A Place to Belong - by Amber O'Neal Johnston (Paperback)
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About this item
Highlights
- A guide for families of all backgrounds to celebrate cultural heritage and embrace inclusivity in the home and beyond.
- About the Author: Amber O'Neal Johnston is a homeschooling mother of four who speaks and writes on HeritageMom.com about including diverse voices in traditional curricula and infusing culture into the home environment.
- 304 Pages
- Family + Relationships, Life Stages
Description
About the Book
"A guide for families of all backgrounds to celebrate cultural heritage and embrace inclusivity in the home and beyond"--Book Synopsis
A guide for families of all backgrounds to celebrate cultural heritage and embrace inclusivity in the home and beyond. Gone are the days when socially conscious parents felt comfortable teaching their children to merely tolerate others. Instead, they are looking for a way to authentically embrace the fullness of their diverse communities. A Place to Belong offers a path forward for families to honor their cultural heritage and champion diversity in the context of daily family life by: - Fostering open dialogue around discrimination, race, gender, disability, and class- Teaching "hard history" in an age-appropriate way
- Curating a diverse selection of books and media choices in which children see themselves and people who are different
- Celebrating cultural heritage through art, music, and poetry
- Modeling activism and engaging in community service projects as a family Amber O'Neal Johnston, a homeschooling mother of four, shows parents of all backgrounds how to create a home environment where children feel secure in their own personhood and culture, enabling them to better understand and appreciate people who are racially and culturally different. A Place to Belong gives parents the tools to empower children to embrace their unique identities while feeling beautifully tethered to their global community.
Review Quotes
"A Place to Belong awakens us to some of the most important issues of our day with dynamic pluck, bold transparency, and homegrown humility. I was moved to tears, laughter, discomfort, and relief, often within the same pages. This book is both a revelation and a guide."
--Ainsley Arment, author of The Call of the Wild and Free
"Amber O'Neal Johnston has written a deeply thoughtful book that will provoke all who read it to broaden their view of people in their personal context and in the beauty of their own unique lives and cultures. A great read indeed!"
--Sally Clarkson, coauthor of The Lifegiving Home
"Amber O'Neal Johnston has penned an engaging and comprehensive guide for families of all backgrounds who are curious or committed to engaging in a diverse and inclusive lifestyle. Johnston's book is a refreshing reminder that humanity is shared, imperfect, and beautiful. Highly recommended."
--Charnaie Gordon, creator of Here Wee Read
"As an adoptive mom raising children whose race and culture are different from my own, I deeply believe in Amber's message and in every family's need for this important book. Her writing style is kind and informed, gently pointing readers to resources and practices to introduce their kids to a wider, more vibrant world. I wish I could have had this book a decade ago to guide our path, but I'm grateful to have it now as I continue to make sure that every member of our family knows they have a place to belong."
--Jamie C. Martin, author of Give Your Child the World "In A Place to Belong, Amber O'Neal Johnston offers a pathway toward inclusivity that is marked, not with trite words and meaningless gestures, but with practical steps and helpful encouragement. She puts forth a beautiful vision for celebrating the uniqueness of your family while cultivating respect and appreciation for the differences of others."
--Jasmine L. Holmes, author of Carved in Ebony "A Place to Belong captivated me from the very start. Amber offers a wealth of tools to help every family grow in their appreciation and connection to people who are different than them, racially, socially, or culturally. And she does it all in a way that is laced with hope and joy! A Place to Belong is going to change hearts and lives for years to come."
--Greta Eskridge, author of Adventuring Together "With authenticity, heart, and vulnerability, Amber lays out a clear plan to create a home culture that honors your family's heritage and celebrates others. Whether you're Black, a person of color, or white, there is something more we can all do to investigate our own history and appreciate what everyone brings to the table."
--Delina Pryce McPhaull, creator of the "Oh Freedom!" curriculum "Amber O'Neal Johnston gets it! A Place to Belong acts as a compass in navigating tough history and cultural identity conversations within a family. It reminds us to embrace our culture and to honor our history."
