Sorta Like A Rock Star by Matthew Quick

Maybe I am a freak – but I’m one hopeful misfit, and  you could be worse things in this world. True? True.

Amber Appleton is homeless after her mother's latest loser boyfriend kicks them out of his apartment.  They live in “Hello Yellow” - the very school bus her mother drives students to school in each day, along with Bobby Big Boy, the dog she found near death in a box.  Despite her dire living conditions, Amber succeeds in being optimistic.  She considers herself a misfit and hangs out with a group of other misfits. She has a kind heart and has a way of positively affecting all she comes into contact with.  She looks out for an autistic boy, teaches English to a group of Korean women, volunteers at a retirement home and is friends with a grumpy Vietnam Vet.  When Amber experiences an unimaginable tragedy and withdraws from life, the people she has cared for the most rallies behind her and shows her what unconditional love is. This book tugs at your heartstrings and is highly recommended.

Heart and Soul: THe Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans words and paintings by Kadir Nelson

 You have to know where you come from so you can move forward.

What first attracted me to this book were the paintings.  So striking, so bold, so brilliant.  Nelson is an expert at capturing light in just the right way and the minute details of faces and hands.  In my opinion, all of the paintings in this book are worthy of being admired any art gallery.  However, the paintings alone are not what are so great about Heart and Soul.  The story itself is educational and inspiring.  It is narrated by an old, unnamed African American woman who candidly talks about the history of African Americans in America.  She begins by talking about her grandfather who was captured in his native Africa and brought to America to become a slave and ends with her casting her vote for the nation’s first African American president.  This is a book than be shared by the entire family.  It offers a great starting point for discussions on the struggles, contributions, and accomplishments of African American in America.  I highly recommend it.