When I Was the Greatest
by Jason Reynolds
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Award winning author Jason Reynolds is a masterful storyteller. Through his book, When I Was the Greatest, Reynolds shows us something of the nuances of family life in an urban African American community and exposes the spaces where love, family, and community are strong. Ali’s family is not typical, but there is no typical family. Ali lives in Bed Stuy, New York with his mother, Doris and his sister, Jazz. Jazz is famous for giving nicknames and she gave Ali his name after Muhommad Ali. Jazz also named Ali’s best friends and neighbors Needles and Noodles. Ali grapples with the complexities of life in Bed Stuy and knows he needs to keep on track and stay out of trouble because his mother Doris makes that very clear. This book is so engaging and authentic it will hook even the most reluctant teen reader.
Reviewed by Bridget
Tagged: Bed Stuy, Boxing, Coretta Scott King Book Award, Families, Tourette syndrome
One Crazy Summer
by Rita Williams-Garcia
[Book]
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One Crazy Summer tells the story of an eleven-year-old girl and her younger sisters who travel from Brooklyn to Oakland, California to live with their mother for the summer. Their mother is unapproachable and the girls have a hard time adjusting to the new atmosphere. The three sisters are eager to build a relationship with their mother and are intrigued by her involvement with the Black Panther Party. What little they know of the Black Panthers they learned from television, but now they have come face-to-face with party leaders as their tough-love mother sends them to the program for breakfast and lessons.
Reviewed by Bridget
Tagged: Black Panthers, Coretta Scott King Book Award, Crushes, Families, Fiction, Friendship
No Laughter Here
by Rita Williams-Garcia
[Book]
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This novel explores the intimate friendship between friends Akilah and Victoria. Victoria suffers a tragedy that changes her life and her relationship with Akilah. This is an honest and accessible book that explores real-life problems.
Reviewed by Bridget
Tagged: Coretta Scott King Book Award, Female genital mutilation, Fiction, Friendship
