Title: Character, Grit, Acknowledgement
Author: Joan B. Williams
Reviewer: Balfour Spence, PhD, ADES Department, Brandon University


Relevance/Value-added of the Manuscript

This anthology of poems entitled Character, Grit, and Acknowledgement, by Joan B. Williams was informed by several years of teaching and recognition. Although the inspiration for this seminal work came from the engagement of school children, the character-building reflections and inspirations are relevant to all ages in all social constructs. In that regard, the poems contained in this collection implore readers to seek meaning in each of them, towards becoming better individuals in their interaction with and in their service to humankind. 

The poems in this collection are brilliantly organized into three (3) areas of character-building, strength and self-esteem.  - Character, Grit, and Acknowledgement. The poems in each of these themes have common goals of facilitating meditation on self and promote motivation for self-realization and enhancement.

Theme 1: Character
The Character poems are superbly written and arranged to comprehensively address the fundamentals and tenets of desirable human character and include Respect, Cooperation, Integrity, Empathy, Teamwork, Honesty, Patience, Love, Kindness, Perseverance, Responsibility, Fairness and Forgiveness. The poetic reflections and articulations encapsulated in these themes are perceptive and timely, especially in the context of emergent social challenges and the need to endow children and youths with new opportunities for reflection, motivation and perseverance. The contents of the poems reflect, not only the author’s deepest understanding of these social challenges and their potential effects on youths, but also opportunities that can be generated in poetry towards overcoming these challenges.

Theme 2: Grit
The poems contained in this thematic area of the collection focus on the fundamentals of self-assurance and self-actualization and in that regard, motivates and implores self-assurance and realization. In that sense, the author’s deep and comprehensive understanding of the underlying sources of demotivation and lack of self-esteem, especially among children and youths, comes to the fore. This understanding is reflected in the range of motivating themes and guidance provided by each poem – Courage, Royalty, Believe, Purpose, Success, Affirmations, Dream and Silence. The brilliance of the poems in this thematic area lies not only in the positive reflections in their appeal to readers, but they also implore readers to introspect and thereby, self-motivate. The audience is consistently encouraged to self-examine in order to realize self-worth and capacities self-propelled success. This collection of poems in the hands of youths and children, promises to be a major game-changer in assisting school guidance counsellors and others engaged in stimulating the mental health of children, in facilitating children’s realization of their self-worth and potentials for achievements.

Theme 3: Acknowledgement
The poems in the Acknowledgement theme implores reflection on some of the most debated social issues in vogue. Issues related to colour, acceptance, discrimination, decolonization, academic property rights, changes of space, social change among others. The acknowledgements embodied in the poems of this section are essential requirements for social tolerance, social equity, social inclusion, social reconciliation and the celebration of diversity in an increasingly multi-ethnic and multicultural Canada and indeed, global community.
While the poems are powerful narratives for guiding social interrelationships and promoting self-worth of all audiences, the illustrations convey and equally powerful message of tolerance, respect, diversity, acceptance and inclusion that underpin the quest for unity, nationally and internationally. 

Dr. Balfour Spence, PhD
Professor, Applied Disasters & Emergency Studies Department
Brandon University
REVIEWER’S REPORT
