Renée Watson

"A celebration of Black Americans for young readers, derived from Hannah-Jones’ 1619 Project.

Told in a series of poems that create a narrative, the story opens with a young Black girl given a school assignment to trace her ancestry. Despondent, she tells her grandmother about her shame at being unable to complete the assignment. Grandma then tells the story of their ancestors. Refreshingly, that story starts pre-enslavement, in West Central Africa: “Their story does not begin / with show more whips and chains. / They had a home, a place, a land, / a beginning. / … / Before they were enslaved, they were / free.” Several spreads are dedicated to celebrating the ancestors’ language, skilled hands, sharp minds, joyful hearts, and amazing dancing. When enslavement enters the narrative, authors and illustrator strike a balance between presenting an honest picture and consideration for young readers. Smith’s evocative, vibrant art is full of emotion and motion. Colors and images speak volumes, while characters are portrayed with dignity, even in the worst circumstances. A significant portion of the story focuses on this period and how the ancestors survived and made a home in the United States. Poems “Resistance” and “Legacy” round out the narrative until reaching a conclusion for the character the book opened with in “Pride.” Compression of 400-plus years of history leads to some oversimplification, but overall it is a tremendous achievement.(This book was reviewed digitally.)

A gift to Black Americans and everyone else who reads it. (authors' note, illustrator's note) (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)" show less

This is a beautifully written novel about teens that should find a broader audience beyond YA. Jade, an African American girl from a poor neighborhood, wins admission to a private school where she is vastly outnumbered by privileged white kids. Many novels have dealt with the difficulty of code switching between contrasting communities of diverse income levels, but Jade keeps her steady feet in both and learns how to handle some of the situations and contradictions that arise. She's got show more strong support from her mother and from two friends, but when she is turned down for a study abroad program, the rejection threatens to derail her motivation. When Jade's chosen as a mentee by a volunteer group of successful black women, she wonders why she's only chosen for activities that attempt to uplift her rather than rewarding her for her hard work. The novel also wisely focuses on Jade's talent as a budding collage artist, and so incorporates the important nature of creativity and artistic passion as the engine of a happy and productive life. This novel is as inspirational as its main character. Highly recommended. show less

This Side of Home follows the senior year of identical twins, Nikki and Maya. The story is told from Maya’s perspective. Nikki and Maya have always been inseparable. However, gentrification and their reaction to the development of their neighborhood threaten to tear the two teens apart. Nikki is excited about the new developments in the area. She shops at all of the new stores, drinks coffee in the new, swanky coffee house, and befriends the new girl whose family “pushed” their best show more friend out of the house she and her mother were renting. Maya is leery of all the changes. She thought her neighborhood was just fine the way it was, and she closes herself off (at first) to their new neighbors. Eventually Maya opens up and realizes that some change can be a good thing, as long as we remember what matters most.

I thought the portrayal of gentrification in this book was outstanding. The author really captures the emotional turmoil that a process like that can have on a community. Tensions are high in this level headed look at both sides of the story. The character development is also excellent. Both Nikki and Maya learn a lot about themselves over the course of the story and learn a lot about each other as well. The plot moves at a steady pace and draws the ready in immediately.

Grade Range: 9-12
Genre: Realistic
Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Excellent
Recommendation: Highly Recommended show less

"The most radical thing you can do is love yourself and each other.”

I didn’t care too much about the romance here, but I liked the characters, especially JT! The romance is more so in the background while Nala’s character development is in the front.

As someone who has been involved in community organizing, especially for black and environmental issues, I understood Nala’s feelings with the activists to an extent. Sometimes you meet people so passionate (they eat, breathe, sleep it) show more about something, you feel your zeal doesn’t compare to theirs. But I thought Nala would come around eventually. I also enjoyed that Nala was self-aware to understand her cousin Imani’s feelings may have stemmed from resentment.

Let this be a lesson: Sit cho’ behind down and stop lying all the doggone time. Seriously, even the littlest lies can catapult into something big. Just be honest even if it’s uncomfortable. Still, I think the story managed to show this without getting too preachy.

2.5 show less