Justice Reads & Reviews

Jo & Laurie by  Margaret Stohl  &  Melissa de la Cruz Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers Release Date: June 2nd 2020 Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Retellings,  Synopsis: Bestselling authors Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz bring us a romantic retelling of Little Women starring Jo March and her best friend, the boy next door, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence. 1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration—museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself! But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo's desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage propo...

Dear Martin, took me by complete surprise and introduced me to an Own Voice author that I have not known before. Nic Stone has become, very quickly I might add, one of my favorite new middle grade and YA authors. Her storytelling ability is remarkable as I'm reading the book, I am picturing scene by scene in my mind and putting faces to voices. This character-driven story has impacted me in a way most contemporaries don't do.  Dear Martin, made me look at my surroundings, my work office, my school, my church, my grocery store, and my neighborhood. I listened to how people said things to and about one another, and I recognize the injustices as soon as I opened my eyes. I am a white middle-aged, middle-class woman and even though I struggle from time to time to have money to do extra things that I want to do (I am by no means a Beverly Hills chick), I don't and could not understand what it is like to be oppressed in America.  Dear Martin, opened my eyes to the injustices that...