Pray Hard (Hc)

I don't consider myself a very religious person. And while the title gave me pause, the book itself was not at all "religious" in the way I expected. It certainly lends itself to any interpretation from holy intervention to something more "other worldly", if you believe that WE are all connected in some way. The characters are funny and the plot engaging. I wanted to finish it all in one sitting. I expect to use it as a "read aloud" with my 7th grade language arts classes in the fall. I think they will love the narrator and Brother Mustard Seed. I know I did. ....Upstate NY ELA TEACHER

Amelia Forrest and her mom live in Kentucky and both are trying to deal with the sudden death of Amelia's father. Amelia's father was flying a plane when it crashed. Even though the crash was considered an accident, Amelia felt she was responsible. A very eccentric man appeared at Amelia's door wearing a cap that said PRAY HARD. When he learned that Amelia's father was dead, he cried and cried. He told Amelia that his name was Brother Mustard Seed and that Amelia's father had made a profound impact on his life. Brother Mustard Seed claimed that Amelia's father had appeared to him in a vision and said, "Go to my family. They need your help." Amelia's mother invites this stranger to stay with them. Amelia is not pleased. Amelia's mother tells Amelia that Amelia's daddy had told her once, "That girl of mine has her head in the clouds just like me, but her feet never leave the ground." Read this book to see what happens to Amelia, the visions, and Brother Mustard Seed.It is interesting how the book unfolds to help Amelia to deal with her loss. This book leads itself to a sequel. If Pamela Walker writes a sequel, I will definitely buy it. I would really like to know what happens next.I would recommend this book to third, fourth, and fifth graders. This book would be an excellent book for anyone who has lost a parent. The charcters in this book are interesting and bring different dimensions to the story. This story is very unique and I will keep it in my classroom library.

This book is great. When I was reading this book the story gave me a few hard laughs. If I was in the story and I could change one part I would leave it the way it is. For all the people out there who haven't read any of Pamela Walker's books I would really reccomed this one. I would rate this book 5/5 because I think it deserve's it. It met all my expectations for a good book.