Summary
This book is packed with the stories of seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors and is made up of short stories, poems, and comics about the boyhood of these young authors, the troubles they overcame, and their joy. Each story is compelling, whether it is humorous or sad and each has an overarching theme, joy!
Theme(s):
Growing up, Joy
Personal Response
The smiling boy on the front cover of this book first caught my attention. Upon reading it, I realized that this book covers a multitude of topics; sexuality, history, fantasy, and middle school, and in the end, it’s all about joy! Many of the stories are relatable and can be read by anyone. This book focuses on the joys of black boyhood and can serve as a great inspiration for any reader, but especially young black boys.
Teaching Ideas
After reading this book, students can begin thinking about what joy is and how they achieve it. They can then refer back to the joy felt by characters in the book. As an extension, students can spend time taking photos of or making notes about what activities, people, or things give them joy and purpose. At the end of the week, have them look at what they’ve collected, then begin writing their own narrative about what brings them joy.
Recommended Reading Level
Grade 04, Grade 05, Grade 06, Grade 07
