Weekend Pick for July 5, 2024

Weekend Pick for July 5, 2024

Meet Vanessa Rogers, our contributor for this issue: an educator, a traveler, a lover of giraffes.​

​
​An obituary. A delivery. And a Nickel…  let me stop there. Without context, none of these things seem to have anything to do with my weekend pick - but without all three, it would cease to exist. So, let me start from the beginning.
April 11, 2024, The Washington Post’s author Harrison Smith detailed the life of a nearly forgotten trailblazer:  Anne Innis Dagg. A pioneer in giraffe research, an advocate for women's rights, and a name I will never forget. This weekend’s pick starts here. As I read Dr. Innis Dagg’s obituary, I sat in awe of the life she lived and could not help but imagine what it must be like to follow your dreams, travel where few have dared, and do it all out of one’s love and curiosity of the majestic giraffe. 

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

​Little did I know, the same father-in-law who shared the article on the life of Anne Innis Dagg had a surprise up his sleeve. “Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming of age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late” (cover description). With a surprise Amazon delivery, I too was able to follow my dreams, travel where few have dared, and do it all out of my love for giraffes. So begins my journey with Woody Nickel, Boy, and Girl.

Lynda Rutledge, the author

A teenage orphan boy, Woody, hopes to run away to escape his past when a once in a lifetime opportunity washes ashore. In the novel West with Giraffes, it is two giraffes that offer Woody the chance to travel from coast to coast on an unforgettable adventure and start anew.
As the author engages her audience through vivid imagery, intentional flashbacks, and thematically accessible content, we see that sometimes the past we try so hard to run from, finds a way of catching up to us. ​

As a person

• who loves to learn: this novel can immerse readers into learning, self-discovery, and a sense of wonder that will leave the story at a standstill just to do some additional research.
• who loves to travel: I was able to see the country from east to west, experience the terrors of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and breathe in the dust of Oklahoma.
• who loves giraffes: I connected to the same sense of peace found in each character who truly had the opportunity to engage the gentle giants.

"I just had the most remarkable experience...I woke up staring at a giraffe who was staring back at me. " - Lynda Rutledge, December 17, 2021.

Through a professional lens: this is a teacher's dream!  A novel that can successfully be used for making and supporting inferences; tracking the development of theme and providing objective summaries; analyzing the interactions between characters, events, and ideas; utilizing context clues to understand the language and slang of the 1930s; deconstructing the structure of a text to determine its impact; and utilizing perspective and point of view to depict and fully appreciate elements of irony and suspense. Not to mention, the historical connections that allow a teacher to spiral informational text and primary documents into their instruction to build background knowledge and make interdisciplinary connections.

The novel leaves one to wonder: where am I most at peace? who/what am I willing to take a risk for? And how can my story leave an impact?
Additional topics worth exploring include societal/cultural norms, the importance of relationships, the protection of the underserved and underrepresented, how our experiences shape us, and the legacy we leave. 
Whether you need an easy read for the summer or some instructional inspiration, West with Giraffes may just be the next book on your list. ​