|
M.C. Higgins, The Great
by Virginia Hamilton
Macmillan, New York. 1974
Grades: 7–12
This strange and moving slice-of-life tale features teen-aged
Mayo Cornelius Higgins who sits on a 40-foot pole and surveys
the denizens of Sarah’s Mountain. M.C.’s life is changed
forever when a wandering young woman spends time in the area,
and a man from the city comes to record his mother’s folk
singing. The early chapters, particularly the end of Chapter 1
and all of Chapter 2, are concerned with the view and perspective
from the pole’s height, and so connect most directly with
the flagpole measurement activity. Eventually the pole becomes
a symbol, a marker of the family’s multi-generational connection
to their home. There is also information on the way that strip
mining has ravaged the land, is threatening their house, and affecting
the lives of their unusual neighbors and the local animals. The
real “measurement” in this award-winning novel is of
maturity, responsibility, and a growing appreciation of family
and an understanding of self.
You may also want to look at the literature connections listed
for Experimenting with Model Rockets.
|
|
