Dear Martin by Nic Stone

I reread this one today- trying to see if it would work for a read aloud for grade 7 & 8's.  It was a great book, and I know why so many kids enjoyed reading it- but unfortunately it isn't going to work as a read aloud for my kids. 

This is the review I wrote on March 31, 2019: Last week when I ordered On The Come Up through Amazon, this book came up as a recommendation.  I'd read about it on Twitter and heard good things, but I didn't order it until last week.  I read it last night and I'm so glad I did.  I could not put it down!

Dear Martin is the story of 17 year old Justyce, who is smart, focussed, polite and has a clear path in front of him.  But when he is arrested for helping his girlfriend, suddenly all the things he's been hearing on the new about young black men being shot by police man start to feel much to real for him.  Now Justyce is starting to question how racism applies to him, his white friends off-side comments start hitting him when he realizes that people don't have any idea of what it is like to be young, black and male.  As Justyce tries to figure out how to deal with these issues, he relies on the teachings of Martin Luther King to help guide him and writes letters to him as a way of grappling with his experiences and conflicting ideas of who he is and how he wants to live in this world.

I LOVED this book!  It was so well written and so believable.  There is a small bit of language in the book, but nothing that would stop me from giving it to anyone in grade 7 or 8.  It is a book that will make people think and I have a feeling that Justyce's story will stay with me for a long time.