This is a book I really enjoyed. I picked it up at my school library. I all most didn't get it but am glad that I did. This book talked about prejudice against Native Americans. The book helped me realize that not just major cultures are discriminated against. I also liked the book for its main character Edie Jo. Along her journey of growing-up she meets an Indian boy named Cherokee. They develop a very strong friendship which cannot be broken. I hope you all read this book!

Perfect Family is an ideal portrait of the life of a girl in the mid 50's. When a girl in that era had a problem she is told to keep it to herself so as not to embarrass the family. But what is a girl to do when the problem is to big for her to handle. This is exactly what happens to Welcome O'Neal, the protagonist in the story. Welcome is a typical 15 year old girl who enjoys time with her family and attending church every Sunday. When she meets Nicholas Canton, an older and wilder boy, she immediately falls into puppy love. Their relationship ends suddenly and Welcome feels a sense of abandonment and loneliness. She needs to fill this void, and on a date with an old friend she unexpectedly makes the decision to lose her virginity to him. This is the beginning of a new life for Welcome. One that she never wanted to enter, but now has to deal with. When she finally did find out that she was pregnant she had no one to turn to. She knew her parents would be disgusted by her. They had always thought of their family as being taintless, nothing could stop them because they were untouchable. But the families flawless reputation was soon to change. Welcome did not want to let her family down with her horrible behaviors and their results. So the only person she now had to turn is her older sister. Evelyn Sue, like Welcome, is very immature. She does not know how to handle the situation and does not offer any thoughtful advice. The only suggestion she gives her (besides standing upside down hoping for a miscarriage) is an abortion. This was a time when there were no legalized abortions. Even though Welcome thought of aborting her pregnancy she knew in her heart that she could not. The primary reason that Welcome could not go through with the abortion was because she has always had the idea of having the perfect family. After her sister ran away to California in search of James Dean and now Welcome becoming pregnant they were about as far off from being the perfect family as you could be. So once again Welcome has to deal with her consequences alone. Because of her parents influence, Welcome begins to have a complex in her head as to she needs to have a perfect family. She feels the need to be able to provide her child with everything, including a father. When Welcome realizes that this is not possible, she decides to tell her parents. Like everyone else around Welcome they do not know how to handle the news. They treat her like a disease and decide that she needs to move away to her relatives house in Virginia Beach. Surprisingly this works out better than expected because in her travels she meets a wonderfully inspiring black woman named Hattie, who would travel with Welcome in her heart throughout the rest of her life. Welcome's determination throughout the novel is what carried this story through what many would say to be an emotional roller coaster. The author, Jerrie Oughton, captures your interest within the first few pages, with a day in the life of Welcome O'Neal. She makes the characters spirit and personality show through. Which is very helpful when dealing with such morally unfit issues. Her determination to make a better life for herself and her baby is a beautiful encouragement to any unwed mother who thinks that she can never lead a successful life. Welcome was forced to grow up alone and fast. Because of this she becomes a stronger and wiser person. Sometimes when faced with a problem people look to others for advice or answers. Welcome teaches us all that we need to look into ourselves and re-evaluate what we could or could not have going for us in the future. Welcome grows as a character mentally, emotionally, and certainly physically throughout the novel. This is also a story of hope, not just determination and problem solving. Welcome shows that laughter and kindness can prove to be the best remedies. Practicing this throughout the weakest of her times, Welcome gains strength to make her become a true survivor of her time. The author Jerrie Oughton who also grew up in the state of North Carolina (setting of Perfect Family) decides to put in an interesting sub-plot within the middle of the story. It is of their neighbor, who had to escape from the Philippines with her two children and leave her husband behind to die. She then had to surpass all of the odds and make it on her own with her children. This story offers light into the future for Welcome. Her story is a parallel to Welcomes. From this story of the neighbor and their children Welcome gains knew optimism and encouragement. This story is wonderfully written and I highly recommend it to anyone for a book to sit down and read when feeling down. Welcome shows you that you can get through any problem big or small. Like her story, the end result may not be one that you were expecting or waiting for, but if you learn how to deal with it responsively as Welcome does you can learn to overcome virtually any problem.

