Meet and greet Author Vivian Lee with her memoir, THE INVISIBLE GIRL ON AMES STREET on Saturday, March 8th at 12pm. Vivian has partnered with Feeding the Gulf Coast for this signing to help food assistance in our local area.
This engaging memoir is about Vivian, an impoverished young girl who lived in a small apartment on Ames Street in Saginaw, Michigan in the early 1960's. As the readers follow her many adventures, daily challenges, spiritual hopes, and fantastic dreams, they soon realize that Vivian's story is even more relevant now than it was in that era.
From the first chapter when readers begin to learn of the clever ways in which Vivian's vivid imagination shields her from the harsh realities of her life, to the final chapter where they experience the sorrow of the innocent nine-year olds' shattered childhood and eviction from her home, Vivian invites them to see the world of poverty through the filters of a hope-filled green eyed youngster.
Written in her unique style, Vivian's message will be received differently by a variety of audiences. Some young readers will enjoy her as a character in an almost fictional way. As she roams the streets, railroad tracks, and buildings of Saginaw, youngsters will experience the day-to-day life of a "free-range child". They will read in Chapter 12 Summertime Swimming: "There were skills we acquired as "children of the streets." We learned where the public bathrooms, water fountains and places to get out of the elements were located. We discovered all of the shortcuts and alleys and knew which businesses had front doors and back doors that allowed us to cut through city blocks.
Traveling this joint adventure with Vivian may help school-age children see their peers through kinder more tolerant eyes.
Those seeking a career in social work, teaching, and community service will benefit with a new insight to hidden trauma and hopefully develop skills to recognize the subtle ways that children are affected by poverty. Through the discussion questions at the end of the book, these mature readers will be encouraged to develop ideas to help the vulnerable children overcome life's obstacles.