BLACK BOY JOY, by Kwame Mbalia


        Mbalia, K.,& Alston, B.B. (2021). BLACK BOY JOY. Delacorte Press.

 

This anthology includes 17 adventurous short stories from Black children's and teen authors such as B.B. Alston, Jay Coles, Julian Randall, and Jason Reynolds. In these stories, Black boys are able to cry, laugh, be indifferent, have uncommon interests, and even compete in intergalactic races. The mix of stories allows its readers to experience loss, grief, and finding one's voice. There are also stories that focus on the everyday, like picking out the perfect outfit for the first day of school, playing sports or performing in front of a large crowd.

 

The term “Black Boy Joy” was coined in 2016 by Danielle Young. It has grown to encompass the excitement and fun of growing up as boys in and out of the hood. I found the book to be enlightening. While reading these stories, I could picture many of my students (of all races) in these stories just enjoying being a kid. I noticed in several of the stories, the boys were worried about getting their tennis shoes dirty. They took such great care in cleaning them. I have heard the boys in my class discuss keeping their shoes clean. When I was a kid, tennis shoes were for running and playing.

 

The stories were a mixture when it comes to culture. Some stories had no cultural markers. The only way you knew the young men in the stories were black was they were put into this book. Other of the stories were full of cultural markers. In the story Kassius’s Foolproof Guide to Losing the Turkey Bowl,  the language is a strong cultural marker. Slang is used a lot. “It’s a big day up in here!,” “my boo”, “finna cook us like last year” are all examples.  The holiday Kwanzaa is mentioned several times, as well. In the story But Also, Jazz, there are many cultural markers. The story has several musical references. The boys call the paster of the church “Paster Sweat” because he reminds them of an R&B singer Keith Sweat. The Paster wants the boys to write and perform a “feel good” rap song for the church social.

 

#1 New York Times Bestseller

 

Kirkus:  “While the thematic thread provides a scaffold, each of the stories is independently successful. Readers experience Black boys seeking excellence in, among other things, a debate about superheroes, a baking contest, learning to pilot a plane, skateboarding, and determining the true meanings of fly and cool. There is acceptance and celebration of differences in the expression of Black masculinity, along with respect for girls and women. Reflections of Black culture give the stories richness and texture. There are many examples of strong family connections and community support.”

Publisher’s Weekly: “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.”

 

Books with similar themes:

 DADDY’S ARMS, by Fabian Ferguson  ISBN 978-0578436562

GROWTH MINDSET JOURNAL FOR BOYS: A SPACE TO EMBRACE CHALLENGES, SET GOALS, AND DREAM BIG, by Elizabeth Sautter and Gabriel Sautter Savala  ISBN 978-1648769894

I AM EVERY GOOD THING by Derrick Barnes, and Gordon C. James ISBN 978-0525518778 


 

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