Do I Have To Paint You A Picture

“Be afraid,” he said. “Be very afraid. Dillon took the risk and I’ll take it too. Whatever it takes to get your stink’ kind out of here.” He used filthier words I’ve tired to block out, without much success. They burned right down through my ears and branded themselves inside me. Dillon took the risk. He plowed his vehicle head-on into Ira on purpose. That was how much he despised us. For being black.

Book: Do I have to Paint You a Picture (Raise the Flag Series, No 4) by Nancy Rue, Waterbrook Press, 1998

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14+

Subjects: Racism, Dating Relationships, Friendship, Trust in God, Prayer

Summary: Racism is ugly and Brianna knows that well. She’s always known it, since the day her dad was killed in a racism fight and since the day her little brother was killed for simply being black in a place the white kids didn’t want him to be. And the day she and her boyfriend got pulled over by the police for simply being black in a rich neighborhood. But it’s happening again and it’s not centered around her dad or her brother and it’s not a one time event. Now it’s centered around her and it’s everywhere. She can’t go to school, she can’t visit her boyfriend in the hospital, she can’t go out to eat, she can’t even drive down the road without being threatened or attacked. Her boyfriend, Ira, has a broken neck and the one who challenged him is now dead. And no one understands. Her friends can’t understand – they’re not black. And Mrs. Race just wants her to tattle to the principal every time something happens. And the other black kids from school? They’re hiding, cowering in fear, afraid to even let their face be shown. Where is the help she needs?

Notes: Fourth in the Raise The Flag series, this book tells the story of Brianna. In the first book six girls show up for See You At The Pole and begin to form a friendship and prayer group. Each book in the series tells the story of one of the girls as well as continuing the overall story of each of the characters. In this book Brianna has to find out how to draw close to God when it feels like no one understands her. Brianna’s skin is black and that sets her apart from most of the other kids in the school she attends. When the racism gets more violent and threatening her boyfriend tries to stop it but only succeeds in getting himself in the hospital and the other kid dead. Brianna is convinced that because her skin is a different color, none of her friends can understand or help her. But when she faces her own near-death situation and survives only because of her friends she recognizes that their challenge to take everything to the Lord is the answer she has been looking for all along.  The spiritual elements are woven throughout the entire story. I highly recommend this book as well as the others in the series.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 5:13 – Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.