Keep Smiling Through
Ann Rinaldi
Plot
Kay Hennings is growing up in the middle-class Americas in the 1940s. Her stepmother, Amazing Grace makes life extremely hard and painful for her. Amazing Grace is a very unhappy selfish woman who takes her unhappiness out on everyone around her. Kay is always trying to please everyone around her including Amazing Grace who makes it impossible. Kay loves listening to her radio shows and she strives to be like her heroes. Kay finally gets the opportunity to do the right thing, she find that sometimes its not easy to do
Kay Hennings
Kay is the daughter of Mr. Hennings. Kays mom died when she was younger so now she has a step-mom named Amazing Grace that makes life really ahrd for her. Kay is the youngest in the house and she is trying to find her way in the world, while she is living in a middle class home during World War II.
Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace is the step mother to Kay and the rest of her siblings, she is also the wife of Mr. Hennings. She is a pregnant, selfish, rude, bitter person. For all the kids, she makes life for them horrible.
Mrs. Leudloff
Mrs. Leudloff is where Kay goes to get the eggs for her family. Mrs. Leudloff is a German, so Kay has her suspicions, but Kay eventually trusts her. She helps Kay when she needs someone to talk to and when Kay needs motivation. Mrs. Leudloff soon becomes a very important person to Kay.
Mr. Hennings
Mr. Hennings is Kay and Elizabeths dad along with all their siblings. He married Amazing Grace a few years after his wife died. Mr. Hennings never likes there to be tension in the house so when Amazing Grace is mad he always tries to solve the problem. He is a very somber and quaint man.
Elizabeth Hennings
Elizabeth is one of Kays older sisters and also one of the daughters of Mr. Jennings. Amazing Grace is her step mom and Amazing Grace beats her and yells at her and makes life extremely horrible for her, she is the child that Amazing Grace hates the most. Elizabeth often cries, but she is a very quiet person.
Nana
Nana is Amazing Graces mother and she also treats Kay and her siblings like they are her own. When Amazing Grace is acting up and getting mad, Nana stands up for the kids and tries to get the rational Amazing Grace back. She is a very sweet old lady who cares very much for her family.
Setting
Kay Hennings and her family moved to a house in the country.
Conflict
External
Man vs. Man- Amazing Grace and Kay fight a lot in the story and Amazing Grace makes life hell for Kay.Man vs. Society- Kay doesn'ty really fit in at school and kids make fun of what she wears and what she looks like.
Internal
Man vs. Self- Kay doesn't like the way she looks and when she tries to be brave and do the right thing it back fires.
The Lone Ranger
Shortwave sounds.wmv
Relaxing, Healing Sounds of Nature - A Natural Running Brook Filmed in East Sussex UK