Mini Review: I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Jandy Nelson. Brilliance Audio, 2015.
Rating: Striking

I'll Give You the Sun is a story of family, sibling rivalry, grudges, loss, disappointment, art, love, forgiveness, and magic. It is the story of a competition gone wrong. At times, the language can be too flowery, but for the most part it is beautiful. I was a little lost in the beginning as to what was actually happening since I was listening to the audiobook. However, if it had not been for the audiobook, I would've given up after the first few pages and missed out on a gem of a story. I plan to reread the book in a physical format so I may enjoy with my eyes that which I previously enjoyed with my ears. 

Review: Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis

Tanita S. Davis. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 2016.  279 pp.

Rating: Decent

I debated whether to write a review for this book mainly because the writing is unremarkable and it was just an okay read to me; however, in subject matter this is a narrative that needed to be written. Oftentimes when we think of foster children, our minds are automatically wired to visualize children of color despite the stark reality that children of all races and ethnicities flow in and out of foster care trapped within an imperfect system. This story had to be written if only to demonstrate that black families foster more than just black children. It's important that I reiterate this because a few months back, a friend asked a question that I took exception to. For a brief moment, she shedded her friend cloak for that of a stranger. "How are you going to respond when someone asks you why you chose a white child when there are so many black children in the system?" is the question she posed to me.

To understand this question, you must know that I'm a single Black woman with no biological kids who is now fostering a white teenage girl. There is so much I could say in response to her question, but the bottom line is that ALL children need love, a loving home, and a safe living environment. Period. End of discussion.

Months later my friend confessed that finally she understood that it wasn't about race, but about a child who yearned for a stable, loving home and a woman who has always wanted to be a mother and has an abundance of love to give.

With that said...on to the book review.

Review: The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera

Lilliam Rivera. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017.
Rating: Decent

Goodreads Summary: Pretty in Pink comes to the South Bronx in this bold and romantic coming-of-age novel about dysfunctional families, good and bad choices, and finding the courage to question everything you ever thought you wanted—from debut author Lilliam Rivera.

THINGS/PEOPLE MARGOT HATES:

Mami, for destroying my social life

Papi, for allowing Junior to become a Neanderthal

Junior, for becoming a Neanderthal

This supermarket

Everyone else

After “borrowing” her father's credit card to finance a more stylish wardrobe, Margot Sanchez suddenly finds herself grounded. And by grounded, she means working as an indentured servant in her family’s struggling grocery store to pay off her debts.

Review: Almost Home by Joan Bauer

Joan Bauer. New York: Viking, 2012. 264 pp.
Rating: Striking

Being a kid is tough. There's no need to add parent/child role reversals to adolescence. Sometimes, however, it is inevitable. No one knows this more than Sugar Mae Cole.

Sugar lives with her flighty mother, Reba, who aspires to be a grand Southern Belle. Her father, Mr. Leeland, as Sugar refers to him, is an absent parental figure constantly scouring the country seeking his next big win. In her father's stead, grandfather King Cole, showers Sugar with love, support, and lots of sage advice chocked full of life lessons.

Life is color. Sugar Mae Cole, greeting card writer extraordinaire, artfully illustrates that it's whatever color you choose to paint it. Early

Review: Carrying Mason by Joyce Magnin

Joyce Magnin. Michigan: Zonderkidz, 2011. 153 pp.
Rating: Don't Bother

Promises are made to be kept.

Thirteen year-old Luna Gleason, the third of six children, is not your typical teenager. Following the surprising death of her best friend, Mason, Luna decides to move in with his special needs mother, Ruby Day. Luna and Ruby Day quickly fall into a routine that is threatened by exposed secrets prompted by the arrival of Aunt Sapphire, Ruby Day’s aunt.
 
Luna, despite the obstacles, never wavers in her perseverance to help Ruby Day. Her appeal to her father was a delight.  “But Daddy, you said I couldn’t carry Mason and I did. I did that just fine. You said I’d never bait a proper hook, and I do that like a champ because Mason taught me. Ain’t you the one who is always saying, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me?’ All things, Daddy, not just some things. Even fight Aunt Sapphire and her fancy foxes and big car” (102). Magnin wonderfully illustrates the Christian principle of sacrifice. Even though Luna could have been killed or seriously hurt, she “stretched out as close…to the back wheels of Sapphire’s car” and didn’t hesitate to offer up her life. “Frederick can run me over if he want but I’m not giving up.” My favorite line of the novel is Luna’s mother's response to her husband's question about Luna’s actions. “She’s laying down her life for her friend.”

Review: Black, White, Other: In Search of Nina Armstrong by Joan Steinau Lester

Joan Steinau Lester. Michigan: Zondervan, 2011. 222 pp.

Rating: Striking

Identity is a concept familiar to all, something people struggle with daily and not easily defined. We all ask, “Who am I?” Our gifts, talents, experiences, and ancestors make us who we are. For most, adolescence is the first attempt to piece together the puzzle of ourselves. Grappling with identity is frightening, but even more terrifying is being a biracial teen struggling with this issue when the world familiar to you crashes down.

In Black, White, Other, Nina Armstrong, a product of a white mother and black father, seeks to regain her identity once her parent’s divorce completely alters the life she has always known, forcing her to view her surroundings in a manner alien to her. Rejected by friends for refusing to pick a side and live in a world that is either black or white, Nina stands alone. Feeling a connection to a dead ancestor, Nina sets out to explore how her life is akin to her enslaved great-great-grandmother. We follow Nina Armstrong on her tumultuous journey as she attempts to answer the elusive question, “Who am I?”