just because you don't see the path doesn't mean it's not there-

For our final blog post, I will be talking about The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson. This book was absolutely phenomenal- you are kept on your toes waiting for the next clue to be found by Candice and Brandon. While reading, chapters disrupt the story that are from the past, telling the story of the people who Candice and Brandon are so desperately trying to piece together. This book is simply amazing. There are not many words for it. I am so intrigued by the Washington's story and everyone who was involved in the history revealed on the pages. Learning more about segregation and how life was during those times. The simple and natural integration of LGBT members. This book is a great tool for students in early education. I cannot wait to place this on my classroom shelf waiting for the first student to choose it.

Varian Johnson is an #OwnVoices author and did a great job representing this history accurately. Understanding what it feels like to be stared at for the color of your skin made this story come to life. Majority of the main characters are all African American as well as the author. Reading the description of how these characters felt and reacted when something prejudice happened to them was a wakeup call. I could not have written a story about these feelings, but Varian sure does. I want my students to be able to read these words so they can understand (as much as possible as a white person) the severity that some people faced during these times. He represents not only ethnicity in this book, but he touches on points of the LGBT community through the main character. Her father is gay, which is revealed in the back of the book, and this was an awesome addition to the story. The way Candice reacted to her dad and her friend Brandon's best friend, Quincy, who was away from the summer after coming out to his friends and family. Her understanding and natural accepting of these characters shows students that they too can understand, support, and love people of all kinds. According to Boyd et al's criteria for culturally authentic books, The Parker Inheritance definitely passes with shining stars. There is a huge sense of sensitivity placed on the words in this book. They are kid-friendly, but also represent the true language used during these time periods. Several of the main African-American characters set big goals in their lives, struggling to succeed and prospering through. Showing the reader that no matter the color of your skin, if you push yourself to succeed you will. Finally, this book is authentic in nature and information. There was an obvious amount of research and fact checking when creating this book when there are mentions of court cases, dates, and historical representations. The author being an African-American definitely knows the dialect, struggle, and experiences that many others felt during times of struggle. Overall, this book is as culturally authentic as it is inviting, interesting, and exciting.

This was my favorite book from this semester so far. I felt like a kid again, flipping the pages to find out if Candice and Brandon found the next clue, and very giddy when they did. Flipping back through the book to fact check and remind myself of all the characters names. I especially loved how Varian Johnson wrote two stories- one in the present, and one in the past. I think this is the reason I loved the book so much. Seeing a chapter titled "Siobhan Washington" made me absolutely ecstatic. I was profoundly surprised when I learned that James Parker was NOT Chip Douglas. Hearing Reggie's story, and how he had to flee his home and act like a white person was heartbreaking. I learned so much about the hard parts their history, and how black people were still mistreated even when laws began to pass in their favor. Learning that some white people would help them through these times, but still require that their name was protected. There is so much I will never understand about being black and all that that carries, but this book gives me an opportunity to put myself in their shoes and try my hardest to understand.

Thank you Dr. Frye for this assignment, I am so grateful that my brain knows this book now.