The Silence of Our Friends by Mark Long and Jim Demonakos Illustrated by Nate Powell YP FIC LONG

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies...but the silence of our friends." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Mark Long was just 11 years old in 1967.  His world seemed so simple until the night his father covered a protest that led to the death of a police officer and fraudulent murder charges for five African-American students.  Now Mark’s family faces social isolation, hatred, and danger if his father tells the truth in court.  A tale of friendship, loyalty, and courage in the face of bigotry, hatred, and racism.

This is a slightly fictionalized account of real events in Mark Long’s life growing up in Houston in the 60s. The fact that the venomous hatred Mark encountered for befriending a black family that moved into his all white neighborhood and for his father defending innocent men is chilling.  It shows how far our society has come and reminds us to always look to justice and fight bigotry wherever it comes from, because it eventually affects us all. Nate Powell (Artist/author of Swallow Me Whole reviewed here) is an inspired choice to draw this tale.  He captures subtle human emotion and feeling remarkably well.  The combination of the shocking story, the relatable characters, and the excellent art make this a real contender to be a modern classic.  I’d recommend it to any fans of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (FIC LEE) and to anyone that wants a great story about a Houston not too long gone.

Check our catalog for The Silence of Our Friends here.

Illegal by Bettina Restrepo YP FIC RESTREPO

She was promised they would be together for her quinceañera, but her father stopped sending letters and money months ago.  Nora sets out with her mother to find him by taking a dangerous trek across the border and trying to live on the streets of Houston. Nora struggles to get by and not get caught while trying to make a new life.

This is a incredibly well written book on most every front.  The story is told from Nora’s viewpoint and I immediately believed her as a real person and was invested in her journey.  This can put a face for readers that only read about the debate over immigration without knowing anyone involved.  The chapters are short and seem to be stripped entirely of excess, so that only the most affecting moments are conveyed. I loved how accurate the setting of Houston’s immigrant community was.  The only complaint I have is that Restrepo makes Nora’s journey sort of sanitized.  In crafting a tale that younger teens could enjoy it seems like she may have self censored.  Nora has a great deal of hardship yes, but the book avoids showing many of the worst horrors that often face women crossing into America illegally.  It does allude to them, but by not tackling those head one it almost felt as if Restrepo sugarcoats the reality to reach a larger audience.  However, for what it is and does try to achieve it is very successful.  Anyone that enjoys realistic fiction should give Illegal a chance.

Riot by Walter Dean Myers

Riot is a historical fiction novel by Walter Dean Myers, who is a prolific young adult writer. Historical fiction are stories set during real life past events, but the characters have been made up my the author. In this case, Myers' story takes place in New York City in July 1863. The Civil War still wages on and the Battle of Gettysburg has recently taken place. The real life event Myers focuses on is a riot that took place in New York City on July 11, 1863. This event would later be known at the New York City Draft Riots of 1863.

During the war there was an escalation of tension, especially after a draft was federally instituted. All male citizens between ages 20-35, as well as unmarried men ages 35-45 could be enlisted into the army by way of a lottery draw. Men who could afford to pay $300 could buy there way out of the draft, which alienated lower class immigrants, including the Irish. Black men were also not required to serve in the military because they did not have citizen status. Riots broke out in New York City after the July lottery. Frustrated by their forced participation in the Civil War, many of the rioters were Irish Americans. Stores and buildings were looted and set afire. Many black Americans, whom the Irish blamed, were attacked and in some cases murdered.

Myers' story focused on Clair, a 15-yr-old daughter of an Irish mother and black father. Claire is torn between the conflict because of her mix background and is forced to address race issues and her own identity.

Riot addresses race, bigotry, and social class. Myers delivers this story as a screenplay, as he did with Monster, which may appear and read oddly to the traditional book reader. However, this style does move the story along quickly and gives the reader an idea of just how tense people were due to their frustration, exhaustion, and emotional turmoil evoked during the Civil War. Myers allows young adults to better understand the reasons that brought on the riots through his unique way of storytelling.

The Young Adult collection at Moore Memorial Public Library contains several books written by Walter Dean Myers, including Sunrise over Fallujah, Monster, and Street Love.