David Booth was Professor Emeritus at OISE–University of Toronto, where he trained teachers to use innovative ways to promote literacy among children for more than 30 years. A prolific author and popular international speaker, David delighted thousands with his energy, enthusiasm, and commitment. Although David passed away in 2018, his dedication to literacy, and his superb body of work in the field, form a lasting legacy in Canadian education.
Excerpt: Willa's House (by (author) David Booth; illustrated by Renia Metallinou)
Why I wrote this book
“I saw this story as a memory gem of a time in small-town Canada, with a woman, a teacher, who spent 80 years of her life in her childhood home. To me, Willa’s seemingly unremarkable dwelling place is an almost magical repository of ever-ranging and everlasting childhood memories. It reminds us that, for children, regardless of the building, home matters. It is my hope that this book will bring forth children’s own stories of home life: neighbours, school, faith, community, friends. Perhaps Willa’s House might even act as an icon representing home memories for children so that they, like Willa, will see their own safe place through the hazy filter of Willa’s vignettes.”
– David Booth, May 2018
