Under Our Skin: an honest discussion of race relations in the U.S.

Under Our Skin by Benjamin Watson is a deep look into race relations in this country. Mr. Watson is currently a tight end for the Baltimore Ravens. The book is an expansion of his viral Facebook post after a grand jury returned a no bill on the charges against Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown and the riots that ensued. In the book, Mr. Watson writes with brutal honesty to both blacks and whites about our interactions with each other. He writes about what blacks and whites do and act that keep the racial divide wide. He speaks about his anger, his frustration, his fear and confusion among many other emotions. He speaks from his own experiences with racism and open conversation with white friends and teammates about racism in the United States. He admits that there are no easy answers or solutions. He still has hope that we can live together as a community.

I read Mr. Watson’s original Facebook post and I loved it. Then one day recently, I saw a program which discusses this book and I was intrigued. I immediately went online and ordered it. When it arrived, I took my time to read his words. To truly digest and comprehend his experiences and his viewpoints. Some of his points I agreed wholeheartedly and others were eye opening and hard to swallow. Although I wasn’t raised to treat anyone different because of their skin, society has an influence on how we view each other and sometimes those thoughts and ideas creep in and I hate myself for it. I highly recommend everyone read Under Our Skin.

Under Our Skin

is available at major booksellers

in paperback and eBook

¡Hola!: a great new book for children to learn Spanish

¡Hola! Let’s Learn Spanish with Pete the Pilot and Panchito by Judy Martialay is a fun and adventurous story through Mexico as the reader is introduced to vocabulary in Spanish. Panchito is a Mexican jumping bean and he is on an adventure to find friends. As he travels through various locations in Mexico, he introduces the basics of conversation, names, places, food and much more. The Spanish words are in bold and the English words are presented only at the first time a new word is introduced. Each time after that, only the Spanish word will be used. The book has fun games and puzzles to further teach the readers the Spanish words. For instance, a Treasure hunt can be played to find the items in Spanish around the house as well as a skit to practice a conversation in Spanish. The book also includes an online resource for pronunciation help and a Parents page for downloadable versions of the games for further practice.

I was approached by Ms. Martialay about reviewing ¡Hola! and I jumped at the chance. My husband and I have been trying to teach our daughter Spanish. I’m currently learning while my husband grew up speaking both Spanish and English. I have been looking for new ways to introduce Spanish to my daughter. While the book is recommended for children ages 6-10, my daughter, who is 4, enjoyed hearing the story as Panchito searched for new friends. I enjoyed the presentation of the Spanish words and the resource of an online Audio pronunciation help. I loved the games that the book presents as a great way to integrate the Spanish words into the reader’s everyday life. I highly recommend ¡Hola! for any family and classroom libraries. It is a great resource for children and adults who wishes to learn because you are never too young or too old to learn a new language.

¡Hola! is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

in print and on the Kindle