Tag: dear martin

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books and reading

Dear Justyce

Title: Dear Justyce

Author: Nic Stone

Genre: African-American YA lit

I’ve decided that the YA queens of Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, and Tiffany D. Jackson can do no wrong. Every book I’ve read from these ladies is just phenomenal. I’m adding them to my “must-read every book of theirs that comes out” list. I’ve read Dear Martin and Clean Getaway from Stone and will checking her bibliography to see if I can find more of her work. Dear Martin was the first I read of hers, and I live tweeted while I was reading. Stone was kind enough to reply to a lot of my tweets. It was a great experience. And the book just blew me away. It was the first of its type (real-world, black kids, trying to survive their worlds) that I read. Please click on the link and see my review for it.

From Goodreads: Shortly after teenager Quan enters a not guilty plea for the shooting death of a police officer, he is placed in a holding cell to await trial. Through a series of flashbacks and letters to Justyce, the protagonist of Dear Martin, Quan’s story unravels.

From a troubled childhood and bad timing to a coerced confession and prejudiced police work, Nic Stone’s newest novel takes an unflinching look at the flawed practices and ideologies that discriminate against African American boys and minorities in the American justice system.

In the preface, Stone says she had no intention of writing a “sequel” to Dear Martin, but several kids mentioned that they needed to read about a kid who struggled. Justyce certainly did, but he was smart, was getting a great education, and made it “out” of his difficult like. But that’s not the reality for a lot of kids. Enter Quan. He’s in Dear Martin, but I didn’t remember him, but that’s okay. the book is plenty easy to dig into. Quan’s home life is difficult, to put it mildly. He finds a family that supports him, but of course, there are rules. Quan finds himself in jail facing a murder charge.

If you haven’t read any books in this genre, you absolutely must. They are so important. Kids need to see themselves in literature. They need to feel like their voices are important. They need to be seen, to be heard, to be understood. I’m so thankful for authors like Stone, Thomas, and Jackson who are giving these books that resonate.

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books and reading

The Hate U Give

Earlier this year I read and reviewed Dear Martin. The other book along the same thematic lines was The Hate U Give (or THUG… and yes, the acronym is intentional and explained in the book). Both of these books touch on several topics facing our world today: racism, police brutality, white privilege, and being a teenager in a divided society, just to name a few. DM and THUG are two sides of the same coin, honestly. Both characters witness an event that changes them forever, both go to a predominantly white private school to get the best education they can, and both leave part of themselves at home while in the school. One main difference between Starr (in THUG) and Justyce (in DM) is their home lives. Starr lives with her still married hard working mother and father. Justyce doesn’t have much support at home and has to find it elsewhere.

I really can’t emphasize how important these books are. I apologize to keep lumping them together, but you really can’t go wrong reading either one. THUG is longer and more detailed, giving more depth to some characters. The author, Angie Thomas, does an excellent job creating Starr’s world in an authentic and realistic way. I usually think pop culture references can date a book, but in books like this, it is an important way to get readers in Starr’s mind and world. Starr loves the NBA, The Fresh Prince Bel-Air, dances the latest dances (which I have no idea what they are……I’m so out of touch, LOL), and uses modern slang (I did have to look a couple up on urban dictionary). In other words, Starr is today. She relevant. She is authentic. She is real. And, more importantly, her experiences are real.

I’m so glad these amazing women, Nic Stone and Angie Thomas, wrote these books. They are, of course, getting banned and backlash, because they are SO TRUE. Some people just can’t face the world we actually live in and want to bury their heads in the sand and pretend that everything is fine. Which is why we must be reading these books. And authors must keep writing them. Thank you for your voices, ladies. I’m so thankful for them and for you.

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books and reading

Dear Martin

Let me get right to the point. This is one of the best YA books I’ve read in ages. Most YA these days is just drivel. Maybe it’s because I’m not in that age range anymore, but I feel like so much of it is watered down with nonsense. Finding a well-written book with meaning and heart is hard to find. But, this book has it all. I was so moved by the book’s first chapter that I decided to live tweet as I was reading, which I haven’t done in I don’t know how long.

Justyce is a black teenager from a single mom household. He goes to a very expensive private prep school. He doesn’t have money, but has great grades, a good head on his shoulders, and aspirations to be something great. But he is struggling with who he is and his place in the world. In the first chapter, he has a run-in with a police officer who gives Jus zero opportunity to speak, explain, or justify his actions. Jus was simply trying to help someone he cares about, and the officer jumped to conclusions and slapped Jus in cuffs. Sound familiar? This story draws from what is happening today and is relevant in so many ways.

Justyce quickly gets the situation resolved, but doesn’t forget what those cuffs feel like. He begins writing to Dr. Martin Luthur King, Jr. (hence the Dear Martin title) and you get some first person insight into Justyce’s life. The rest of the story is told in third person. There are several white kids in the book that are perfect representatives of white privilege and ignorance. There are a few conversations between these teens in class that just made me cringe because I’ve heard these words time and time again, whether it be in my own classroom, the hallways, or on the Internet. There are white people in Justyce’s life who, thankfully, aren’t ignorant and are very aware of their privilege, namely his debate partner, Sarah Jane and her family.

There are many things I want to say about the book’s plot, but I hesitate to give anything away. Let me just say that the book takes a turn that I didn’t want it to and it broke my heart. But what happens is today and now and relevant and current and impactful and powerful and honest and I could go on and on. At just over 200 pages, this is a book that is accessible to students who might not like to read because books can be intimidating. What the author, Nic Stone, has done is create a story that is meaningful to teenagers (all people really, but especially teens) today. The situations Justyce and his friends (and enemies, even) find them in are recognizable and probably ones that readers have already faced. Kids need to read this book. Teachers need to teach this book. Libraries need to purchase this book in multitudes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.