★ 12/24/2018
Twelve-year-old Shay’s palms itch when she senses trouble coming, and this year, they seem to be itching more than ever. She and her elementary school besties had dubbed themselves “the United Nations”—Isabella is Puerto Rican, Julia is Japanese-American, and Shay is African-American—but everyone begins moving in different directions as junior high begins. Julia is hanging out more with the Asian girls from her basketball team, and Isabella attracts Shay’s crush when she gets her braces off, leaving Shay jealous. In addition, Shay’s sister, Hana, critiques her for not having black friends, something that Shay isn’t sure matters. Meanwhile, in their city of Los Angeles, tensions are high over the trial of a police officer who shot an unarmed black man. When the officer is set free, and Shay goes with her family to a silent protest, she starts to see that some trouble is worth making. Ramée effectively portrays the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and the difficulty of navigating complex social situations while conveying universal middle school questions about friendship, first crushes, and identity. Shay’s journey is an authentic and engaging political and personal awakening. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)
Full of heart and truth, A Good Kind of Trouble has all of the making to be this generation’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry . Much like Cassie Logan, Shayla’s experiences, pitfalls, and triumphs will inspire young people for years to come. It is a well-written page turner with a voice that stays with you long after you put the book down.” — Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give
“Shay’s voice is so genuine—she practically walks off the page. This is an important book, and an incredible debut.” — Erin Entrada Kelly, Newbery Medal-winning author of Hello, Universe
“Gripping from the opening line, A Good Kind of Trouble is a tender, insightful, and unique look at what it means to stand up for what you believe in and be brave. Shay is the type of heroine who inspires us all to take a stand.” — Jay Coles, author of Tyler Johnson Was Here
“Ramée effectively portrays the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and the difficulty of navigating complex social situations while conveying universal middle school questions about friendship, first crushes, and identity. Shay’s journey is an authentic and engaging political and personal awakening.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Shayla navigates the world of middle school and the troubled world beyond with wit and endless heart. A timely, funny, and unforgettable debut about friendship, facing your fears, and standing up for what’s right.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Reminiscent in writing style to works by Lauren Myracle and Jason Reynolds, this novel [shows] Shayla’s typical middle school problems, then switches to the very specific problems she faces as a young black girl in America…[For] middle grade readers who aren’t yet ready for Thomas’s The Hate U Give .” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Shayla’s narration is both sympathetic and acutely realistic. This is a sensitive exploration of contemporary racism and inequity for a readership not ready for Thomas’ The Hate U Give .” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Gripping from the opening line, A Good Kind of Trouble is a tender, insightful, and unique look at what it means to stand up for what you believe in and be brave. Shay is the type of heroine who inspires us all to take a stand.
Full of heart and truth
Shay’s voice is so genuine -- she practically walks off the page. This is an important book, and an incredible debut.
★ 02/01/2019
Gr 4–8— Twelve-year-old Shayla is just starting middle school. She and her friends, Isabella and Julia, aka "The United Nations" because of their diverse backgrounds, want to stick together just like they did in elementary school. They soon discover that middle school is different and conflicts with friends and crushes ensue. In the midst of the typical middle school angst, a not guilty VERDICT in a legal case concerning a police officer shooting an African American man is announced and Shayla begins to relate to the Black Lives Matter movement in a way she never has before. Shayla, always trouble-averse, ends up challenging her school's administration when black armbands are banned. She grows through the experience and becomes more comfortable in her own skin. The author does a beautiful job illustrating the pain a family goes through in the wake of such a ruling. Reminiscent in writing style to works by Lauren Myracle and Jason Reynolds, this novel starts by showing Shayla having typical middle school problems, then switches to the very specific problems she faces as a young black girl in America. There is also a powerful subplot concerning Shayla's changing perception of her lab partner, Bernard, an African American boy, who she sees as a bully at the beginning of the novel and slowly comes to see as having been boxed into that role by systemic bias. VERDICT Give this to middle grade readers who aren't yet ready for Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give . Highly recommended.—Kristin Lee Anderson, Jackson County Library Services, OR
★ 2018-11-21
Twelve-year-old Shayla finds herself in trouble when she wears a Black Lives Matter armband, which violates her school's dress code
In her first year of junior high, Shayla follows all the rules. And things are going well—though she'd be happy if the boy she has a crush on would notice her. She eats lunch in the same spot every day with her best friends, Isabella, who is Puerto Rican, and Julia, who is Japanese-American. Shayla is African-American, and she's content with their "United Nations" trio. But when some start to question whether she's black enough, Shayla's not sure what that even means. Sure, she's not involved in the Black Lives Matter movement like her older sister, Hana, and she doesn't sit with the black kids at lunch, but why does that matter? But then the United Nations is threatened when Isabella gets her braces off and catches the eye of Shayla's crush and Julia starts hanging out more with her Asian friends. Suddenly, everything is changing—including Shayla herself as concern mounts over cases of police brutality in the news. Realizing that race does matter and that sometimes you have to break the rules, Shayla wears a Black Lives Matter armband. Trouble follows, bringing with it important lessons about friendship and courage. Awkward, endearing, and memorable, Shayla navigates the world of middle school and the troubled world beyond with wit and endless heart.
A timely, funny, and unforgettable debut about friendship, facing your fears, and standing up for what's right. (Fiction. 8-12)
Shayla’s narration is both sympathetic and acutely realistic. This is a sensitive exploration of contemporary racism and inequity for a readership not ready for Thomas’ The Hate U Give .
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Shayla’s narration is both sympathetic and acutely realistic. This is a sensitive exploration of contemporary racism and inequity for a readership not ready for Thomas’ The Hate U Give .
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Shayla’s narration is both sympathetic and acutely realistic. This is a sensitive exploration of contemporary racism and inequity for a readership not ready for Thomas’ The Hate U Give .
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
With youthful immediacy, Imani Parks narrates this slice-of-life story about a smart, well-behaved seventh-grader named Shayla. Shay hopes to avoid trouble as she navigates typical middle school rites of passage such as first crushes and shifting social dynamics. But after attending a Black Lives Matter protest with her family, she begins to consider her African-American identity in new ways, prompting her to risk the consequences of challenging an unjust school rule. By imbuing all of Shay’s experiences with equal and unaffected sincerity, Parks ensures that listeners understand how deeply the personal and political intersect in Shay’s life. She can be stressing about Snapchat pics one minute and confronting institutional racism the next. Tweens and families alike will be drawn into this affirming, thought-provoking audiobook. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
With youthful immediacy, Imani Parks narrates this slice-of-life story about a smart, well-behaved seventh-grader named Shayla. Shay hopes to avoid trouble as she navigates typical middle school rites of passage such as first crushes and shifting social dynamics. But after attending a Black Lives Matter protest with her family, she begins to consider her African-American identity in new ways, prompting her to risk the consequences of challenging an unjust school rule. By imbuing all of Shay’s experiences with equal and unaffected sincerity, Parks ensures that listeners understand how deeply the personal and political intersect in Shay’s life. She can be stressing about Snapchat pics one minute and confronting institutional racism the next. Tweens and families alike will be drawn into this affirming, thought-provoking audiobook. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine