Man...

Sharon M. Draper is one of the BEST.  Truly.  And Blended is just excellent.  I love all of the characters and I think this is a really, really good look at racism and divorce and identity and blended families and love.  And all done with that incredible Draper way.  Not preachy.  Just real.  Real.  Real.

Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn

Truly great song by one of the greatest artists ever.  Darkness Before Dawn is the third and presumably last book in the Hazelwood High series by the incredible Sharon M. Draper.  What an author.
This is Keisha's story.  And a good one it is, sadly, one that is very realistic. Even today it is in the news.  Great, great book.

Short Series

Tears of a Tiger and Forged by Fire are two of the three books in the Hazelwood High series by Sharon M. Draper.
Tears of a Tiger was a challenge for me.  I am militant in my disgust for drunk drivers.  I admit that I have no compassion or understanding about it at all.  Yes, I judge completely when it comes to this.  To me, one makes a choice to get behind the wheel when drunk.  And that is like taking a gun and shooting it into a crowd.  Only even more dangerous because one stray bullet can most likely only kill or hurt one person, whereas a vehicle out on the road, driven by a drunk driver?  Many people can die or be injured for life.
As I have mentioned here, I call the police when I see someone driving as though they might be drunk.
In TOAT, Andy is drunk.  And he is driving and he wrecks the car and his best friend dies.  Andy's life is over, too, pretty much, as he can't live with what he has done.  I was surprised that I found myself feeling compassion for him.  And also guilt for feeling compassion.  And also guilt for not feeling compassion.  And surprise and shock and anger at the teachers and coaches and friends and counselors who did have compassion for Andy.
I really like this guy's article.   How does it work with being a Christian though?  It's so hard!!!!!!!!  But these were really, really good books.  Love Sharon Draper.  Love her.

Toughie

Panic was a toughie.  There was a LOT going on here.  It was tough, tough.  It reminded me of Sharon Flake's Bang! Just hard, hard, hard.  It would be an excellent movie, I think.  I loved the way Diamond's dance friends were a true family.  This can happen.  I mean, it does happen.  Girl abducted by sly-talking creep.  My mom and I were listening to it together and I knew the guy was bad news but she didn't.  I am not going to let her alone in the mall!   Good, good, hard book.

Very Coordinated

Jump rope has always been hard for me.  Probably because of my size.  And lack of coordination. And fear of falling.

But Double Dutch by Sharon M. Draper was a book I really enjoyed, as I always enjoy a Draper book.  She is one of my favorite authors.

Delia is really good at Double Dutch and her school team is headed to the championships, but they might be going without.  The state test is coming up and those who do not pass the test, fail the school year.  

This is a really good middle school story, a sad one in a lot of places, because of Delia's fear and the fact that she has made it this far in school and no one has noticed that she is unable to read.  

Her friend Randy also has a huge worry, his father, a long-distance trucker has not been home in weeks, nor has he called.  And money is running out.  Randy is home by himself and too frightened to reach out for help.  

Excellent

the song and the book Stella by Starlight are both favorites of mine.
Another fantastic book by Sharon M. Draper.
Another reminder of our horrible past.  The shame we must bear. And the present isn't really much better.  When will we learn?