Know the Author - Merle Hodge

Merle Hodge

Born in Trinidad in 1944, Merle Hodge along with her 3 sisters were taken care of by her grandmother. Raised up by the tough lady, she became bold and independent.

Merle Hodge was one among a very few who attended secondary school. She later won a scholarship to join for Undergraduate Degree and later for Masters in Philosophy. Merle Hodge is the first African Caribbean to publish a novel, Crick Crack, Monkey in 1970. It was followed by another book, For the Life of Laetitia for young adults. Her writings, reflects the colonial education, culture and lifestyle of the colonized. Her books throw light into the racism, gender discrimination and social divisions during post colonial period. In addition to the novels, Merle Hodge has also written short stories, essays and articles on her observation on the Caribbean families and society.

Books Written by the Author:

Crick Crack, Monkey
For the Life of Laetitia
The Knots in English: A Manual for Caribbean Users

Comments

For the Life of Laetitia - A Book Review

For the Life of Laetitia by Merle Hodge For the Life of Laetitia - Front Cover For the Life of Laetitia I am glad I bought this book. For the Life of Laetitia is a must-have in our children’s collection. I u sually do not go for those books that has a smaller font size and a very little spacing between the lines like in this book or suggest it for children either, but this is an exceptional book and I recommend it for your children. Once in a while let our kids drop those fantasy books and read some realistic stuff like these. The language is simple and vocabulary is easy to understand even for the young readers. In short, I got hooked to it as soon as I started reading. For the Life of Laetitia- Back Cover In For the Life of Laetitia , Merle Hodge has beautifully captured the dreams and life of Laetitia, a young Caribbean girl, who became the first one ever in her family to attend secondary school. In spite of poverty and racism she strives to a...

One Dog and His Boy - A Book Review

One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson Yet another pet story book for discussion. One Dog and His Boy is a story of friendship between a boy and a dog. Hal, the little boy was brought up by rich parents in a mansion. His parents gave him everything a boy needs or wants, except for the care or attention he wanted. Though Hal had everything, he was lonely in that big mansion with immaculate interiors that his mother changed following the latest trends. Nothing seemed real and he longed for some real companion and a childhood with real friends and fun. Hal had always wanted a dog of his own, to pet, to play, to cuddle and asked his parents to get a dog as his birthday present. As his style and cleanliness obsessive mother does not want dog’s hair on her carpet or paw marks on her wooden floors and doors, his pleading for such a birthday present fell into deaf ears. His mother’s knacky- wacky idea of dressing up a man l...

Is Reading Safe for Your Children?

Is Reading Safe for Your Children? Of course, what can a book do to a child! Reading is safer for kids compared any screen time, says my ophthalmologist every time I take my kids for their annual visit. But any sort of addiction could gradually take toll on children’s physical and mental health. Reading too falls in that category. How so? Here’s a few simple things I learned from my kids’ ophthalmologist to take care while reading. Proper Lighting: There should be ample light in the room they read. Take proper care so the light falls on their book and not on their bowed head. Choosing a book with bigger fonts and enough spacing will be more comfortable for kids. Clean Spectacles: This is a serious concern for those who have glasses. Smudgy and greasy glasses will strain young eyes. Insist your children to clean them before they start reading. Proper Distance: Keep books at least 15cms away from your face while reading. Do not lie down...

House of Stories - A Book Club for Children

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