I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book should be added to the local curriculum as it deals with Civil Rights and friendship and bravery.

Seriously, if you have not read one of Joyce Meyer Hostetter's books you are missing out. This is her fifth and final book in the Baker Mountain Stories series. I learned about her when my oldest received the book Blue as a gift from the county library in his 3rd grade class many years ago as she is a local author. Her books are powerful for the young reader. This one was no different.

This book takes places in the foothills of the NC Mountains in the late 1950's during a time when friendships between black kids and white kids were unheard of. In the story Jackie and Thomas become friends despite the odds. They navigate through the tough the pressure of their friendship at school and in the community.. Jackie sees first hand the inequities that Thomas and his family constantly face. This is definitely a must read book with strong characters.

Thank you to Astra Publishing for the #gifted copy of the book.

It's 1959 in North Carolina when a 13-year old white boy names Jackie Honeycutt meets a Black boy named Thomas Freeman at a local fishing spot. Just as a friendship between the boys is about to begin, an act of racism occurs. Meanwhile, Jackie's older sister is involved with the civil rights movement while away at college. She inspires Jackie to work towards equality in his own hometown. Time and time again, Jackie encounters resistance from his classmates and his community, but he isn't one to give up when he knows in his heart that equality shouldn't be just a dream.

I really liked this book and want to read the rest of this series! (I had never even heard of the author or the series prior to reading this.) My only negative comment about it is that the Black character, Thomas, didn't have a voice. This book would have been so much more powerful as a dual narrative.

A huge thank you to the publisher, Astra Publishing House, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I'm really loving the craft of writing in this novel since it is told through the eyes of a young white boy who doesn't fully grasp the concept of racism. The innocence that is depicted is heart warming since children want to create relationships, but don't understand society's racist measures. It takes a look at the essence of how racism is taught to our youth and the hurt it can cause.