Stillwater, OK. Foster care. Children’s literature. Is there a connection here?
If you’ve read my recent website blogs, you know that my word of the year is still and that the letters s-t-i-l-l will appear in some form or fashion in every 2026 blog post. For the month of May, I’ve chosen Stillwater—a geographic location in the state of Oklahoma—as a starting point for my narrative.
Time to unravel the mystery of how Stillwater, OK, foster care, and children’s literature are inseparably linked.
Stillwater, OK
With a population of approximately 51,000, Stillwater is the 10th largest city in Oklahoma. As a crow flies, the city is 51 miles NNE of Oklahoma City and 60 miles due west of Tulsa. The campus of Oklahoma State University is located here.
The city derives its name from
Stillwater Creek which flows through the western part of town. And as you may have already guessed, the creek’s waters are calm.
I have never had the pleasure of visiting Stillwater, OK. But I am acquainted with someone who lives there.
Foster Care
According to 2023-2024 statistics, over 300,000 children in the United States are in foster care on any given day. Only 35% of these children are placed with a relative.
May is National Foster Care Month.
Children’s Literature
Meet Alton Carter.
Christian. Husband. Father. Resident of Stillwater, OK. Graduate of Oklahoma State University. Former Police Officer. Youth Director at First United Methodist Church in Stillwater, OK. Former foster child.
And…
Author of a nonfiction middle-grade novel titled, The Boy Who Carried Bricks: A True Story.
And now you know the connection between these three seemingly unrelated components. Mystery solved. Yay!
Photo credit: The RoadRunner Press
Carter’s amazing debut memoir is based on his own tumultuous childhood. Reviewers of his middle-grade novel have used the following words and phrases to describe the book: “authentic,” “heart-breaking but always hopeful,” “both enlightens and inspires.”
To further whet your reading appetite, I’ve included an excerpt from the book’s Introduction.
“My earliest memories of being a child are dark and terrible, memories I would not wish on another soul. Yet between the many horrific moments of my life, good happened, too. It usually came in the form of ordinary people, people who spared me a moment’s kindness or a word of advice or a respite from the abuse and, in doing so, left me with a glimmer of hope.”
And here’s my review…
Written by a glass-is-half-full kind of guy, The Boy Who Carried Bricks: A True Story is the gut-wrenching and yet inspirational retelling of the author’s childhood. In one word, Alton Carter’s debut novel is unforgettable. The repeated abuse, the infrequent acts of love and kindness, the years of neglect, the brief moments of joy—all of these experiences and emotions linger with the reader long after the last page is perused and the book is closed. Unforgettable. Yes, that’s the best word to describe Carter’s memoir.
Recommended for ages 10+
Nan’s note: Although the book is labeled as a middle-grade novel, it is also an excellent read for teachers, guidance counselors, social workers, therapists, and adults with an interest in the foster care system.