Story involving Lanesha, a twelve-year-old living in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans just as Hurricane Katrina is about to hit the area. Using the wisdom and lessons from her elderly caretaker, Mama Ya-Ya, Lanesha is able to battle the storm and its after-effects.

I think I'm in the minority here, but I found this well-intentioned but a little bland. I feel Lanesha, while strong in spirit and intelligence, is also a character that I've read before in other books. She's poor, lonely, and has abandonment issues but still tries to maintain a positive attitude. Do you know how many characters are like that in children's literature!?! The supernatural aspect was half-baked, and aspects of the story, especially Lanesha's potential friends, were introduced but left without closure.

I'm not a fan of tidy endings. And I know that something as devastating and as complicated as Hurricane Katrina can't be wrapped up in a nice bow, but I found the story not to be open-ended but just incomplete.