Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Jade Green.
Scholastic. 1999.
ISBN-13: 9780439934183
$6.99. Paperback. 170 pages.
Readers Annotation
Judith has been told by her uncle to never bring the color green into his house. Has she awoken some evil presence by her disobedience?
Plot Summary
Orphaned 15-year-old Judith Sparrow has been accepted into her Uncle Geoffrey’s home in South Carolina with only one restriction – never bring anything green into the house. However, Judith cannot bear to part with her mother’s picture set in a green silk frame. Judith does not know if her disobedience causes the sudden surge in unexplained activity, but she is frightened. Judith has heard the stories about Jade Green, a young lady that lived in the house before her. The townspeople she has become friends with tell her that Jade Green committed suicide in the home, and this is the reason her Uncle will not allow the color in the house. Judith’s middle-aged Cousin Charles refuses to find work. His presence makes Judith uncomfortable. When Judith meets a young man, Zeke, he begins to court her. Then, Judith sees a dismembered hand crawling around her room, and her fears escalate. She feels she must find out more about Jade Green, to discover the reason for her suicide. Judith discovers that it was her lecherous Cousin Charles who caused the death of Jade Green. When a drunken Charles attempts to assault Judith, it is the dismembered hand of Jade that takes her final revenge.
Critical Evaluation
The eye-catching cover of this novel shows an out of focus image of a young woman with her mouth opened in a scream. The woman on the cover appears to be Asian, which is odd considering that this novel takes place in South Carolina. Additionally, this novel is reminiscent of earlier period pieces. Naylor pulls from gothic romance novels to create a spine-tingling novel of betrayal, murder, and a vengeful ghost. Her character, Judith is spunky, and a little like Nancy Drew. Naylor’s literary prop, the severed hand of the dead Jade, is a somewhat trite. Readers of the genre may find its use tedious. I would not recommend this book as the best example of the genre. However, this book is a quick read, and may encourage some readers to look for other novels by the author.
Information about the author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (b. 1/4/33 - ), has written over 135 books for children and young adults. She won the Newbury Award for her novel Shiloh. You can find out more about her at http://www.eduplace.com/kids/tnc/mtai/naylor.html.
Genre
Fiction, Paranormal, Unexplained Phenomenon
Curriculum ties
None.
Challenge Issues
Paranormal events.
Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Jade-Green-Phyllis-Reynolds-Naylor/dp/068982002X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258089257&sr=1-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss how Judith is instructed to never bring anything green into the house by her Uncle Geoffrey.
2. Talk about how Judith's disobedience may have triggered the paranormal events that occur in the house.
3. Mention how the disembodied hand make itself known to Judith.
Reading Level/Age
Young Adult. 12 and over.
Why I included this title
This book is included in Teen Genreflecting, 2nd edition (2003), as an example of “Paranormal: Unexplained Phenomenon" (p. 133).
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