New YA fiction from Kent Raddatz on bullying

The Boy Who Dreamed

Kent Raddatz

Young Adult

Fantasy

Kent Raddatz, publisher

May, 2020

Ebook - $2.99

Paperback - $7.99

197 pp

ISBN: 979-8638-8225-07

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About the Book

Twelve-year-old Jacob Tannin is being bullied by Willard and doesn’t know what to do about it. He pretends to be invisible in the hopes that Willard will pick on someone else. It doesn’t work. And sometimes, while he’s being picked on, something sarcastic pops out of his mouth—which never goes over well. But Jacob’s also a dreamer. And when his dreams take him to another world called Chimeran, things begin to change. In Chimeran, he’s attacked by Haggeldies, a new set of bullies. But he also makes friends who try to teach him how to stand up for himself. As he goes back and forth between these two worlds, he’s forced to see others in a new way. And he’s encouraged to believe in the power that comes from what he thinks about himself. Will Jacob ever stop being afraid? What will give him the courage to speak up for himself? And how will he learn what he’s worth when bullies in both worlds say he’s nothing?

My Review:

Debut author Kent Raddatz has produced a winner for kids who like to read, especially those who read to escape problematic reality.

Jacob is every boy, on the verge of becoming a young man who is learning about the tough side of life, and deciding his path. Will he join the side that walks over those who are different, or will he develop empathy, no matter how much it hurts?

When Jacob takes that first step of reaching outside of his own insecurity, and wondering what life is like for others and realizing that everyone is a potential friend, life doesn’t get easier. Every encounter with someone in his greater, wider world shows him another piece of his developing life puzzle. Even family members become heroes when viewed through his newly maturing sight.

Raddatz’s story is told through young Jacob’s eyes, in the well-drawn voice of a twelve-year-old learning that life is bigger than himself. Reminiscent of my favorite book of all time, Dandelion Wine, readers, both boys and girls, who appreciate coming-of-age tales, watching their narrator get the big lessons and grow, will enjoy The Boy Who Dreamed.

About the Author:

Kent Raddatz is a writer and author of The Boy Who Dreamed, the story of twelve-year-old Jacob Tannin whose dreams transport him to another world. Yet the most important thing to know about Jacob is that he’s being bullied.

Professionally trained as a Pastor, Kent worked with many children who were bullied in a variety of ways. Some were physically attacked while others were verbally abused. All were forced to put up with angry people. He listened to their stories and encouraged them to accept and love who they are.

He is well suited to write about this subject because, in his own words, “at times I was bullied; while at other times I did the bullying [I was too small to use anything except my words].”

A member of SCBWI and the Wisconsin Writer’s Association, he attended the 2015 and 2017 Novel-In-Progress Book Camp where he was awarded the Fox Ridge Scholarship.

Contemporary Fiction from Deborah L King

Glory Bishop

By Deborah King

Red Adept Publishing

June 4, 2019

Urban Womens Fiction

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About the Book: 

Glory Bishop lives her life in pieces. At work and with her friends, she reads novels, speaks her mind, and enjoys slow dances and stolen kisses with her boyfriend, JT. But at home, Glory follows strict rules and second-guesses every step. Though she dreams of going to college and living like a normal teenage girl, her abusive mother has other ideas.

When JT leaves to join the navy, Glory is left alone and heartsick. The preacher's son, Malcolm Porter, begins to shower her with lavish gifts, and her mother pushes Glory to accept his advances. Glory is torn between waiting for true love with JT or giving in to the overzealous Malcolm.

When a stranger attacks Glory on the street, Malcolm steps in to rescue her, and her interest in him deepens. But the closer she gets to him, the more controlling he becomes. Glory must eventually decide whether to rely on others or to be her own savior. 

My Review:

King’s tale of a teenager from a dysfunctional and spiritually damaged family falling in with an equally damaged husband shakes one’s soul.

Downtown Chicago, present day. Demons are alive and well—no, not spec fiction demons, the biblical demons that only Glory’s mother can experience. Glory Bishop’s mother is determined to raise a godly daughter according to standards that only mother can exact. The godliness comes about by regular beatings and a Spartan existence inside the home, and regular attendance at the opulent Baptist Church run by the “first couple,” who live an envious, glamorous life.

Glory is allowed to attend public high school where she enjoys her classes and friends, and is exposed to the evils of the world, which must regularly be expunged. One of Glory’s escapes is visiting the beauty salon where her mother goes for weekly appointments. Glory accidentally meets Herschel, the flamboyant and exemplar of parental kindness who for the coming years makes Glory’s life bearable. Glory has a secret—a wedding at age five with the love of her life, JT; a relationship Herschel helps hide. When Glory learns no relationship is sacred and her heart is broken, she feels adrift. Although creeped out by the attention of their pastor’s son Malcolm, a man a decade older who has hidden personality traits we suspect, Glory’s mother pushes them together. When the ominous music starts in the reader’s mind, we want to scream at Glory not to run into the dark woods where monsters hide, just like in the movies. We’re helpless as we watch events unfold and Glory is slowly sucked toward a cesspool covered with illusionary beauty.

Glory Bishop is a cautionary tale of societal prejudice toward outward appearances. Don’t let them fool you. Recommended for readers of contemporary family issue-laden stories with lots of colorful drama.

About the Author:

Deborah King has been a writer and storyteller her whole life. She published her first short story when she was seven years old. Her writing runs the gamut from poetry and women’s fiction, to espionage and science fiction. When she’s not writing, Deborah enjoys cartoons, cooking, photography, and Star Trek. Born and raised in Chicago, Deborah has managed to achieve all of her childhood dreams and still lives in the area with her husband and two youngest children. According to her daughter, she has “literally aced her life!”