TopShelf Reviews

https://www.amazon.com/Robber-Youth-CASA-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B073XY88P5/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=The+Robber+of+Youth&qid=1584113189&sr=8-2

IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN!

A heartbreaking story of 15-year-old, Rosealetta who witnesses the deaths of her older brother and the only friend she ever had. Rosealetta’s mother, unable to deal with the grief, kicks her out of the only home she’s ever known, and she ends up in the foster system. Like most foster children, Rosealetta feels alone––abandoned. Case Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Melanie Cox is appointed by the juvenile court to secure Rosealetta’s best interests which are made difficult due to the child’s tragic past. Rosealetta continues to sink into darkness until an attractive, compassionate man enters her world and convinces her that she’d be happier on her own. It is a decision that forces Rosealetta to endure things no person should ever have to. Keith Julius describes what is needed and leaves the rest to the imagination. However, this may not be a good book for youth readers. Tragic, doleful, and impossible to put down, The Robber of Youth draws from Julius’s experience as a CASA representative, making it feel more like nonfiction rather than the thought-provoking work of fiction that it is.

~Rebecca Katsikas, TopShelf Review

https://www.amazon.com/Worst-First-Day-Bullied-Desegregating/dp/0999766171/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Worst+First+Day&qid=1584113206&sr=8-1

CANNOT REMEMBER A BOOK THAT MOVED ME SO MUCH!

I cannot remember reading a book that moved me so much, evoking so many emotions, from anger to disbelief, which made me stop and think about my own approach to life. To read about the experiences the black community was going through in the 1950s from someone's perspective, living through the bullying, intimidation, and fearing for their lives, put's one's life in view. The segregation was unbelievable, and the visceral hatred and violence and injustice incredible. Yet despite the many injustices the black students faced, they continued to hold their heads up high and with dignity. This book is written from the voices of the authors, just before the reforms initiated by the protests of Rosa Parks in 1955 and Martin Luther King's "I have a dream', speech in 1963. Thank you, Mrs. Eckford and Ms. Stanley, for such a great read. I admire your reserve and dedication in having to relive the horrors and showing that your beliefs can overcome the adversities you came across is a true testament to your character and legacy.

~Michael Rowland, TopShelf Review

https://www.amazon.com/Where-You-Lead-Wahl-Leslea/dp/1732711224/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Where+you+Lead&qid=1584113224&sr=8-4

AN ENJOYING, CAPTIVATING READ, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Where you Lead is an incredible story based on the faith between two teenagers who find each other through one girls vision. A vision so real it makes her believe its reality and searches for the man she sees in them. The main characters realization that the little things we do in faith matter as much as the big things God calls us to do. And the whole mystery of missing civil war gold, not to mention the romance between the two. Leslea Wahl, has done an incredible job targeting the teen audience and leading them into so many faith based lessons through an enjoyable, captivating read. Once you get into the book it’s nearly impossible to put down. Highly recommend!

~Micah Richards, TopShelf Reviews