I read this book in my fourth grade class with my teacher and I remember it so vividly! It is a really great modern adaptation of Aesop's fables into a classroom setting. The book is formatted into a chapter book where each chapter depicts a different one of Aesop's fables. Each of the students plays an individual role in each story as the chapter book progresses and they learn that Mr. Jupiter's class has a long road ahead of them.

This book illuminates the life of black girlhood in non fiction poetry and vignettes. Set in NYC, Shante recounts her life growing up struggling with adultificiation, shares places where she felt black girls were nurtured, and sheds light on harder memories like sexual assault. This books is the winner of a YALSA award, Young Adult Library Services Association award. I think this book is extremely valuable literature that shares experiences of black girlhood told by a black author. I think that this book is a great way to demonstrate practical applications of poetry into a YA book form. It balances poetry form with vignettes to share the authors memories. I believe that this book would be a valuable read for 8th grade and up. I think it would be a hard read for younger readers because of the sexual violence that it discusses. I would be excited to read this book with a class!