--Sheva Quinn, EdD, coauthor of African American Families: Why We Homeschool
About the Author
Amber O'Neal Johnston is a homeschooling mother of four who speaks and writes on HeritageMom.com about including diverse voices in traditional curricula and infusing culture into the home environment. She is a regular contributor to the Wild + Free homeschooling community.Dimensions (Overall): 7.87 Inches (H) x 5.12 Inches (W) x .71 Inches (D)
Weight: .44 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 304
Genre: Family + Relationships
Sub-Genre: Life Stages
Publisher: Tarcher
Theme: School Age
Format: Paperback
Author: Amber O'Neal Johnston
Language: English
Street Date: September 5, 2023
TCIN: 89370549
UPC: 9780593538272
Item Number (DPCI): 247-26-8349
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 0.71 inches length x 5.12 inches width x 7.87 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.44 pounds
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5.0 out of 5 stars with 33 reviews
100% would recommend
33 recommendations
A Must Read for Today's Parent
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
JWolfe - 10 months ago
I am in awe of Amber O'Neal Johnston's intentionality in laying out a thought-provoking, practical, insightful and much needed parenting book. It overflows with detailed personal experiences, prolific questions to ponder, lists, and a plethora of ways to apply her ideas to any parenting style. She speaks to the reader with overflowing grace while laying a feast of ways to develop your home and family life that normalizes hard topics, celebrates family heritage and honors a child's need to belong. A must read for every parent who desires to create a nurturing home environment to encourage driven, fierce, humble, empathic, global citizens and culturally secure kids.
Finding and being a place to belong because of our differences
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Cheryl Vanderpool - 3 years ago
There's been so much talk about diversity, which is all of our reality from the moment we wake up in our homes. We all are uniquely different. This book broadens the idea of diversity to the idea that we all belong, not in spite of our differences, but because of our differences. A Place To Belong gives ideas on how to celebrate ourselves, individually and collectively, as a family - whatever makes us uniquely individuals and uniquely a family. It's from this place of pride in ourselves and where we come from that we can then look around to see the beauty in others. This book is not limited to culture, but distinctly transcends all areas of diversity, with the same end goal of creating a sense of belonging for all and simultaneously extending our perspective beyond ourselves to ideas on how we can be a safe place for others to belong. There are poignant questions to personally reflect on, as well as questions that will illicit rich conversation amongst people that are interested in both belonging and accepting others to belong, as well. A Place to Belong is comprehensive in how the author and her family have lived what she has written, while acknowledging because of our differences, not all of it will appeal to everyone as written. Instead, this book offers a starting point for our family to curate a home space that gives all of us a sense of belonging and self-confidence to tether to, while we walk out our front door each day to see and appreciate the beauty of those around us, to bring even greater depth to this thing we live everyday called life.
A stunning work of art and call to action in our homes
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Deah - 3 years ago
This book is beautifully written (and the audiobook beautifully narrated by the author). Offers us as readers a peek into the author’s extremely thoughtful research and reflection on how to cultivate in our homes and in our communities a genuine sense of belonging. A belonging that includes rather than excludes. A belonging that is thoughtful and not thoughtless. A belonging that cultivates growth not stagnation. This is such an important read in a world that is increasingly divided and cliquish. The author does not only leave us with beautiful research and meaningful food for thought, but goes even further to provide a multitude of a reflective questions and actionable steps we can take toward building the home culture and community cultures that we genuinely want to be apart of and raise our children in.
A Family Guide to Culturally Rich Living
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Terri Shown - 3 years ago
This book offers a place for all people to navigate the beauty and challenges of multiculturism. Amber states, “There are many ways to consciously weave color and inclusivity into the fabric of your home. It is not a book that points out a problem but offers practical and actionable ideas that you can start tomorrow! She believes, “Every parent possesses a “special sauce” that can be imitated but never perfectly duplicated because the main ingredient is you!”. I loved the inside look of her real and raw experiences of crossing racial divides. She shares challenges that POC may face that a majority racial group may not even have to consider. She empowers you, whatever your background is, with tools to diversify your home library, travel, and friendships Amber offers you not a prescription to mark off but rather a mindset to adopt as you navigate this wonderful, sometimes hard, diverse world together.
This book is such a beautiful guide for all families.
