Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

Quan was only in 6th grade when he witnessed  a home invasion and his father’s arrest by the police. Without his dad around,  Quan became the one to protect his little brother and sister from their mother’s abusive boyfriend,  and his experiences led him eventually to search for family elsewhere. 

Now Quan is incarcerated and writes letters to his friend Justyce, the protagonist of  Dear Martin,  a college student with heart who is determined to help his friend. 

Detained youth looking for a contemporary story of incarceration and happy endings will enjoy Dear Justyce.  While it is Nic Stone’s sequel to Dear Martin, it holds up to a stand-alone reading.  Recommended for 8th grade and up.   In the audiobook the author reads her forward, and the smooth voice of Dion Graham  narrates the story.  You can listen to a sample here.  Click here for a teaching guide to the two titles.   --Jessica Fenster-Sparber.