Sneak Preview: What Lane? by Torrey Maldonado

Stephen is a Brooklyn sixth grader who is becoming  more aware of the criminalization of Black boys his age.  He coaxes Dan, his “white-white” best friend,  to develop his own awareness.  Then,  when Stephen is faced with the racist behaviors of Dan’s cousin and new neighbor,  Chad,   Dan allies himself with his friend.  As this  fast-paced novel unfolds, Stephen gets mixed messages from his parents, his teachers,  his friends, and his neighbors about his own identity.

Rippling with emotional intelligence, What Lane?  will appeal to readers aged 10-12 and to ELA teachers,  Advisory teachers,  and book club leaders.  Educators will appreciate how Maldonado makes the English language feel fresh and malleable with his artistic use of juxtapositions and doubling while writing for developing readers.  What Lane? is an essential addition to all libraries serving preteens,  and urban libraries are likely to want multiple copies.  --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Maldonado, Torrey.  What Lane?  New York: Nancy Paulsen Books- Penguin Random House, 2020. Print.*

*The copy reviewed was an advance review copy.  The book is due out this Spring.

Street God by Dimas Salaberrios

In this autobiography Dimas Salaberrios shares his struggles and the dangers he faced during his involvement in gang warfare in New York City.  As his gang vied with other gangs for power and control of the streets, Salaberrios went from feeling at the top of his game one day, to being shot at and robbed the next.  Salaberrios gives us a detailed account of his life before he turned towards Christianity and away from a life in the streets. 

The author maintains a fast pace throughout most of Street God,  but in the final chapters slows down to a snail's pace to explain his religious journey and his founding of a new church in the Bronx.  Students who have enjoyed Tyrell, Homeboyz and We Were Hereand are ready for a riveting biography,  should be sure to pick up this one.--Claudio Leon

Salaberrios, Dimas. Street God. Austin: The Fedd Agency, Inc. 2014. Print

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Brianna, who dreams of becoming  a famous rapper one day,  takes the bus to another neighborhood to attend a better high school.  Closer to home, she makes a name for herself in a local freestyle battle.  After being abused by her school’s safety officers,  Bri suddenly finds  herself in the limelight as her peers rally around her. As tensions rise at school,  Bri’s rap reputation starts to blow up.

Author Angie Thomas once again tackles issues of injustice, reckoning, family life, and friendship.   Readers who enjoyed her bestselling book  The Hate U Give will enjoy On the Come Up. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Thomas, Angie.  On the Come Up.  New York: Balzer + Bray, 2019.

Born A Crime Site-wide Read Kicks Off

Earlier this week our students at Belmont all received copies of Trevor Noah's Born A Crime and we kicked off our newest interdisciplinary unit at Belmont.  Please join us in reading this hilarious and perspective-shifting memoir all month long.  We're excited to be collaborating and you can click here to learn more about what we're doing in our different content areas. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber