A Door Made for Me by Tyler Merritt is a beautiful story, drawn upon the real life of the author, experiencing racism for the first time as a young boy and its impact through his experience. The narrative delivers a message of love, acceptance and forgiveness that leaves a lasting impression.

The story centers around young Tyler. Reluctant to spend the summer with his grandparents, things looked up when he made some new friends, especially Jack. After one day excited about catching a fish, he wanted to share with everyone that he met his great news. To his confusion, he couldn’t understand why no one was able to celebrate with him. It wasn’t until one encounter that specifically made reference to what he looked like that forced him to face a reality that he had never experienced.

Left to deal with the hurt and confusion about encountering this situation, the most impactful moment in this book is from the weight of his pain when he asks, "How can she hate me when she doesn't know me?" This moment just grabs the heart but it’s such a pivotal moment in the book contemplating the impact of prejudice on young people.

What grabs the heart is that there are so many young people such as Tyler who have such big hearts and when you experience a moment such as this, it can affect you tremendously. What was so special about how this moment was next handled and as we see his story continue, the wisdom and compassion that his grandfather shared gave him comfort and understanding about his self worth. This conversation was my favorite part of the book because you had someone who went through the social changes who lived through the discrimination and being able to surround him with love and assurance that this moment won’t define him was truly inspirational.

Overall, this was a beautiful story that has such a positive takeaway. It presents a wonderful message of love and acceptance that goes beyond the pained experience, leaving readers with a sense of empowerment and hope. I feel this would be a wonderful book to introduce a conversation about prejudice and the emotional impact it can have. The beautiful advice and lessons shared from his grandfather would be equally beneficial. The beautiful illustrations complemented the book and captured the heart of the story being told. This is one that you will not forget.

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