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Ruth Guerrier - 3 years ago
There is so much I love about this book but I think what I love most is the instruction that is given through it all. I believe that many people understand the importance of diversity but overall what I have experienced is that there has been a whole lot of talk and no action. This book is about action but with the explanation, guidance, and instruction of a mother that wants us all to learn how to love each other well. It's beautifully written and such a gift.
a Must Read for all families
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Amanda H - 3 years ago, Verified purchaser
I can usually tell the impact a book has on my life based on the amount of writing I add to the pages. My copy of A Place to Belong is filled to the brim with the underlining of passages I will return to again and again, notes in the margins and countless written "Amen!" as I join with the author in agreement. Amber O'Neal Johnston graciously walks families through what it can look like to create a home that honors and celebrates their own culture and the cultures of others. She gives practical ways to create open dialogue about topics like race, class, gender and disabilities that are typially ignored (to the detriment of our children and communities). The book empowers parents to create their own diverse home libraries, it teaches us how to choose media content wisely, how to incoorporate the arts into our homes to promote celebration of our own heritage and those of others. It describes what it can look like to be world travelers as well as how to cultivate safe and inclusive communities. The author thoroughly covers these topics with both wisdom and conviction. She states, "Our real job is to create a home where our children feel tethered and seen as they grow and serve with confidence, grace and humility. And that's something that intentional, loving parents are uniquely equipped to do. We are made for this." This book will not be collecting dust on our bookshelf, but will be shared and referenced for many years to come.
Practical and inspirational
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
C Pardue - 3 years ago
I am an adoptive mom raising a daughter whose race is different than my own. The subtitle of this book, “Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond,” really caught my attention because I want my daughter’s heritage to be celebrated in our home. Regardless of biological or adopted children, I think this book is a must-have for all parents! Some of my favorite aspects of the book are: - Evaluating your family culture. You can’t make improvements if you’re not willing to first see things as they really are. - The concept of “mirrors and windows,” referring to representation in books & media. I appreciate the practical guidelines on how to make sure we are bringing quality material into our home. - Examples of how to celebrate family culture through family interviews, recipes, creating a keepsake chest, etc. - Provides a message of hope when everything else seems to be going in the opposite direction, “Our children belong. Together.”
This book BELONGS on your shelf
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Foundmefaithful - 3 years ago
“A Place To Belong” is NOT a book. It’s a roadmap and instructional manual for how to bridge the cultural divide and bring unity throughout our land, one family at a time. The resources are a time-savor, the personal stories are relatable, and the wisdom is invaluable. I will reread this one over and over again!
There is something here for everyone!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
LadyJD - 3 years ago
LOVE THIS BOOK! The author has such a great way with words. She addresses so many topics with so much grace! This book truly is a path forward. There is something here for all of us.
This is the book I've been waiting to read!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
KEds - 3 years ago
This is the book I wish I’d had back at the beginning of my parenting. In A Place To Belong, the reader is walked step-by-step through examples of how to intentionally create a culturally rich and accepting family with grace for each member and for others in our world. I’ve highlighted more text than not in this book because I’ve found it so fresh, inspiring and practical. Written from the author’s own personal history, A Place To Belong is an intimate look inside her life and journey from color blindness to embracing the full spectrum of color and culture in relationship with others. She gives lots of practical advice and shares the best practices she’s developed along the way I read myself in these pages. I saw mirrors in her story that reflected some of my story. I also saw windows that helped expand my own thoughts and values. It helped me question and review the way I am raising my children. This book also gave me new avenues to walk down; to research and incorporate into our home…. This book is thought-provoking, challenging, helpful, and intellectual. Written in an everyday approach that asks the reader to consider their own biases and change their thinking around what it truly means to belong. This book is full of hope - you will be asking someone else in your circle to read to discuss and share.
A timely book that is deeply appreciated
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
J - 3 years ago
This was the perfect combination of challenging and encouraging. I think it was a nice balance of looking at multiple sides with the goal of moving forward in togetherness and appreciation of those who look like us and those who don't. Together, we weave a beautiful tapestry and we so need each other. I appreciated practical application ideas and examples throughout the book.
Everyone longs to belong
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Alison - 3 years ago, Verified purchaser
This book was inspiring, challenging and helpful in cultivating a cultural conscious home and mindset. I look forward to using the practical ideas presented to create inclusive diversity in our home. There is beauty and strength in diversity where everyone has a sense of belonging and this book motivates me to be part of that work.
inspiring
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Rebekah - 3 years ago
A Place to Belong is thought provoking, challenging, and inspiring. As a mother who wants to teach her children all the things I wasn’t taught as a child, to be open and honest about the subjects that were always hushed up in my own childhood, I found this book so very helpful and I heartily recommend it to every parent.
