The Year Mrs. Montague Cried
Written by Susan White
Acorn Press $12.95
Recommended for ages 9-14.
 
Taylor Broderson is a nine-year-old girl with a lot on her mind.  Her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Montague, has just lost her son to a tragic car accident.  Her younger brother, Corey, has just been diagnosed with a horrific disease. Taylor and her classmates witness their teacher’s mourning in a very public forum, the classroom.   Taylor prefers the privacy of her journal as a way to deal with her troubles. Through Mrs. M’s storytelling, the classmates learn of funny stories about her son, Zac. They hear about the year he dressed up as McDonald’s French fries for Halloween and got beaten over the head by Stephen Richard.  They hear about the trip to Kings Landing that did not include Zac!
 
At one point, Mrs. M tells the class in detail how it was that she and her husband heard of Zac’s accident.  This in turn led to the students sharing their stories of lost loved ones.  By the end of this class, all of the students were crying yet came away from the experience better for it.
 
Told from Taylor’s perspective and in journal format with each chapter being a new month, the story is heart-wrenching yet very readable.  The topics are heavy yet real.  This is a book that will make children think.  It makes a wonderful read-a-loud as there are so many topics to discuss.
 
Sue White is a retired teacher who lives on the Kingston Peninsula and has for most of her life. Although not a biography, this story is based on Sue’s experience with losing her oldest son to a car accident. Sue won the young adult category of the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia 2010 Atlantic Writing Competition.