Ida B

In the book Ida B., a young character named Ida who begins to lose what she had close to her. Her mother becomes diagnosed with cancer, her precious orchard is cut down, and she is now forced to go to a public school. Through out this story Katherine Hannigan creates a well developed change through Ida’s personality and thinking process and a strong conflict with an ending resolve. Hannigan is able to show Ida B.’s perspective strongly throughout the plot and show how the conflicts and problems in the plot affect change.

The first thing that Hannigan shows the readers is Ida’s original personality. She is happy, carefree, diligent, and positive. Ida is home-schooled by her parents, showing that she is very close to them in the beginning of the book. She is loving and very enjoyable when she is with them. Also Ida’s only friends in the book is the orchard of trees and brook by the house. She consistently goes to the trees and talks to them as if they were real people. Then there is conflict. Her mother is diagnosed with cancer. This creates a large problem that the main character, Ida B., must overcome somehow. Following her mother’s cancer, Ida B. is forced to go to a public school and their family sells part of the orchard, which is cut down for new neighbors to move in. Ida B., devastated with the new lifestyle, decides that she will hate school, hate the children there, and hate everything that even exists. She closes herself off from the world, even her parents, because of her hatred, and plans out a way to scare the new neighbors away.The main conflict of the book slowly transforms into how Ida B. reacts to the original problems. Everything becomes worse because of her decision to close everyone out of her life. Even her parents. She is almost shy to talk about her problems to her parents, showing that she has repressed her feelings from even her own parents, her past’s closest connections. Ida hardens her heart so that nothing can get in, until she begins to connect with her teacher. Miss Washington is a kind teacher who tries hard to get Ida B. to open up at least a small amount. She has Ida read stories to the class and this is when Ida begins to adjust to her life again. Ida begins to see how everyone deserves a chance, she can not decide to hate them, and she must apologize for being so rude to the classmates before. Ida sees inside herself that it is okay to open up to others, and when she slowly begins to she becomes happier.