Beyond the Blackboard by Stacey Bess

"Beyond the Blackboard" is full of stories from teaching at the "School With No Name."  This is a school offered to homeless children in Salt Lake City, UT.  The author gives touching story after touching story of teaching, homelessness, love, family, poverty, and sometimes even miracles.  This book helps get a glimpse of this aspect of society that no one really wants to think about or talk about because it requires a look at the reality of real troubles in society.  It's a book that will probably come to one's mind even after the book is closed.

Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

This book is beautiful.  I am still finding myself pondering some of the words and thinking about the story.  There are so many lessons to learn in this book.

This story is based on South Africa.  It is a story about a man who goes from his small village in search of his son in the big city.  In the process I learned much about South Africa that I did not know.  I fell in love with the characters and was inspired by their actions.  Human kindness, Poverty, Big Cities, Africa, Family, Politics, and Choices are all talked of in the book.  This book is written differently than most books I've read and I enjoyed learning a new way.  The conversations are written differently and many times I noticed that the dialogue had changed on me and I didn't notice it right away.  It kept me on my toes.

I highly recommend this book and recommend re-reading it if you have.  :)