Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush





Author: Virginia Hamilton

Readability Score: Interest Level Grade 9, Grade Level Equivalent 5.3, Lexile Measure 550L

Genre: General Fiction

Sub Genre: Horror and Supernatural

Theme: African American Character and Values

Characters: Teresa (Tree), Dabney, Mother, Brother Rush

Awards:

- American Book Awards Honor Book

- ALA Best Book for Young Adults

- ALA Notable Book

- Booklist Best of the 1980′s

- Booklist Editor’s Choice

- Boston Globe Horn Book Award

- Coretta Scott King Award

- Library of Congress Best Books for Children

- NCTE Teacher’s Choice

- Newbery Honor Book

- Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies

- School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

- Received the 1983 Certificate of Honor from IBBY (The International Board on Books for Young People) as “an outstanding example of literature with international importance.”

Date of Publication: 1982

Publisher: Philomel Books

ISBN: 0-399-20894-1

Jacket Illustration: Leo and Dianne Dillon

Summary: A Fourteen year old girl named Teresa, has the nickname of Tree is the main character in this story.  She is also the main caretaker of her retarded older brother, Dabney.  Their mother works a lot and does not seem very interested in their family life.  Tree is walking along one day and encounters what she believes to be a person.  This person becomes, Brother Rush. 

Classroom Activity:  The teacher will have students create an art piece to represent a portion of the book, a piece of the history of Tree's family, or a complete representation of the entire book.