Book 1: Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Book 1: Dear Martin by Nic Stone 


1.BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stone, N. (2017). Dear Martin. Crown.


2. PLOT SUMMARY

Dear Martin is about a 17 year old boy who has big goals for his life and attends an ivy league school. The story shares a wrongful arrest of Justyce due to the police wrongly accusing him of a crime. Following his wrongful arrest Justice decides to start living his life similar to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by recording his thoughts and feelings about his journey. 


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Nic Stone did a wonderful job of packing many intense, real and emotional topics into a short chapter book. Nic Stone uses a very blunt style and does not seem to sugarcoat the situations that Justyce was enduring. I felt for everything Justyce went through and felt like it was such a realistic look at how people, specifically high school students, honestly think and feel when it comes to racism in our country. Dear Martin seems to be an appropriate book for upper high schoolers as it deals with serious issues and will probably be triggering or upsetting to many of them. I appreciated the letter styles and how the reader was able to experience the victims perspective. Dear Martin offered insight into the constant strain and struggle so many people face in normal, day-to-day situations in America.


4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

William C. Morris Award Finalist (2018)

American Library Association (ALA) Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2018)

American Library Association (ALA) Best Fiction for Young Adults (2018)

Georgia Author of the Year Award for Young Adult (2018)

South Carolina Book Award for Young Adult (2020)


5. CONNECTIONS

Similar books, including themes of race, social justice, identity, and coming-of-age:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone (Sequel to Dear Martin)




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