“Also, given the racial divide in this country and the incidents of school bullying and harassment we’ve seen since the election, I am hopeful this book can play a small role in bringing kids together. Some young readers will identify closely with Perry Wallace and the challenges he faced and gain inspiration from his courage and accomplishments. But just as important to me is that kids who might not identify with Perry in obvious ways will also find that the book leads them to greater feelings of empathy and understanding and motivates them to be more socially conscious.”
The literary blog of Humanities Tennessee, Chapter16.org, has posted a great Q&A on the new Young Readers version of STRONG INSIDE. Sean Kinch, an English teacher at Nashville’s Montgomery Bell Academy (where the original, adult version of STRONG INSIDE was the all-school read this year), conducted the interview. Read it here.