Everyone Should Read This Book!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
lezliemichelle - 3 years ago
This book is a treasure trove of important ideas. It is a practical guide full of inspiration and encouragement for families to carve out their own path toward cultivating a healthy, self-aware, globally-minded sense of beauty and belonging for their children. The author shares advice and also her own personal stories. She helps readers navigate nuances of racial and cultural diversity that bring everyone into the same conversation. This book is a real treat.
Seeing and Celebrating Others
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
mrsmamalew - 3 years ago
Being an interracial family in a small, non-diverse town has not been without it’s challenges. From my children being the only brown children on the playground to outright painful experiences we’ve faced, I have often struggled with where we are raising our family. This only intensified as I began homeschooling. Flipping through curriculum after curriculum, nothing ever seemed to convey to my children their true history. Not to mention when we would be reading through a “classic” and constantly ran into offensive racial terms. It has been hard and lonely. Until Amber. From the first time I heard her speak it was as if for the first time someone saw my kids. Someone validated and celebrated who they are. There aren’t words to really describe how much A Place to Belong has meant to me. Or how thankful I am to have it as a tool and a resource to pass on to friends who are in our village pouring into our kids. This book isn’t just for brown families, or interracial families, it’s for all families. Because we all have a responsibility to create and foster a society, and homes, and tables, and bookshelves that show others you, in all of your fullness and uniqueness, matter and are welcome here. I have no doubt that I will continue returning to Amber both in this book and in her continual outpouring of knowledge online as a resource on how to do just that.
Very Practical!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
MamaBarth - 3 years ago
This book is so timely and Amber is an excellent storyteller. My husband and I both read this and I truly felt like she was speaking to our exact parenting struggles right now. We were raised to be “color blind” and want to raise our children differently. I appreciated the examples for answering the tough questions. And it was really great to not feel “preached” to. This was not a religious or faith based approach and was a very inclusive book. Thanks for writing this Amber!
A Necessary Read for Parents
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Susann - 3 years ago
In the book description this is called a ”guide." It is certainly that an so much more. I am not sure what I was expecting from this book but I knew that because of the kind of speaker and writer that Amber is that it would be good. What I did not expect was how challenged I would feel to get my literal house in order. This book made me think quite a bit as a homeschooler about my approach to guiding principles, but it also made me think as a Black woman what our core family values are and how we pass those down to our son. It challenged me to think about how we interact with and value others’ purpose and heritages without sacrificing who we are as a people. I felt like I needed to get out of clipboard and start making a list with my family so that we can get to work! I’m so glad that this book wasn’t just targeted at one group of people. It spoke to so many of us and was so honest in its approach. For that I say thank you for writing this book Amber O’Neal Johnson!
Five Stars
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Rachel - 3 years ago, Verified purchaser
One of my favorite books this year.
A Place to Beling
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Melissa D - 3 years ago
I love this book! It's such a treasure. Amber shared stories from her experience as a mom. I could really relate to the struggle about waiting to talk about certain topics but our kids face all kinds of things whether we talk about them or not. I love the idea of being a space for my children to talk about anything and being available even if my experience is different. I love that Amber shares books by black authors, it has impacted my home in such profound ways.
Great Resource
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Merry Nicole - 3 years ago
I've been seeking resources to help guide me in the daily how-to's of raising globally minded kids (and prevent an "us vs. then mentality). I'm so pleased to have finally found one! I can research books with diverse and multicultural characters and read to my kids all the live long day, but actually getting out of my comfort zone and meeting people and developing relationships with them is not something that comes naturally to me (introvert). And wow. This book has tons of ideas. I highlighted like crazy. The hard part will be narrowing down what I want to add in first for us so that I don't crash. I was nervous that I might end up feeling overwhelmed (ok maybe I did a couple of times) but mostly I just feel excited and encouraged. But you know, my favorite part of the book wasn't even all the practical ideas and resources. It was the tone of hope and understanding. I especially appreciated the section about teaching hard history and having hard conversations with kids. I'll definitely be coming back to this over the years.