Three Heroes, Three Decades: Coping, Loving, & Learning - Paperback

by Shawn Michael Nichols (Author)

Little Stones Who Dream of Wings

A small group of young teenagers bound together by deep friendships and commitment to each other are trying to make sense of what their futures might be. In a small Midwestern town, the summer of 1976 finds the teens trying to overcome a world where stuck and neglected are everyday problems. Their small world is shrinking further as the town itself is in decline. No one has the money to leave, and others, haven't got the means to help themselves or anyone else. Yet every day that summer, they experience victories and begin to build a plan to escape together.

Renny and Jupiter

Two best friends in Stockton, circa 1993, learn to trust each other with the truth about who they are, what they want to be, and surviving in Stockton, California, one of the most dangerous cities in the USA. Hindered by their family's illegal immigrant status, the two boys, their friends, and even the crimes that may hurt them all, force changes as they must grow up far faster than their peers elsewhere. A found treasure becomes a nightmare and throws everyone in their community into distrust of each other. How do the boys find stability when even adults are failing? The young people and their teachers bear many changes and take the situation into their own hands.

Amira Ding Dong

Trying to get by among rich classmates, Amira, a struggling student must face reality. Her brother, despite being her true source of motivation and stability, will never be all he can. Racist classmates and others who love her make her days tough. Her broken family and the wealth of others is a constant reminder that she must succeed even as she helps her friends on the verge of some terrible choices and actions.