Why can't a white kid sit with the black kids in the cafeteria?What happens when a biracial girl from Trinidad falls for a guy from a very different culture?How does a teen deal with being the only Palestinian boy or the only Japanese girl in a small American town?Face Relationsoffers eleven original works by celebrated authors Joseph Bruchac, Marina Budhos, M. E. Kerr, Kyoko Mori, Jess Mowry, Naomi Shihab Nye, René Saldaña Jr., Marilyn Singer, Rita Williams-Garcia, Sherri Winston, and Ellen Wittlinger that explore the possibilities of embracing diversity in a world still rife with bigotry and racism. As editor Marilyn Singer writes in her introduction:"...the characters in these stories tear down the barriers that separate us." Their stories may be troubled, funny, sad, or fierce, but all are full of hope.11 stories about seeing beyond color>"Phat Acceptance" by Jess Mowry>"Skins" by Joseph Bruchac>"Snow" by Sherri Winston>"The Heartbeat of the Soul of the World" by René Saldaña Jr.>"Hum" by Naomi Shihab Nye>"Epiphany" by Ellen Wittlinger>"Black and White" by Kyoko Mori>"Hearing Flower" by M. E. Kerr>"Gold" by Marina Budhos>"Mr. Ruben" by Rita Williams-Garcia>"Negress" by Marilyn Singer Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Contemporary teens grapple with the issue of interracial communication in this anthology featuring such renowned writers as M.E. Kerr and Rita Williams-Garcia. Although the protagonists introduced here represent a broad range of heritages and cultures, most are working to achieve the same goal: connecting to one particular individual, whose skin is a different color. In Jess Mowry's "Phat Acceptance," Brandon-cool on the outside, uptight on the inside-fumbles his first friendly overtures toward Travis, the "mammoth black kid" who sits behind him in class (" `... Oh... phat,' said Brandon, the first `black thing' that came to mind.... `I mean with a p,' he added, sweating"), but the two end up making plans to eat lunch together. Irony runs deep in Joseph Bruchac's "Skins" when the Native American/Scandinavian narrator finds he has more in common with Randolph White (one of three African-Americans at school) than with the boy he thought was a "real Indian." Set in Texas right after September 11, Naomi Shihab Nye's poignant "Hum" tells of a Palestinian immigrant boy's unexpected friendship with a blind white man. Offering upbeat conclusions and an even balance of funny and sad moments, this volume is as much about appreciating color as it is about looking beyond it. Ages 12-up. (June) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Introduction	p. ix
Letter from the Southern Poverty Law Center	p. xiii
Phat Acceptance	p. 1
Skins	p. 18
Snow	p. 43
The Heartbeat of the Soul of the World	p. 60
Hum	p. 68
Epiphany	p. 89
Black and White	p. 109
Hearing Flower	p. 137
Gold	p. 155
Mr. Ruben	p. 174
Negress	p. 189
About the Authors and Their Stories	p. 209

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.