Christopher Myers has once again produced a book, entitled My Pen, full of both inspirational writing and inspirational art work. My Pen is categorized as a children’s book, but is an excellent read for all ages.
In this stunningly illustrated black and white picture book, Myers tells the story of a young boy who appears to feel disenfranchised by the rich and famous he sees around him and that are touted as idols throughout the media. However, this is not the focus of the story. It could have been, if Myers had come full circle at the end of the book to explicitly state that the boy has just as much ambition, passion, and potential as those rich and famous people. Although, the intention is probably to allow the readers to come to that conclusion on their own.
The focus of the story is not even the pen with which the boy traverses an entire universe of imagination and creativity. The true focus of this story is to inspire our youth of today to believe in themselves and that anything is possible. A mission that Myers inherited from his father, famed author Walter Dean Myers. A mission worthy of global readership, and cross-culturally relevant. In fact, the main character’s race is undefined, allowing any child who needs this message the ability to identify with him.
I gave this book a 4.5, because it was an amazing read, but I did feel that the ending was slightly anti-climatic. Regardless, I highly recommend this book to anyone who has or works with children. My Pen is scheduled for publication in March 2015 and is sure to be another award winning book!