BIBLIOGRPAHY
Brock, Rose.2022. HOPE WINS: A COLLECTION OF INSPIRING STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS. New York, NY. ISBN 9780593463932.
PLOT SUMMARY
The collection of inspiring stories for young readers is one that tells the stories of hope in many different parts of our lives. Stories of loss, social pressures, cultural differences, strength, determination, triumph all tell the story of holding on to hope. The reader learns about the authors of each story and how one moment in their life changed the course of their life or career path. Inspirational stories keep the reader hanging on to hope from one story to the next.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
The stories in this literary collection are told by the authors and their feelings and emotions are authentic to the stories as they share their life lessons, failures, and triumphs with the reader. Hope is the theme for each story and the characters in the stories share their physical characteristics such as looking different or wearing clothes as everyone else to fit in. In “What’s in a name” by James Ponti, we see that not only can it be difficult to want to fit in but fitting in a name as he did by having to make a decision to keep his step fathers name to not disappoint him, shows us how cooperation is common in wanting to please other people and then the characters find their strength and hang on to hope to find themselves. These stories are packed with emotional attributes such as grief, doubt, cultural differences, but the characters held on to hope which made them resilient.
Some of the stories take place long ago as memories of their childhood and in “Letter To My Daughter On Her Eighth-Grade Graduation” the young readers can connect to the time of the pandemic which changed the lives of everyone. In “My Favorite Photograph” by Veena Hiranandani she explains so well the feeling of culture and identify when she says, “One of the biggest adjustments was how both my racial and religious backgrounds leaped to the forefront of my identity.” This topic carries over across other stories in this collection as the characters share their stories of feeling and being treated differently because of their looks, the way they dress and even their names. This book celebrates diversity because every story is different and offers cultural differences be it food, clothing, cultures and traditions. In “Everything I Need To Know I Learned In A Thai Restaurant” by Christina Soontornvat there is so much culture as she mentions the family restaurant serves spring rolls, Thai cuisine, wontons and culturally rich foods.
In the story “On Hopes and Dreams” by Janae Marks, we see the overall invitation of reflection, analysis and response because when we read “When you have a goal and hit the roadblock, think of it as an opportunity. Do you want to pick yourself back up and keep trying? If the answer is no-like it was for my Broadway aspirations- then it’s okay to move on to something new. Dreams can be fluid like that.” This sums up the book for the reader because the message to the reader of making your decision to keep going or move on is a topic in the other stories in this book. The format is appealing because the different authors telling their story gives the reader the opportunity to learn and see multiple perspectives. This book meets the criteria for hope as each story shares their version of holding on to hope. The stories are inspirational and evoke many feelings and emotions.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist, 04/15/22
Catholic Library World, 12/01/22
Publsihers Weekly Annex, 05/23/22
Booklist (April 15, 2022 (Vol. 118, No.16): “What does hope look like? How can it change lives? The contributors deliver personal thoughts and reflections on the meaning of hope in their lives, sharing anecdotes of family, fear and fun.”
Publishers Weekly (May 23, 2022): “These personal essays, whose authors embody myriad worldviews and represent a widely intersectional spectrum, provide much-needed window into how hope can flourish in hardship, and stress the importance of perseverance and a supportive community.”
CONNECTIONS
Readers can choose their favorite story from the book and research the author to learn more about their work, different titles by them and possibly check out other books of interest.
Readers can share a personal thought in their own writing as most of these authors shared their road to becoming authors.
Readers can create their own works to be published and send to publishing companies.
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Edited by Mbalia, Kwame. BLACK BOY JOY. ISBN 978-1-43289-174-9
Gedden, Kathie. THE IT BOOK: SHORT STORIES OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. ISBN 978-1-46240-005-8
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