The Things You Keep From Your Parentsis about 17-year-old Zain, who’s always been a good kid. He gets good grades, never gets in trouble, and tries to make his parents proud. But when he meets Theo, a new kid at school, everything starts to change. Theo is wild, fun, and different from anyone Zain has ever known. He gets Zain into all sorts of trouble, like sneaking out of class and lying to his parents.

Then, Zain starts feeling something for Theo—something that he doesn’t want anyone to know about. One night, they share their first kiss, and Zain’s world flips upside down. He’s torn between liking Theo and keeping up his “perfect” life. Soon, he’s skipping school, lying about where he’s been, and dealing with some mean comments from people who are starting to notice the changes in him. The more he keeps hiding, the harder it gets.

The Things You Keep From Your Parentsis all about secrets, love, and trying to figure out who you really are, even when it feels like you can’t tell anyone. It’s about doing things you never thought you would, and realizing that sometimes, being honest is the hardest thing of all.

This is the letter I wrote to the government of Canada, asking them to stop discriminating against First Nations children and families on reserves, and asking them to stop taking First Nations children from their loving families. All the research is from the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, whose website is here: https://fncaringsociety.com

You can read the following letter and please, please, even if you don’t live in Canada send a letter of your own, either using this letter as a template or in your own words:

This is the way it has been for my people, for as long as anyone could remember. Each new life brought with it the threat that the creature posed. Each new life could be snatched away from us too early, too harshly, and far too cruelly.

Mother Nature’s body mutilated. She lies there, her power, her glory, her immortal libertyRendered helpless by our slashing roads and our piercing pipelinesOur factories spewing pollution into the air, the lands, the waterOur mines digging down like stabbing knives into her Our mother’s body mutilatedAnd with her humanity is mutilatedWithout her we cannot be

A young father holds his baby, and hopes.

———

This work is in the public domain and anyone can do whatever they want with it.

A young mother knows that the people who control her land will take her baby from her.

This is what happens to children sometimes. The rich and powerful need a new slave that they can bend and mold to their will sometimes, one they can keep in the intimate confines of their mansions. And it's so easy to break a child if you raise said child.

She knows that her baby will grow up not knowing the stories and songs and anger and laughter of the people in the fields and factories and mines.

Before she has to say goodbye forever though, she can give the child something important.

A piece of her history, a bit of strength.———

This work is in the public domain and anyone can do whatever they want with it.

Milahi loves her family. She loves her community. She loves her people. She works hard at the cafe six days a week. They don't have much. But they have each other. They make sure they have each other no matter what. And that's strength.

She's blessed as much as she's cursed.

As much as the Lords have every piece of her, they don't have her soul.

Monday through Saturday are days for misery.

Sundays are days for joy.  For rebellion. For hope.

———

This work is in the public domain and anyone can do anything they want with it.

INTRODUCING THE BOOK "THE APPLE OF MY PARENTS' EYES"

"I am sick and tired of you, you know? I am here to spend time with you and all you do is ignore me each time I try to strike a relationship with you. Do I smell or what?"

I looked at her. "Listen, I just want to be alone, OK? You have to get used to it."

Above is the excerpt from my book showing the interaction between an Autistic child and her cousin.

My name is Okoye, Favour Odira, a writer and a poet. I am here to introduce my book, which is founded on the bedrock of Autism. Autism is a type of disorder in both children and adults, that tampers with their brains and makes them less receptive to people around them. Autistic people are very intelligent or witty when they desire to. Otherwise, they can lock themselves up and won't open up to people.

The fear and struggle in this area are indeed perplexing but not insurmountable. This has brought about anxiety and a lack of responsibility from the majority of parents and guardians towards the autistic individual, thereby leading to a series of neglect and offering them for adoptions.

These issues caused me to coin my novel 'The Apple Of My Parents Eyes.' This is a novel with great insights. More so, it brings an outstanding and irrepressible faith to every individual who is directly or indirectly involved in this...

With the increasing rise of Autism in the world, there needs to be a focal point to educate parents and guardians, and proffer a working solution and hope to them. This book also highlights the relationship between parents and guardians, children and the way your actions determine the outcome of your life.

A book of 12,445 words which can be termed a short story, is my first attempt to point people to autism and the solution thereof. This is the reason I am knocking on your door for you to aid me, who was autistic before, in getting this book into the hands of innumerable no of people in Nigeria and beyond.