In her soft Irish accent, Sister Maeve McMahon kept the sixth- and seventh-graders from St. Anthony of Padua School captivated as she spoke about her novel, "Riding out the Hurricane," which, in essence, had been written for them. "I wanted (the children) to have a story that reflected what happened to so many children during the storm," McMahon said.
St. Anthony of Padua students have been studying McMahon's award-winning young adult's novel, based on events that took place in New Orleans when the levees failed after Hurricane Katrina. McMahon visited the school recently to talk to the students about the book.
"Riding out the Hurricane" follows the disaster through the eyes of 12-year-old Jade, who endures the flood on a rooftop with her grandmother and an elderly neighbor.
Sixth-grade student Dayna-Marie Johnson was in New Orleans when the storm hit and was forced to evacuate her apartment with her father by climbing down a tree and into a boat.
"(The book) made me realize how many people went through the same thing I did," Dayna-Marie said.
The students listened intently as McMahon spoke of her personal Katrina experience and how she used the book as an emotional outlet. They discussed the process of taking facts and molding them into fiction.
"The things that you experience go deep into your soul and your heart, and they won't leave until you give them expression," McMahon said.
The nun, who lives in Ireland now, spent 27 years before Katrina as an educator in New Orleans, principal of St. Leo the Great School in Gentilly and founder of Marian Catholic in New Orleans.
Her longstanding reputation led Sister Ruth Angelette, principal of St. Anthony of Padua, and English teacher Nell Mechana to put the book on the school's reading list this year. The novel won the Silver Nautilus Award in the Middle Grade and Teen category in May.
The children read the book, wrote summaries, created posters and other illustrations and wrote to McMahon with their thoughts and questions.
"We read every word in class," Mechana said. "Several (children) had finished the book within a week, that is how much they liked the book."
The book opened up classroom discussions, where students reflected on their own experiences during Katrina.
"It is a unique story, and we know that people have suffered as much as we have," said Moises Chamale, a sixth-grader.
"We talked about the hardships, like not having a bathroom and not having a place to change clothes," Mechana said.
"Riding out the Hurricane" is a story that children everywhere can relate to, the students said.
"Other kids can relate to this, kids in the north who have had blizzards, earthquakes and stuff -- they have had to evacuate and they understand what happens around the world and what happens to us," said Carl Davis III, a sixth-grader.
"This story applies to children in tragedies all around the world. When children experience loss of so much, they need hope," McMahon said.
"Riding out the Hurricane" also speaks of the outpouring of help that buoyed New Orleanians after the disaster.
"I wanted a book that spoke to the incredible generosity of the American people and their incredible faith," McMahon said.
"I hope the book shows the kids what people have done for us, and later in life they will do the same for someone else. And I think these children will do that," Mechana said.
Margaret Quilter is a contributing writer. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.