Friday, March 3, 2017

National Book Day: Reading Recommendations for President Trump


President Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington DC 20500
3 March 2017 

Dear President Trump, 

Today is world book day.  I thought I might recommend some books for you to consider reading.  I know you are busy, but just ten minutes of reading each night will help you sleep better and may provide some wisdom that could help you in the difficult and complex choices that you face. 

1.       Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird – this book has a lot to say about working hard for justice, even in a world that makes it hard to do so.  It is also a good example of why it is important to stand up for the rights of those whose voices are marginalized.

2.      The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Although this one will take a while to read, it is a gripping story about the entrancing danger ofbeing corrupted by having too much power, and how even small and apparently weak people can defeat evil.

3.      Pam Munoz Ryan’s recent book Echo tells three interesting and interwoven stories of kids, one in Nazi Germany, one in New York during the Depression, and one in California during World War Two.  The three stories connect together in the end in a fabulous ending.  Along the way, the book explores themes including the idea that every person has value, regardless of their religious beliefs, economic status, or cultural background.

4.      I don’t know if you have read any Harry Potter, but I think you would like this series. Harry and his friends fight against Voldemort, an evil wizard who thinks only pureblood wizards and witches have any worth, and wants to kill off all those of mixed blood.  Harry Potter and his friends work together to overthrow the evil wizard before he can kill even more people.

5.      Senator John Lewis’s graphic novel series, March, is a really cool inside look at the civil rights movement.  This is an important part of history.  I know you don’t always see eye to eye with Senator Lewis, but this book might help you be able to understand where he is coming from a bit more – and it is a really good series of books.

6.      You also might check out The Bible.  The story is actually very interesting.  There is a lot in there about love and forgiveness.  It really gets good about halfway through when Jesus shows up.  He tries to teach the world about a new way of operating, which includes loving everyone, especially those who might be more needy than you, or those who come from different cultures. The Bible also seems to be pretty big on taking care of God’s creation. 

If you don’t have copies of these books, you can get them at your local library (which for you I guess would be the Library of Congress).  I hope you enjoy them. 

Regards,
 

Bill Boerman-Cornell

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