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breadforanna's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, and Bullying
aclopez6's review
5.0
Short chapters make the book compulsively readable -- super easy to keep turning the page, and each chapter ends with you wanting to keep turning page to find out what happens next. There are also super chunked paragraphs and sections with short sentences, making the text even more accessible.
I would recommend this book to students who are interested in social justice and the school to prison pipeline, potentially students who have enjoyed authors such as Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Nic Stone (Dear Martin), and Jerry Craft (New Kid).
I think it is important that teachers/administrators take a minute to read the first chapter of this book and reflect on our own interactions with students. The language being directed towards Donte, a 12 year old black student, is disgusting and loaded with bias. Although the principal in the scene may not have intentionally attempted to silence Donte, Donte is very much dismissed and disregarded in the scene. This happens in the first chapter, but minor spoiler alert: the principal decides to escalate a situation of Donte throwing his backpack down and calls the police.
I would recommend this book to students who are interested in social justice and the school to prison pipeline, potentially students who have enjoyed authors such as Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Nic Stone (Dear Martin), and Jerry Craft (New Kid).
I think it is important that teachers/administrators take a minute to read the first chapter of this book and reflect on our own interactions with students. The language being directed towards Donte, a 12 year old black student, is disgusting and loaded with bias. Although the principal in the scene may not have intentionally attempted to silence Donte, Donte is very much dismissed and disregarded in the scene. This happens in the first chapter, but minor spoiler alert: the principal decides to escalate a situation of Donte throwing his backpack down and calls the police.
bibliobrandie's review
3.0
While I liked Dante and his family and think this is an important discussion of race and identity, I had a hard time with parts of the plot, which felt formulaic (the underdog trope) at times. The arrest and then subplot of the civil rights court battle with Dante as the defendant was over in a few pages without further discussion. I think students will enjoy this book and the formulaic plot is really intended for the middle grade age, but as an adult reader I was left wanting more. There was a lot of fencing and while I enjoyed learning a bit about the sport, it did bog down the pace of the story at times. I will still recommend this to readers and think it's a great introduction to the inequality students of color experience in schools. The author's note at the end is great.
gallagirlreads's review
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
bookbuyingwithkatie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
jmatsumura's review
5.0
Amazing! What makes this book superb is that it shows, not tells, about racism. I absolutely recommend it for all ages.
echoes01's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
brittneyfike's review against another edition
4.0
This books was wonderful. I enjoyed the
different experiences of the biracial brothers
who don't look alike. My favorite part of the
book was the amount of growth Donte made.
He truly found himself and I really loved how
his character developed.
different experiences of the biracial brothers
who don't look alike. My favorite part of the
book was the amount of growth Donte made.
He truly found himself and I really loved how
his character developed.
melfierro's review
5.0
“[] sometimes I feel like I’m swimming in whiteness.”
“Black is not invisible”
“I go from being worried, on guard, to feeling ease as more people’s skin resembles mine.”
Donte is a biracial middle schooler attending an exclusive private school in Massachusetts. He is darker skinned, while his brother Trey is lighter skinned. The book follows Donte as he is wrongly accused of throwing a pencil and and subsequently arrested for throwing a backpack at no one in particular- then finds a home in form of the sport of Fencing.
A great read, illustrates the struggles of a young black boy in America.
“Black is not invisible”
“I go from being worried, on guard, to feeling ease as more people’s skin resembles mine.”
Donte is a biracial middle schooler attending an exclusive private school in Massachusetts. He is darker skinned, while his brother Trey is lighter skinned. The book follows Donte as he is wrongly accused of throwing a pencil and and subsequently arrested for throwing a backpack at no one in particular- then finds a home in form of the sport of Fencing.
A great read, illustrates the struggles of a young black boy in America.