A hard look at Social Justice with Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Social Justice with  Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Everyone likes Justyce McAllister. He’s a straight A student headed to Harvard, has great friends, is always willing to help someone out who’s in need, but sometimes doing the right thing doesn’t always turn out the way we expect. After a helping his ex-girlfriend, who looks like she is white, when she’s in trouble, a police officer handcuffs him for attempted assault and keeps him on the ground until his parents and his friend’s father show up and convince the officer to let him go. This traumatic event causes Justyce to reevaluate everything he’s known, the way his friends speak, everything that’s wrong with the world.

So Justyce turns to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King in hopes that he can find the answers he’s looking for. Every time a new problem arises, he writes a letter to Dr. King, asking himself, “What would Martin do?” Just when life starts to look up, he and his best friend Manny get caught in a fire fight with a police officer, who is disgruntled by their loud music playing at a stoplight. However, instead of investigating the officer who shot at two unarmed teenagers, the investigation turns on the boys.

This is a stark, raw, truth-telling novel that needed to be written, and I am so glad it was Nic Stone who wrote it. I love her combination of prose with epistolary writing, and to kick it all off, Stone is a master at dialogue. She is writing how we should all aim to write—the truth in the best way possible. She doesn’t sugar coat the issues and doesn’t hold back but tells a lovely, heart wrenching story that connects you to the characters and definitely will have you crying at the end. Grab your copy of Dear Martin by Nic Stone on Amazon.

#ReadYourWorld | Social Justice with Dear Martin 

Want to know more about Dr. King’s philosophies that Justyce was focused on? You can learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King here.

Are we living in Dr. King’s “Beloved Community?” 

If you are interested in Nic’s book, you may also want to check out:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Shadow Shaper by Daniel José Older

Multicultural Children’s Book Day CoHosts Rebekah Gienapp (Barefoot in Memphis) and Bethany H. Edwards (Biracial Bookworm) have wonderful socials justice (for all ages) articles on their sites. Here are a few examples:

5 Young Activists Who Will Inspire Kids 

1 Simple Way to Raise a Kid Activist 

How to Introduce Children to Activism

Overcome Trauma by Reading Books 

****Some of these links are affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may get a very small commission. This money goes towards postage and supplies to keep books and ideas in the hands of young readers!

HANNAH RIALS: A Maryville native and current college student at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Hannah began writing her first novel at age twelve. Eight years later, the result is her new YA novel Ascension; a modern day teenage romance filled with “double-blooded” vampires and revenge-seeking witches. When not spending time with her family and playing with her beloved Corgis, Buddy and Noel, Hannah leads a creative group, crafts and cultivates her writing skills. Connect with Hannah on Facebook, Twitter and via her website.

 

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