I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Source: Purchased

What amazes me about this book is that it came out in August of 2019. This could have been ripped from recent headlines.  This story has so many layers to it. It is told in alternating perspectives. We have Lena, an African American and Campbell a white teen.  Campbell has moved in with her dad because her mother moved to Venezuela. She hasn't spent much time with him over the years. A few months into her new school year she has been guilted into running the concession stand at the football game. Her dad is letting the teacher in charge take her home so that he can get to his weekend fishing cabin before nightfall. Things take a disastrous turn when a fight breaks out between the two teams. Lena has gone to the concession stand to get a soda while she waits for her overaged boyfriend to pick her up. When things turn violent she finds herself inside the concession stand with Campbell. As they try to leave and get to safety they realize they have to rely on each other. What made this so wonderful was the preconceived ideas that both of them had about each other. Lena kept calling Campbell a rich white girl because her father owned a hardware store. Campbell makes statements out of ignorance.

I could really identify with her because I came from an all-white school in Indiana my sophomore year. We moved to Florida. I was told when we moved down that the school I would attend had just had a race riot. This terrified me. I was use to talking to and playing with people who were different. My parents never let me believe there were differences. I always assumed that the reason some games in Junior High were held earlier in the day was because they had to come so far. I didn't know it was because the town had a rule not allowing African Americans in town after sundown.  Sometimes I think I was blessed living out in the country. We went camping every year and a kid was a kid, not a skin color. So I didn't understand prejudice. At the same time I was afraid I would say something out of ignorance that would offend someone. My best friend from day one was a girl with whom I rode the bus. My answers to her questions were so short she thought I was being rude. I told her I didn't mean it that way I just didn't want to say something stupid that might get me killed. I thought she was going to stop breathing she was laughing so hard. She took me under her wing.  

Lena and Campbell both had to  learn that a lot of what they  thought about the other race was false.  Some of the language was a bit more than I usually put on my school shelves. However, I will put a warning on the front and place it there because the message is one that is so important. Maybe this book will start a conversation among students. Conversations, not violence is what we need today.  I read the book in a little under two hours because I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book.

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

Genre: Adult, Christian, Historical Fiction

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

In simplest terms this is a creative retelling of the story of Esther from the Bible. The author has taken some creative liberties that do not destroy, but enhance the original story. We see Esther as a woman who reluctantly marries a man she never would have because of their differences in beliefs. The author took this opportunity to explore the love between Esther and the King. This is important because during that period in history we know that the King had many wives. Yet we see how much he loved Esther.  The author also shows the king as a wise man and a kind man.  Haman is a man with a hate for Jews and a grudge against a Jew the King likes named Mordecai. Mordecai is the uncle of Esther. In this book Mordecai is shown in a different light. His reasons for Esther’s marriage to the king come across as self-serving. The Bible shows him as a calm and peaceful man who is very loyal to the king. If I had one complaint that would be it. However, this was not enough to take away from the book. It is well written  and I really enjoyed it.

Three Books By Sarah Read

Often children don’t know how to handle emotions. Sarah Read has come up with books that discuss several emotions. If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that lately I have posted reviews of several books dealing with emotions. This seems to be a time when we need it the most. With the recent quarantines, schools and daycares being closed down, children have had problems expressing their emotions. I know my middle school students at the end of the school year expressed how stressed they were. This was often added to by them having to take care of younger siblings and they didn’t know how to deal with the younger child’s fears and emotions. Books like these would have helped. These are simple reads that anyone can use when dealing with a child who doesn’t know how to handle or understand a new emotion they are feeling. I highly recommend this author’s books.

The Impatient Dinosaur by Sarah Read
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Danny the dinosaur is like a lot of young children. They don’t want to wait for anything. They want everything now. They get upset and frustrated when they are told they have to wait. Danny is the same way. He has a birthday coming up and his parents tell him he will have to wait for a big surprise. He tells them that they know he hates waiting. Will he learn to be patient and wait for his surprise?  I love the book and its message. The illustrations are wonderful. I have a grandson who loves dinosaurs and is a lot like Danny. This is a book I know he will love.

 

The Moody Monster
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Source: Purchased

When Monster wakes up after a bad dream he finds himself mad. He doesn’t understand why. To make matters worse his mom isn’t home. His aunt fixes him a breakfast he doesn’t want and he decides he’s not going to school. When his mom comes home he tells her about his dream and the way he feels. His mom helps him learn to calm himself to make himself feel better.

 

The Worry Unicorn by Sarah Read
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Source: Purchased

When Lily has to start at a new school she worries about all of the things that could go wrong. She worries about it so much that she can’t sleep. When she tells her parents about her feelings her mom talks to her about the positive side. She reassures her that her feelings are normal and that she will do just fine.