The Black Kids

by Christina Hammonds Reed

Hardcover, 2020

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Genres

Young Adult

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2020), Edition: Illustrated, 368 pages

Description

With the Rodney King riots closing in on high school senior Ashley and her family, the privileged bubble she has enjoyed, protecting her from the difficult realities most black people face, begins to crumble.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Mishker

Ashley Bennett has lived a luxurious life in an upper class Los Angeles neighborhood. However, as the school year winds down and a local man, Rodney King is murdered, Ashley is forced to reevaluate how she views herself and her peers. At first, Ashley the Rodney King murder is barely a blip on

Ashley's radar, although after the verdict is delivered and the protests and riots begin, Ashley begins to see a difference in the way she and her family are treated. She is not just any girl at her high school, she is one of the black kids.
The Black Kids is so on point and perfectly written that I want everyone to read this book immediately. Honest, poignant, and driven, the writing had me hooked from the beginning; it was eerie how the events of the very first chapter seemed to perfectly echo the current events of the USA. I liked that Ashley's character was not the typical 'black kid' of the time and had to experience the consequences of the Rodney King murder to realize the truth of how her race effects her daily life. Through Ashley's eyes I experienced the blatant racism and sexism that was as rampant in 1992 as it is now. The prose also perfectly captured the wonders of being a teen along with the nostalgia of the early 1990's. Ashley's journey had great revelations about racism and the weight of representing her race in a white world, as well as understanding of poverty, friendship and growing up. The consequences of the Rodney King verdict and the subsequent riots were a turning point in Ashley's view of herself and her life, opening up her eyes and my own to see just how long people of color have been vigilantly fighting against systemic racism in the USA and highlighting the cycle of racism, unjust killing, protest and unrest until we put a bandage on the current issue until we forget about what caused the previous issue. The Black Kids is a must-read for everyone who wants to better understand the world we live in.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

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5 more

LibraryThing member brangwinn

Set in 1992, Christina Hammonds Reed’s debut novel, is as relevant today as 1992 when the novel is set in Los Angeles. Ashley is a privileged Black teenager looking forward to graduating from high school. She’s been able to do things many other Black kids. Then the police officers who on are

trial for beating Rodney King are acquitted, and she is forced to reexamine who she is. This is a story of personal growth during a time when justice did not seem possible for all…so it’s very relevant today. Its also a story of friendship and taking responsibility.

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LibraryThing member ShellyPYA

LibraryThing member Hccpsk

The Black Kids by Christian Hammonds Reed represents the good and bad of YA books. The good — a strong social justice message wrapped in an interesting story with plenty of things to keep readers engaged. The bad — somewhat generic characters and storylines with unbelievable aspects thrown in

to broaden the appeal. Black Kids takes place during the Rodney King riots in L.A. where Ashley Bennett lives a privileged life in the suburbs, hanging with her white friends while her older sister gets involved in the protests. Hammonds Reed throws a little bit of everything into this book as Ashley deals with boy problems, school problems, family problems, friend problems, and even more. It gets to be a lot, but readers who enjoy high school issues with a stronger social justice angle will not be disappointed.

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LibraryThing member fionaanne

I was really keen to read a book set during the Rodney King riots but this tale is higgelty-piggelty. Uneven pacing and inconsistent writing style, and the plot is thinly executed.

I wonder if the real problem is with publishers who want to put out diverse books because they know there's demand but

are too racist to assign good editors to these non-white writers.

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LibraryThing member DominiqueDavis

Relevant Then.
Relevant Now.
Relevant Forever.

Fewer