Finalist for the National Book Award
"Shanté adeptly addresses racism, implicit bias, gender, sexuality, sexual violence, and mental health, encouraging readers to care for themselves, think, research, and act. VERDICT Strongly recommended for all young adult collections."
—SLJ, starred review
"By weaving her personal experiences with reflections and observations, the author provides a rich tapestry of perspectives on Black girlhood. [...] A highly creative way of providing insightful social commentary."
—Kirkus Reviews
"The author’s story is split into the boxes that Black women do and don’t fit into, proving perseverance in a binary world and providing readers with the tools they need to understand [these] limitations[...]"
—Booklist
“A vivid witness to the trials and truths of being young, Black, and female. The smart sister, the generous friend every young woman wants, Angela Shanté shows how you can break away from constraints, become your own masterpiece, and find your own freedom.”
—David Groff, author of Live in Suspense
★ 05/03/2024
Gr 9 Up—Shanté chronicles coming of age in 1990s New York City in her poetry memoir and ode to Black women and girls. Through sharing pivotal memories of growing up among her father's family in Brooklyn and mother's in the Bronx, she reveals lessons from The Talk(s) she received from them and shuttles readers between themes of survival, freedom, and innocence lost. Composed of free verse, haiku, and prose that is presented like entries in an otherwise unwritten Black culture dictionary, the memoir is divided into three parts. Each part skillfully addresses the labels, stereotypes, and tropes placed and forced onto Black girls and the work it takes to defy or undo them. While she offers direct advice "for Black girls," Shanté does not neglect Black boys and men in her musings. Footnotes composed of must-read, must-watch, and must-listen recommendations, together with valuable resources, truthful asides, and hard facts, follow nearly every piece, but do not distract. Instead, they act as a perfectly curated instructional guide to Black culture, Black history, and the author herself. Shanté adeptly addresses racism, implicit bias, gender, sexuality, sexual violence, and mental health, encouraging readers to care for themselves, think, research, and act. VERDICT Strongly recommended for all young adult collections.—Alicia Rogers
2024-05-04
An African American poet explores the special joys and challenges of Black girlhood.
Educator and writer Shanté draws on her life story to explore what it means to be a Black girl in contemporary society. From the beginning, she pays homage to wide-ranging experiences, some positive, some not, of women of all ages, while acknowledging her connections to them through her writing. She uses a variety of poetic forms, including free verse and haiku, to describe ways that Black girls are characterized from an early age. Others negatively judged Shanté’s mother’s status as a single parent, even as her mom sought supportive connections: “she wanted us to know / that we had community / a culture / a home / a safe space / to land. / In a hard / hard / world.” Her mother’s guidance was critical to Shanté’s ability to overcome limitations imposed both from within and outside the community. By weaving her personal experiences with reflections and observations, the author provides a rich tapestry of perspectives on Black girlhood. In addition to culturally specific episodes, the poems explore universal themes around family dynamics, coming of age, and personal acceptance. The author effectively uses the imagery of being boxed in (and stepping outside boxes) to link the poems and vignettes. Footnotes cleverly expand on the ideas contained in the main text. A comprehensive readers’ guide completes this unique literary package.
A highly creative way of providing insightful social commentary. (Poetry. 14-17)
