Monsters on the Sidewalk

Book excerpt: "Sidewalks have crisscrossed my life like circuits on a computer chip. Only the Master Designer knows where the intricate patterns lead. Some sidewalks still await my feet. Others, I have been dragged over whether I wanted to be or not." (Author) "Monsters on the Sidewalk" is unique not only because it dramatizes a mother’s abandonment, a father’s oppression, and a stepmother’s brutality, but it also paints a picture of a grandparent’s love and what good parenting looks like. The reader is able to distinguish between the two. Readers can judge between the positive effects of humor and love, and the negative effects of demeaning words and violent actions upon the mind of a child. The book will also engender hope for survivors (victors) and show that the cycle of abuse can stop in their lives, sparing the next generation. The brighter light we shine on maltreatment, the greater chance we have to slow its growth. Child abuse? It’s everywhere.