By Torrey Maldonado
New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020. Fiction.
Sixth-grader Stephen has always thought of himself as “mixed” – but it hasn’t really mattered that much before. But recently, Stephen feels caught between two lanes and then he starts to notice that some people treat him differently than his white friends. Then, Stephen discovers the Black Lives Matter movement at school, and begins to perceive the racism he experiences everyday in his interactions with strangers, shopkeepers, or his best friend Dan’s racist cousin Chad. Stephen does his part to make his classmates aware of injustices Black people face everyday while trying to avoid being cornered into one lane.
This slim novel is at times hopeful and heartbreaking. As a white reader, this book was eye-opening – following along with a biracial boy as he comes to the realization that people will hate him because of the color of his skin was shocking. This book is a great conversation starter about racial profiling, police violence against Black people and allyship – through the eyes of a brave, young protagonist. Stephen is a likable and realistic character who will appeal to many young readers. This book is a good age-appropriate choice to read with older elementary school students to introduce important and timely topics.
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