The Help

The Help is another one of those books that touches on real life issues and dealing with the issues. Also set in the south (Mississippi) during the 1960s, racism is a prevalent theme. Skeeter is an aspiring journalist who questions the racist attitudes of those around her. She was basically raised by a black woman, who disappeared before Skeeter came home from college. She is on a mission to prove that the black maids have the toughest jobs. The story also follows two of those black maids, Aibileen and Minny. These two women have powerful stories of life during segregation and the daily struggles they face!

The Secret Life of Bees

This book is so powerful so far. It's set in South Carolina during the 1960s. The book focuses on Lily Owens and her journey to find out who her mother is. I like books like this one that talk about racism and the issues it brings up. I can relate to Lily very much so. She's independent and is forever curious. She strives to know more and more and won't settle. She isn't exactly racist. She loves Rosaleen, the woman who raised her, and Zach, her new found friend. This book is a nice coming of age novel that focuses on real issues and deals with those issues rather than hiding them.