LSSL 5360: Module 4 -- Nonfiction & Biography

A Home for Mr. Emerson

By Barbara Kerley

1)    BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kerley, B., & Fotheringham, E. (2014). A home for Mr. Emerson. New York: Scholastic Press.

2)    PLOT SUMMARY

Ralph Waldo Emerson moved quite often during his childhood and always dreamed of having a pleasant home in a place he could make his own.  Emerson established roots in Concord, Massachusetts and what grew from them was a truly something to behold.  When he was in college he discovered a new love of his, reading books, discussing them with friend, and keeping a journal of his “new thoughts.”  After he finished school he set out to build a life around the things he loved, and moved to Concord where he resided with his wife, Lydia.  They had big plans for their house and all that he could accomplish within the walls of his study.  The couple was building a home together but they felt as if they were missing something, friends.  They went out and meet their neighbors and built friendships among their community.  Emerson would share his thoughts and ideas with his neighbors, which then spread to putting them into books and sharing them in grand lectures.  He traveled far and wide sharing his thoughts with anyone and everyone.  No matter how famous he became or how far he traveled he always longed to be home at Concord.  In 1872, there was a tragic fire in his Concord house, which left him feeling displaced and very distraught.  When his neighbors heard of the fire they came in droves to help the family salvage anything possible, stored items in their house, and even helped rebuild the beloved home.  Mr. Emerson built much more than just a home in Concord.  He built a community of caring, thoughtful people and a beacon to writers during his lifetime.  Emerson viewed everyone in Concord as his family and made his childhood dreams come true is home he established there.

3)    CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In A Home for Mr. Emerson, Kerley gives a different viewpoint in her biography picture book about Ralph Waldo Emerson.  She focuses on his deep love of his home and the life he established in Concord.  In this book, the reader gets to know more of the man that Emerson was, rather than just his literary works that he’s known for.  On most pages of the book is a quotation from Emerson that shares his thoughts that allow the reader to ponder, or ties into a lesson he would bestow on the reader.  Kerley portrays his deep love for his house and the community he builds, and how he feels a deep loss when it catches on fire.  In her account of Emerson, the reader will see the value he placed in the life he created, and when it was threatened it truly took him aback.  Fotheringham’s illustrations are captivating and bold, using primarily bright, bold colors.  The illustrations wrap around the text beautifully, and books are incorporated in creative ways throughout.  Emerson’s feelings about his house are accurately depicted as Kerley describes the ups and downs of the house, especially his distraught and grief over the fire.  The endpapers of the book showcase several of Emerson’s quotes and help to tie the book together.  The author includes a note at the end that touches on the community he built in Concord, and famous authors who came to visit his home.  I was very interested to learn that Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and one of my favorite authors Louisa May Alcott were a few that had the opportunity to be a part of the life that Emerson built.  At the back of the book, the reader is encouraged to start building a world of their own with some helpful tidbits from Mr. Emerson.

4)    REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Publisher Weekly’s Review:  “Well-sourced quotations appear throughout the story (and fill the endpapers), both contextualizing Emerson’s life and standing as testament to the value of an open mind and a generous heart. Appended materials offer additional details about Emerson and encourage readers to “choose the life you create for yourself,” as he did.”  (Reviewed 12/2/2013)

Kirkus’ Review: “Instead, this is largely the story of a natural scholar who loves his cozy home in Concord, Mass., so much that when it is damaged in a terrible fire, he mourns it like the death of a person. The illustrations—prancing across oversized pages—are cheery, inventive, bright and busy, depicting a contented-looking man in coat and tails basking in the magnificence of life.  A small, inviting window into the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson and an inspiring tribute to a life’s dream realized.”  (Reviewed 11/27/2013)

5)    CONNECTIONS

•       This is a great book to introduce students to different formats of nonfiction text.  I would use this to share with students the influence one person can have on so many lives and have them write about someone who has made a difference in their life. 
•       At the back of the book, there is the build a world of your own suggestions, and I would challenge students to think about what they would want to create someday in the future.
•       Other similar stories:

      Kerley, Barabara.  WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE?  ISBN 9780439922319

      Kerley, Barbara.  THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN  ISBN 9780545125086

      Kerley, Baraba.  THOSE REBELS, JOHN & TOM  ISBN 9780545222686