Christian Robinson

"It's the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone's just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself"--

While Milo and his sister travel to a detention center to visit their incarcerated mother, he observes strangers on the subway and draws what he imagines their lives to be.

"Evoking a deep sense of warmth, connection, and compassion, The Bench gives readers a window into shared and enduring moments between a diverse group of fathers and sons--moments of peace and reflection, trust and belief, discovery and learning, and lasting comfort"--