Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

 

Yesterday, I finished reading Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes. This sports fiction novel is about Donte, a twelve-year-old biracial boy who is one of the few black boys at Middlefield Prep. The teachers all wish he was more like his lighter-skinned brother, Trey, and he is bullied by the captain of the fencing team, "King" Alan. After Donte is suspended from school and arrested for something he didn't do when he is framed by Alan, he seeks out a former Olympic fencer, Arden Jones, at the Boston Boys and Girls Club to learn how to fence to beat Alan at his own game. Initially, Mr. Jones wants nothing to do with Donte, but when Donte comes back the next few days to help out, Mr. Jones agrees to begin training Donte. As the months go by and the tryouts for Middlefield Prep's fencing team approach, Donte makes new friends, grows closer to his brother, and learns about the systemic racism in fencing in his fight for justice.

I thought this novel was compelling from the very start. In addition to being scared for Donte when he was arrested and had to spend time in a jail cell before his parents came to rescue him, I was furious at Alan for saying that Donte threw a pencil at a girl in their class when it was Alan himself. In the same position as Donte, I would have wanted revenge, too, and I thought his goal to beat Alan at fencing was a good idea. As the story went on, I really enjoyed Donte's relationship with his brother, Trey. Even though Donte wanted fencing to be his own thing at first, I liked how they spent more time together when Trey joined Donte's training sessions with Mr. Jones. I was also fascinated by Mr. Jones's story when he finally opened up to Donte about why he quit fencing. It helped me understand the history of racism in fencing and why the issue still persists now. There were definitely times when I wondered if Donte would ever be good enough to win against Alan, so I was extremely happy with the satisfying ending. Black Brother, Black Brother is an outstanding choice for sports fans and will also appeal to those interested in reading stories about the fight for justice.

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

 

Over the weekend, I read Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes. This realistic fiction novel is about a twelve-year-old boy, Jerome Rogers, who observes his family and community as a ghost after he is shot and killed by a police officer while playing with a toy gun. Jerome wishes someone in his family could see him, but he is surprised when the officer's daughter, Sarah, sees him at the preliminary hearing for her father. Although he doesn't know why she can see him, he slowly befriends her and soon meets another ghost boy, Emmett Till. Emmett reveals to Jerome how the history of racism lead to his murder and inspires him to help Sarah understand her father's prejudice.

This novel was such a gripping story and I finished it in about a day. It was so devastating what happened to Jerome as the story gradually revealed the events of the day that led to him being murdered by a police officer. I was drawn in by Jerome's relationships with his family and a new student he befriended earlier that day, Carlos. Although I was heartbroken by the unimaginable grief of Jerome's family, it was Carlos's guilt that really struck me because he was the one who gave Jerome the toy gun. While Jerome's sister, Kim, knew about it, I wondered when Carlos would tell the rest of Jerome's family. I also thought it was so interesting how the author incorporated Emmett Till, a real life victim of racism in 1955, in the story. Jerome was so focused on his own pain, and Emmett was a guide in teaching Jerome that he's just one victim in the pattern of racism and prejudice throughout American history. I think that Sarah is the character who grows the most in the story, though. It was very difficult for her to come to terms with what her father did, but eventually she understood the magnitude of what happened when she found video of Jerome's murder and asked her school librarian about Emmett. This knowledge led to her deciding to make a difference by the end of the novel. While tragic, Ghost Boys is a powerful and timely choice for anyone who hopes for a better world.