Punching the Air by Ibi ZoboiMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wooo. Holy smokes. This is a powerful book. Hearing it - rather than reading it - also lent an urgency and power to the text for me. Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam create the inner world of Amal with beauty and intensity and make clear their message of hope and the power of art to express truth in the face of injustice.
Because it is a novel in verse, this book is one that will appeal to kids who don't think they like to read but who appreciate a well-crafted line and use of space on the page. It will also appeal to readers who are interested in issues of social justice. (If you've seen When They See Us, you really should read this book...)
There is strong language that would prevent me from using this as a read-aloud in my middle school, but I would absolutely encourage students to read or listen and would welcome follow-up conversations. For adult readers, I encourage you to read and have ongoing discussions with young people about racial injustice, the biases built into our criminal justice system, and our role in perpetuating and solving these two problems.
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