This year sixth grade students at Fairfield Middle School are participating in a book study of Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson. This book chronicles the struggles and successes of everyday African Americans from colonial times to current day. Told through the unique point of view and intimate voice of a one-hundred-year-old African-American female narrator, this inspiring book demonstrates that in gaining their freedom and equal rights, African Americans helped our country achieve its promise of liberty and justice—the true heart and soul of our nation.