Not All Americans Are Racist

This Young Adult book by Nicole Weaver is heart wrenching. It tells of her experiences with prejudice as a young immigrant from Haiti through her adulthood and I was shocked to learn of the things she experienced long after the Civil Rights Movement.

But the book is hopeful, and by making young people aware of the problems I hope it will encourage them to make a positive difference in the world by helping to eliminate racial discrimination.

Weaver is a teacher, and the questions for discussion and to write about at the end of the book would be excellent for use in classrooms, or by homeschooled students.

I hope Not All Americans Are Racist helps bring us to a time when not any Americans are racist.

My Brother Is My Best Friend.

My Brother Is My Best Friend by Nicole Weaver is a sweet book showing the fun twin boys have together. It would make a lovely bedtime story for young kids and the illustrations by Clara Batton Smith capture the feeling of the text beautifully.

But that's only part of the value of the book.

The entire story is written in three languages; English, French and Spanish. Children from various national backgrounds can enjoy the story in their own languages.

And the book would be a wonderful aid to kids of all ages - and even grown-ups - who are trying to learn other languages or refresh their memories about languages they studied in the past. (Today I mentioned the book to a middle school class of students who are studying Spanish!)

My Brother is My Best Friend may help people become friends with others from different cultures as they learn other languages, and it will encourage children to appreciate their siblings and the world around them.

My Sister is My Best Friend

Because this blog is about words, books, and kids there couldn't be a better book for me to review here than My Sister is My Best Friend by Nicole Weaver.

There are lots of books about sibling rivalry but this one, by contrast, is about two sisters who get along well together and enjoy sharing experiences. Since the girls in the book are twins, it would be an especially appropriate gift for real-life twins.

The words aspect of the book is that it is written in three languages, English, French and Spanish. I enjoyed trying to figure out the meaning of the individual words and phrases in the languages I don't know and some kids will probably like doing that, too. Although I took French in school decades ago and never studied Spanish I found that I could understand more of the Spanish words than the French ones.

My Sister is My Best Friend would be a great help to kids who know one of the three languages and are trying to learn another and already bi- or multi-lingual kids will like it.

Of course children who can only read or hear the story read in one language will enjoy it for the cheerful experiences the sisters share. The cute illustrations by Clara Batton Smith add to the pleasure of the book.

Compassion for Kids

My internet friend, Nicole Weaver, recently sent me a pdf of her book, My Birthday is September Eleven and other short stories. It is about children who must deal with serious problems like natural disasters and prejudice and some of their stories are heart wrenching. While the book is fiction, I know a lot of it is based on things the author and people close to her have actually experienced.

But every story has a positive ending and the book will inspire readers to reach out and help others, as characters in the stories did.

While some children may find the stories disturbing, that's not necessarily a bad thing because it will help them develop compassion for others. There is a "bad word" in one story but it's included because it shows what the main character must deal with.

People anywhere from grade school through adulthood who read this book are likely to be inspired to make a difference in the world.

Orphans from Haiti

Today we have a special guest. Children’s author, Nicole Weaver, has started a blog,

http://support4usparentsofhaitianorphans.blogspot.com to help families who adopt children from Haiti. Weaver moved to America from Haiti as a child herself, and still has friends and family there.

Please tell us about your blog and why you started it.

I started my blog because I want to be able to help the American parents adopting Haitian orphans.

What was it like for you as a child in Haiti?

My father was an architect, life was not bad. I lived near the beach in a house that my build. I eventually moved to New York, to live with my mother.

Was it difficult for you to adjust to living in America? What was the hardest thing about it?

Yes and no, I had to get used to the cold, and had to learn a new language. The hardest thing about coming to America was the constant teasing my classmates subjected me to. I knew very little English; consequently I was teased a lot and was called “French Toast”

What do you think will be most difficult for the children who come to America from Haiti after the earthquake?

Adjusting to a new climate and language, new way of eating, being totally lost not understanding fully what happened to their parents.

What do you suggest adoptive parents do right away to help them adapt?

I suggest for them to hook up with other Haitians in their communities. Here in Colorado we have a very strong Haitian community. We have monthly functions, where everyone brings a Haitian dish to share. There are a few Americans who have adopted Haitian children; we support them in every way possible. That is precisely the reason I started my blog, to make myself available for these wonderful people with so much compassion.

If American kids have Haitian orphans in their schools or neighborhoods, how can they help?

Be friendly to them, help them learn English; accept them for who they are.

Haitian Support from the Depths of Despair

From the depths of despair one woman has risen out of her own grief for her perished relatives in the Haiti earthquake. Knowing her strong held faith in praying for those who died will help the spiritual side of this disaster, Nicole Weaver, has turned her helplessness into action.

Fluent in Creole, French, Spanish, and English Ms. Weaver is reaching out to American families who are contemplating adoption of Haitian orphans. Knowing the vast differences of American and Haitian cultures first hand being a Haitian American herself, Weaver is offering support through her blog http://support4usparentsofhaitianorphans.blogspot.com as a one stop resource to make the transition of a Haitian adoption go smoothly as possible.

American families are offered detailed information on:

• Planning and preparing Haitian meals, including where to purchase Haitian foods.

• Lessons on how to learn Creole and French.

• Suggested books on the grieving process of losing a parent/parents/siblings.

• Free translation services.

Additional services for those living in the Denver, Colorado Metropolitan area, Weaver is offering in-person food preparation and babysitting services to assist further in making an adoption transition a success. If you don’t reside in the Denver Metropolitan area, Weaver is offering consultation via telephone, email, or Skype.

Visit http://support4usparentsofhaitianorphans.blogspot.com today for more information and to be in contact with Nicole Weaver directly.

(I've mentioned some things about how children deal with traumatic experiences on my other blog, http://janetanncollins.blogspot.com and hope that information may be helpful to adoptive parents.)