Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson

“It was a good day. A Number 6 Day.” “In case you’re wondering why 6 is my favorite number, take a look at the circle part. It’s like you’re going round and round, which is okay if you’re a clock, but if you’re a person you’ll get dizzy and sick and you gotta get out. That’s what the curvy top is for- escape – and you fly way from all the bad stuff to something perfectly wonderful.” Gretchen Olson’s Call Me Hope traces the attempted escapes, of both the physical nature and the mind, of a verbally abused 6th grader – Hope Elliot. Tensions build as Hope’s mother continually berates and verbally abuses her. Instead of running away though, Hope chooses the path of resilience. This poignant story is one of triumph, as Hope, inspired by the story of Anne Frank, her teacher, the counselor, and friends, chooses to take control of her life and choose her destiny not to be a victim. The story of Hope and her survival strategies at the end of the book may give hope to those children who also suffer the sting of hurting words.

I particularly like this quote from the book because you can apply it to any situation in life no matter how old you are – “You always have choices and the most important one is how you react. You can choose to be strong or choose to give up.” This book may be out of your comfort zone, but it doesn’t hurt to read out of your comfort zone.  

If you would like to read more about the Hands Project visit their web site at http://www.handsproject.org/home.html