Good Morning! Here’s the Monday Morning Blog!
Happy 4th of July!
Did you get a chance to touch base with that teen or young adult in your life last week? When you get a chance, ask your teen about what the word diversity means to them. Acceptance of people who are different from us is important for our country to move forward and come together. Maybe you and your teen want to help by being accepting and inclusive of others. Find out what your teen or young adults’ thoughts are about it.
July’s Theme – United in Diversity
Diversity is the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds, different genders, or different sexual orientations.
Our country is composed of many people from different social and ethnic backgrounds. The history of our country has been about all types of people coming together and trying to make it in the land of opportunity.
In the United States, we are attempting to be inclusive of the many different types of people. It isn’t an easy thing for some people to do. But somehow, we need to become united in our country’s diversity.
This month I am going to focus on the composition of our country and how we can become more united in diversity. Check out my mentor page and see how I am doing it Selma P. Verde – Mentor Page
Book of the Month
This month’s book of the month celebrates some of our country’s diversity. The author explores the difficult relationship between two cultural identities through a bi-racial main character in the context of an investigation of a possible drug ring.
Selma’s Book Review
Book Title
The Firekeeper’s Daughter
Author
Angeline Boulley
Type of Book
Teen/Young Adult Fiction, Thriller
Author Background
Angeline Boulley is a Native American (Chippewa) author. This book is her debut novel and was named one of the top 100 young adult novels of all time.
Summary of the book
The story is about a biracial young adult, Daunis, who is half Native American and half white. Her dad, Levi Firekeeper, was a hockey legend in her Native American community and her mom is part of the richest white family in Sault Ste. Marie. After witnessing her friend’s murder, she is asked to help investigate a possible drug ring in her Native American community. Through the investigation, she meets Jamie, a new member of her brother’s hockey team who becomes more than a friend to her as they dig into what is happening in her hometown.
Reaction to the book
I really enjoyed this book. The story was very engaging and kept me reading. I got invested Daunis’ character development through the investigation, her relationship with Jamie, and her learning more about who she is. The author also brings in some Native American history, culture and ceremony into the story which was very interesting for me to read and learn about.
If you like a thriller and mystery, I would recommend this book for young adults and adults alike. With the themes of drugs and violence, it may not be appropriate for younger readers.
Link to the author
If you want to learn more about the author, here is a link to her website Angeline Boulley
Link to the book
If you want to purchase a copy of The Firekeeper’s Daughter. Here is a link to Amazon – The Firekeeper’s Daughter. Or you can pick it up from one of your local bookstores or shop Bookshop.org and have the purchase credited to them.
The Way Series is a good choice
Both of the books in The Way Series focus on high school and the challenges teens can face. The Hard Way focuses on peer pressure and Shawn’s Way focuses on bullying. Looking for a couple of reads for your teens this summer? Check these two options out on the books tab of my website, Selma’s Books