Now Is the Time For Running by Michael WilliamsRelease Date: July 5, 2011
Just down the road from their families, Deo and his friends play soccer in the dusty fields of Zimbabwe, cheered on by Deo's older brother, Innocent. It is a day like any other . . . until the soldiers arrive and Deo and Innocent are forced to run for their lives, fleeing the wreckage of their village for the distant promise of safe haven. Along the way, they face the prejudice and poverty that await refugees everywhere, and must rely on the kindness of people they meet to make it through. But when tragedy strikes, Deo's love of soccer is all he has left. Can he use that gift to find hope once more?
Relevant, timely, and accesibly written, Now Is the Time For Running is a staggering story of survival that follows Deo and his mentally handicapped older brother on a transformative journey that will stick with readers long after the last page
-This meme is hosted by Breaking the Spine. What really caught my eye was 'mentally handicapped older brother' (well first it was actually the words Zimbabwe and soccer). I have zero knowledge about Zimbabwe and I want to remedy that in a fun way via reading. And how many books are there for young people that feature teens of color who have a mental illness? I can think of three, including this one. But oh man, I'm not a fan of tragedies (but then again who is?) so I may put off reading this one.
I also attended the Chicago stop on the Diversity in YA tour. You HAVE to go if they are coming to your city! Or if the drive is 2-4 hours make the trip, it will totally be worth it. More details to come but everyone was incredibly nice. Cindy Pon is super sweet and a hugger (haha), Malinda is really nice and a bit calmer and while I didn't get to chat for very long with Nnedi Okorafoar or Claudia Guadalupe Martinez, they were very nice and enthusiastic to meet everyone. Thank you to Barbara's bookstore for throwing the event and thank you to Cindy, Malinda, Ms. Okorafoar and Ms. Martinez for attending! And yes I made a purchase and got some bookmarks :D
What are you waiting on this week?? I'm done with AP exams today so I should be back to reviews. Then finals....ugh
