A Place To Go, A Place To Grow
Simple Things That Make a Difference for At-Risk Kids
by Lou Dantzler with Kathleen Felesina
Lou Dantzler is a marvelous man, a true American hero who doesn't grandstand. In a time
when Bill and Melinda Gates are crusading to overhaul the school system and Bill Cosby
is raising a furor over African-American children's futures, this book needs to be shouted
from the rooftops, as does Lou Dantzler's work, which received international acclaim
from President George Bush Senior in the wake of the 1992 riots. The story of this club
and its remarkable, brave founder is a must-read for every educator, parent, pastor/rabbi,
or youth leader -in short, everyone who cares about at-risk kids.
In vivid, engaging, straightforward prose that's a blend of Dantzler's frank personality
and co-author Kathleen Felesina's passion for kids and writing, A Place To Go, A Place
To Grow tells the story of how a sharecropper's son born of a strong mom escaped a
dead-end life and founded a remarkable organization, Challengers. It has rescued countless
at-risk L.A. kids in South Central and Watts from gangs, drugs, teen pregnancy, early
fatherhood, and the "South Central stare," which Dantzler describes poignantly. Dantzler
shares his struggles as well as the support from parents, celebrities, entrepreneurs,
politicians, and most of all, the kids themselves, especially Dantzler's children, who
are now part of Challengers themselves.
I was especially delighted, (having met Kathleen Felesina and her sister, Challengers
board member Laura Peterson, whose passion for kids is pivotal in Lou Dantzler's story)
to watch an inspirational collaboration unfold among people who share a commitment to
America's at-risk kids. |
The Book |
Rodale Books |
May 2, 2006 |
Hardcover |
1594864187 |
Nonfiction -- Autobiography |
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at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The Reviewer |
Kristin Johnson |
Reviewed 2006 |
NOTE: Reviewer and
award-winning writer Kristin Johnson's books are Butterfly Wings: A Love Story,
Christmas Cookies are for Giving, co-written with Mimi Cummins and Ordinary
Miracles: My Incredible Spiritual, Artistic and Scientific Journey, co-written with
Sir Rupert A.L. Perrin, M.D. |
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