Bjelland

Level I Winner - Erica Bjelland, Decorah Middle School
Pictures of Hollis Woods; by Patricia Reilly Giff

Dear Patricia Reilly Giff,

Your book Pictures of Hollis Woods helped me understand several unique qualities about myself and my family. At different times throughout the book I found myself picturing things that have happened in my life or in the life of my family. Reading the book helped me to understand myself and my family better.

Josie was my favorite character because she reminded me of two of my favorite people. My Grandma Goldie is quite a character similar to Josie. My grandma loves my cat and always talks to my cat as if she was a member of our family like Henry, Josie's cat. She talks to my cat as if she was human and my cat seems like she can talk to her, too. Some people think she is a little off her rocker. My grandma is getting very forgetful and needs my grandpa to help her remember things. I find that I don't really care that she forgets things because when she comes to visit me all she wants to do is be with me and talk to me. I like when she talks to my cat because I talk to my cat. She doesn't make me feel like I do anything wrong or that I am a mountain of trouble. She loves me for who I am and I love her.

Josie also reminded me of my other grandma's best friend, Helen. Ever since I was a little girl, I sat on Helen's lap. I don't know why but her lap always seemed inviting. Helen would stroke my hair and say I wish you were my little girl. That always made me feel good. She loved me for who I am. Helen has Alzheimer's and is forgetting many things but she never seems to forget me. She always sits down when she sees me and tells me to come sit on her lap. Her lap is still the same lap to me even though others think Helen has changed.

Hollis reminded me of how I feel sometimes. She often felt like she didn't belong and when she felt that way she would run away. I feel that way too sometimes. I feel like I want to run away from everything and just be by myself. When I want to do that it is often when I feel like I don't belong. It happens to me with my family and my friends. Hollis would run away but eventually she found that she did truly belong. I know now that I do belong now too to my family and nothing can change that.

If you really think about it, the world is like a big family. We ALL belong somewhere. It may take some of us a while to find a Grandma Goldie or a Helen or a Josie, but if we don't run away from things we find that we can connect with someone and belong.I know I belong to my family!

Sincerely,

Erica Bjelland