FOREST PARK, Ill., Oct. 17, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Jr. Smiled (now available through 1stBooks) by Victor C. Brown Jr. and Joan L. Brown, tells the story of a Native American boy who loves to run, whether on an errand, escaping from the cops, competing against horses or for the joy of it.
The deeper truth, however, is that his race can't be won until he finds his identity. The ghetto streets, parental neglect and abuse, prejudice and illiteracy prevent him from achieving this. Can he overcome these obstacles?
The foster care system places him in a good home, and Jr. must learn to read. As he reads, he learns more than he bargained for. Who is he? Would friends accept him if he wasn't an athlete? Why does everyone depend on him? Reading stirs the confusion within and his short-lived smile reverts to an impenetrable facade. In the end, Jr., must return to the beginning.
"This is our third book published by 1stBooks. I say ours, meaning me and the filing cabinet, which holds notes, unfinished stories, pictures, and mementos belonging to my husband. I found it in his basement when we were married. Curiosity compelled me to look inside, and I discovered fantastic stuff that he wanted nothing to do with," Joan writes.
Rather than discard it, she pieced it together and published Jr. Smiled. "I can understand why he wanted nothing to do with it -the nightmares that never go away. But the material was too good not to let the world see what neglect, cruelty, and abuse could do to a child," she explains. "As a schoolteacher, I feel the world should know."
The authors currently live in Forest Park, Ill.
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