The Hate U Give
This summer, I stumbled upon an amazing book by Angie Thomas that reminded me that I love to read: The Hate U Give. I don't remember how I heard of it, or why I wanted to read it. I just knew that it sounded interesting, and that the library's wait list was extremely long. I finally got my hands on a copy, and started sobbing once I got to Chapter 2. I could not believe the intensity of the emotions I felt as I read this book, which reflected the realities that young black people go through in this country. I read the chapter over the phone to my significant other, who lives in Germany. I recommended this book to my sister, my brother, his friends, and my friends. I also posted a DonorsChoose project, requesting a class set of this book for my students. When I posted the project, I had no idea what classes I would be teaching, but I was determined to find a way to integrate it into my curriculum.
This book changed the game for me, and got me hooked on reading once again. I had been an avid reader as a high school student, but college, work, grad school, and working in school administration sucked all my time and energy. Now, I'm reconnecting with my roots, reading like there's no tomorrow!