Peace Child

The book I have started reading is called Peace Child by Don Richardson. I am only one chapter into it, but by reading the summary and introduction, it looks like it will be a good book. It takes place in Irian Jaya Indonesia (formerly called Netherlands New Guinea), which is just north of Australia. This book is about different tribes of people who didn't get along, but eventually they will with the help of missionaries who went there. I chose to read this book because the author and missionary (Don Richardson) is friends with some people from my church. I am looking forward to reading this book, and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

The Lions of Little Rock

The book I read this summer for my summer reading project is called The Lions of Little Rock. In this book, two friends: Marlee and Liz meet at the beginning of the school year. Marlee is a very shy girl, and Liz is very outspoken, so she tries to get Marlee to talk more and to open up to everyone around her.  One day, Marlee finds out that Liz was passing as white, and was actually black. This means that she wasn't supposed to be going to their "all-white school", and everyone said that Liz was different than they had thought. A quote from the book explains this: "' A colored girl and a white girl can't be friends,' said JT. 'Says who?' I asked. 'Says everyone!' exclaimed JT. 'That's why we go to different schools and churches, and...that's why the high schools are closed!' 'Then maybe,' I said quietly, 'everyone is wrong'" (Levine 190). Everyone told Marlee that her and Liz couldn't be friends any longer, but Marlee knew that she needed to stand up for integration and what she knew was right. Throughout the book, there are many examples of Marlee having to find her voice and stand up for what she believes in even though people turned against her and threatened her. The main theme of The Lions of Little Rock is standing up for what you believe in and to face your fears even when nobody else agrees with you. This is what Marlee had to do when standing up for Liz, and for integration in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The article I found is about the events that take place in The Lions of Little Rock. It talks about how Marlee must stand up for Liz and for integration of the public high schools. It talks about the hard times and difficult struggles that Marlee and Liz must overcome to stay friends, and to overpower the barrier of segregation that separates them.   See Article