SAY NOT WHAT IF by Andrew Friedman

4 OUT OF 5 STARS

This novelette, more of a pamphlet or short story, is completely written in rhyming verse. I found that the rhyming lightened the mood of a serious and often gruesome topic. It's about a man on death row who starts to reevaluate his life and the choices he made - just a little too late. Some of the verses made me laugh outloud and then I would need to read to my family. Even though the plot wasn't funny at all.

The writing is clever and unique, one can not help but start to look back at his/her life and reexamine the choices that they made. It also shows that no matter what your circumstances are there is time to make peace with yourself and what you believe.

Time is precious?? How important is money? happiness? This story opened my eyes, but is it because I'm already 1/2 out the corporate world already?

Friedman, Andrew. Say Not What If. Createspace, 2011. Paperback.

Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship by Nikki Giovanni

4 OUT OF 5 STARS

This picture book illustrates an unusually friendship between our 16^th president, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, a freed slave. Abraham Lincoln invited Frederick Douglass to his second inauguration. The story demonstrates the common interests between the two great American leaders during a time when debate surrounding racial equality was at its greatest. The story also introduces John Brown, who was friends with Frederick Douglass and fought for freeing slaves.  Unfortunately, John Brown’s fate did end tragically when him and his men were hung.  The artwork throughout the story book is a collection on cut-out images that help enhance the great America history story. The last page of the book is a timeline of events following Abraham Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglass’s achievements from 1809 until 1895. This picture, without a doubt, fully deserved receiving the 2009 elementary award due to the retelling of a great historical time through the unusual friendship between two such influential men.


This is the 2nd children's book about Frederick Douglass I have read, both for my Children's Literature course. The pictures alone will keep the young children interested, while teaching them some history as well.


Giovanni, Nikki.  Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship.  New York: Henry Holt  
        and Company, LLC.  2008.  40 pages, age 6-12 years.