I happened across this book while at "story time" at our local library with my four year old. I read the inside flaps, and said 'what the heck'? Who was going to know I checked out a book form the kids' section? Perfect Family by Jerrie Oughton was one of the best books I've ever read. I highly recommend it to women of any age. Welcome O'Neal lives in Lily, North Carolina. It's 1955, and any unwed mother gets shipped off to have their babies. Welcome falls in love with a handsome, and older, Nicholas Canton, but her parents are not too fond of the idea. After a drunken Nicholas lets her down at a dance, Welcome, at the young age of 15, becomes pregnant by close friend who will go off to attend NC State University. I won't tell you anymore... I'll just say this is a wonderful book - even to a 27 year old Mom!

The Perfect Family, Oughton's third young adult novel, is as piercingly realistic as award-winning "Music from a Place Called Half Moon" and "The War in Georgia." Families are not perfect, and Oughton understands that all too well. In this 1950's family, fifteen-year-old Welcome Marie O'Neal becomes pregnant, and her sister runs off to California in search of James Dean. Living with her supportive aunt and uncle, Welcome must choose what to do with her baby, and with her own life. Oughton's writing is gentle and perceptive; her voice is strong; her characters are real. I highly recommend this and her other YA novels.

I think "Music From a Place Called Half Moon" by Jerrie Oughton is a good book. It shows how a person who has every right to discriminate against a culture because of some of the unpleasent things that culture did to her overcomes the popular thought of the culture and makes friends with one of them, in this case Native Americans. The ending however was the weak point of the book in my opinion even though it made the book more realistic. I think the author still could have gotter her point across without that ending. A book similar to this book is "The Outcast of Redwall," because like that book it also deals with someone being cast out of society because of their culture and ancesters but someone still becomes friends with them. This book accurately shows the ways society can change it's attitude toward a culture. It doesn't exxagerate by saying everyone changes their point of view right away. I though it was very realistic. I also thought, however, that it could have been a little more exciting. That might have made it a little less realistic. I liked it a lot anyway and it made me think about it aftewards. It was really enjoyable. It showed how one by one people's attitudes changed toward Native Americans.

This book is awesome. It is written in a way that makes you feel as it you are right with Edie Jo the whole time. You go on a journey with Edie Jo through her 13th summer, and what a journey it is! There are many surprises in store for you inside Music From a Place Called Half Moon.

both Music from a Place Called Half-Moon and another book (I believe it was War in Georgia). This book is a heartrending story about prejudice and how it can tear families and communities apart. For example, you see how when something goes wrong, people are quick to blame people that are different. You also see how people are treated when they try to befriend the families that are prejudiced against. Jerrie Oughten spoke to a UK class about this book, and she told us some of the things in the book that were real, and some of the neat facts about the book (like how she picked the title). This book was beautiful. It moved me, it made me cry, and it was very impressive considering I hadn't really heard of Jerrie Oughten before this book. If you haven't read it, you should, particularly if you have ever been in a situation where prejudice exists.

The book starts out when Shanta's aunt and cousin, Honey move out. She is left alone with her Grandmother and her Uncle Louie,
because her parents died when she was little. When the Wallings move to the neighborhood, she knows what's it like to have friends that are more like family, because they help her through rough times when she needs someone to talk to. I thought this book was okay, but it was boring in parts. I really don't know if I would recommend it or not. So, if you want to read this book go to the nearest library and check it out.

Told in a vivid Southern first person, "The War in Georgia" takes place during the summer of 1945, and its poignant, uneasy battles and victories are mirrored by World War II. A frequent theme of Oughton's is 'what constitutes a family?'. Shanta Cola's homelife depicts a nontraditional but enviably solid family. Oughton's compassionate novels lovingly co-mingle hopes and hurts, and are a pleasure - if a bittersweet one - for adults as well as adolescents to read

Susan finds her self in a war within a war while she's having problems with her family the U.S. is having problem's with the central powers

My son is in 2nd grade and they're doing a unit on Native Americans. We read this book together and enjoyed the story as well as the beautiful illustrations. This book also lends itself to do the shadowbox project that goes along with the class studies. I enjoyed the Navajo concept of how the stars are patterned in the sky. We would recommend this book for the 7-9 year old group.

This book is about how a mythical being taught the native americans to weave rugs to keep them alive, through warmth and profit. The book is illustrated with vivid colors, and the story teaches young children that a temporary answer is not always the answer. It's language is simple, told in the form of a folktale - best read aloud.