In the words of Afrika Brown

By the way I may look upon myself today,
may reflect against me toward my future.
And if, in the future, I become aomeone rich
with everything I want,
it's because it's the way I act now.
And sometimes I know it may seem hard,
but you must stick to it because,what's the point of giving up?
So, if you want to become something, it all starts here.

--Afrika Brown - 6th Grade
Rivera School, Trenton, NJ

Recommended Reading:

"Yo, Alejandro"
Written by Alejandro Gac-Artigas

This is an amazing first person account of a young Latino boy struggling through life. It was written by Alejandro before the age of 12 and contains some rich language and a very clear and strong writing style.

Alejandro tells of learning English and adjusting to life in America and the trials he had along the way.

I was lucky enough to meet this young author during the Booksmart events at Brookdale Community College in November 2001. For one so young, he has a brilliant command of the language and a very powerful and peaceful outlook on the world.

Recommended reading for 5th through 7th grades.