Hey South Lake and Grapevine listeners, Mike Hicks and Ball here.

Today in a special bonus episode, I'm excited to share an audio preview of my new book,

They Came for the Schools. One town's fight over race and identity and the new war

for America's classrooms.

The book builds on our reporting in South Lake and Grapevine,

revealing new details about the political battles there

and tracing how these fights have swept through towns across the country. If you like what you hear,

follow the link in the episode note to pick up a copy. Now, here's an excerpt

from They Came for the schools.

Chapter 1 Perfect City USA Early one morning in February 2006, Amy Roll loaded her three children into her

Chevy Suburban and set out from Los Angeles on a cross-country road trip in

pursuit of a quintessentially American ideal, a good school for her kids.

She pulled out before sunrise, hoping to escape the city before the morning rush and headed

east on Interstate 10.

A five-year-old Raven rode in a booster seat in back, watching movies on a portable DVD player

as a blur of desert flashed by the side window.

In exchange for pacifying her 18-month-old baby brother,

Roman, with an unlimited supply of goldfish crackers and gummyworms,

Jasmine, the 12-year-old, was given control of the car stereo.

She sang along to Unwritten by Natasha Bettingfield and Bring Me to Life by Evanessence, as her mother, fueled by coffee, Diet Coke and a sense of purpose.

Kept an eye on the directions she'd printed off MapQuest to guide their path from California

to Texas.

...