Fans of Barbara Freethy, Susan Mallery, and Robyn Carr will love this powerful, full length contemporary romance novel by award-winning Barbara Samuel.
Joel Summer knew about living with lies - his past forced him to - but loving with lies was different. Every day he spent with sweet Maggie Henderson, every time she looked at him with deepening trust, he wrestled with his deception. As their precious, innocent springtime moved toward heated, dusky summer, could he halt the churning wheels of fate, prevent the truth from escaping and keep Maggie believing in him?
Her brawny neighbor gently liberated man-shy Maggie - body and soul. Days with Joel were perfect...night, breathless with splendor. Still, like the birds of prey he cared for, a fierce intensity sometimes swooped into his eyes, hinting at inner torment. But surely love would release him into joy....
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"This book tells a moving story about two best friends set in the backdrop of the segragated south during 1964; Joe is Caucasian and John Henry is African-American. The boys know each other because John Henry's mother works as a housekeeper for Joe's family. In addition, they have many similar interests, like shooting marbles, swimming, and wanting to be firefighters. However, there are things that John Henry cannot do, like walking through the front door of the General Store or swimming in the town pool. One night, though, Joe's father mentions at the dinner table that the town pool will be open to everyone in town the following day because as his mom states, "That's the new law". As soon as Joe hears this, he runs to tell John Henry. The following day, they both race to the town pool only to find that it is being filled with asphalt and come to the realization that it takes more than a law to change people's hearts. This incident angers the boys and affects Joe to the point that he starts to wonder what it must be like for his friend John Henry to live in this town. These thoughts drive Joe to make a simple, yet powerful statement: "I want to see this town with John Henry's eyes". The story ends on a somewhat happy note when the boys decide to be bold by going to the General store to buy ice pops; but this time, they both decide to walk together through the front door.
The book has an author's note at the beginning of the text, giving a brief explanation of the background of the setting and time period in the story. I feel this can give students a good understanding of some of the issues that were going on during this time period. The story does a really nice job of depicting the disposition and emotions that existed with segragation and does it in a way that is relatable to students, considering the diversity that exists in today's classrooms. As such, the book can be an excellent catalyst to discussions about the civil rights movement of the 1960's. There are also a lot of activities that can come out of this book. For example, the students could write journals about the main characters and having them relate to the characters feelings. The book is also an excellent resource due to the dynamic nature of the topic, and hence, can be used for readers grades 1-6. This Coretta Scott King award-winning book is definitely one that needs to be part of your library collection."
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L12_luisespinoza (5 out of 5 stars)