Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood

Product Description
THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • FIVE STARRED REVIEWSCelebrate the joys of Black boyhood with stories from seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors—including Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft, and Kwame Mbalia!★ "Pick up Black Boy Joy for a heavy dose of happiness." —Booklist, starred review
Black boy joy is…
Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit.
Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race.
Finding your voice—and your rhymes—during tough times.
Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching.
And more! From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.
Contributors include: B. B. Alston, Dean Atta, P. Djèlí Clark, Jay Coles, Jerry Craft, Lamar Giles, Don P. Hooper, George M. Johnson, Varian Johnson, Kwame Mbalia, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Tochi Onyebuchi, Julian Randall, Jason Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, DaVaun Sanders, and Julian Winters
From School Library Journal
Gr 3-7-It can be challenging to find resonant books for middle grade Black boys that reflect the diversity of their experiences. A solution is right here with this excellent anthology. This exuberant collection runs the gamut, featuring prose and verse with illustrations from 17 Black male and nonbinary creators. Contributors include authors across a variety of youth literature genres, such as Jason Reynolds, Tochi Onyebuchi, Dean Atta, and Julian Winters. The stories themselves are short enough to appeal to reluctant readers and address all kinds of topics, from losing a close relative to saving the galaxy to getting injured doing a sport and the first day of school. Relationships and connection are the throughlines that render these seemingly disparate stories a cohesive whole. No matter if readers are into music, art, sports, church, or fantastical adventure, there is something in this book that they will connect with. VERDICT This book is a must-have in every collection for its variety of topics and its celebration of Black boyhood in all its forms.-Michelle Kornberger, Havenview M.S., Memphisα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
An Amazon Best Book of 2021
A Washington Post Best Book of 2021A Boston Globe Best Book of 2021A New York Public Library Best Book of 2021
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2021A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2021
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2021
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2021
A BookPage Best Book of 2021
"From stories to poetry and comics,
Black Boy Joy has something for every type of reader."—
The New York Times Book Review
★ "
Luminous . . . Filtering perennial subjects such as friendships, gender identity, and family through the lenses of magic, science, space travel, superheroes, and more, this is
an exuberant celebration of carefree Black experiences; while it will especially resonate with Black readers, any reader will appreciate how this genre-bending collection expands the horizons of what joy for Black boys can be."—
Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "This book is
a must-have in every collection for its variety of topics and its celebration of Black boyhood in all its forms."—
School Library Journal, starred review
★ "In a world where Black boys' stories are often tragedies, statistics, and stereotypes,
this work surely reclaims ownership over the boldness, creativity, and wholeness they possess." —
Booklist, starred review
★ “Some are humorous, some are poignant, but all are compelling reading...
A unique, timely, and necessary read.” —
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "This anthology for middle-graders is
beautifully and unapologetically written, allowing anyone, regardless of age, sex or race, to feel a sense of pride and joy in being true to themselves."—
Shelf Awareness, starred review