I kept telling Ben how great this book was and he kept saying “but I’m not going to read it, Mom.” So then I continued to update him as I read it, finishing with “but I know you’re not going to read it.” I plan to leave it in his path without comment. I love young adult fiction. This subject matter [the destruction of a post-slavery community of blacks on the island of Malaga by the whites on the mainland] is so serious, and living it through a 14-year old boy made it not less complicated and terrible, but more poignant and convicting. Gary Schmidt won the Newberry for this. He also teaches at nearby Calvin College. Go, Gary.
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