I keep writing sentences that start with, “My favorite thing about this book…” and then I remember something else equally as awesome as the thing I was originally going to call my favorite.
I loved a LOT about this book. The characters are complex. Roberta, at fourteen, is just beginning to discover that she can admire and despise things about the same person. I loved that that lesson was repeated in her relationships with multiple characters in the story.
MALCOLM AND ME definitely challenged me. I feel like, at the beginning of the story, I wanted to doubt Roberta’s perceptions of things sometimes. Or offer more benefit of the doubt than she was comfortable offering. A couple of times I paused in my reading to think that through and made a conscious decision to listen to her story and see where it all went before making any judgments.
What really anchors the book is Roberta herself – her anger, her fear, her triumph, and the work that it takes to come into your own talents, whatever they are. For that reason, I think many readers will find a lot to love here, maybe especially young Catholics who seldom see their faith blended with social justice narratives within the middle grade and YA genres.
Black teenager deals with racism at school and problems at home in this 1970s-set YA novel.
Roberta Forest, one of the few Black students at her Catholic school in Philadelphia, is proud of her heritage. But standing up for her point of view lands her in trouble—and on her 13th birthday, no less.
Rebellious and poetic are two words that describe Roberta Frost. The 13-year-old is doing her best to navigate her early teens. Now, we all know that being a teenager is difficult enough and after calling a former U.S. President a hypocrite for enslaving people and having a nun at her Catholic school respond with a racist insult, Roberta also begins to question her religion and how it fits into the greater scope of her life.
Reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X, writing poetry, and participating in an essay contest keep Roberta busy after the encounter with the nun and the other difficulties she’s experiencing in her life. But when Roberta receives the devastating news that she not eligible for the essay contest, her reaction is one that is met with a confrontation with her mother that leads to Roberta learning some truths about her family she was never expecting.
Something my history teacher used to say a lot was, “History may not exactly repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.” Reading Malcolm and Me, I could see so much of what he meant, though it confused me at the time. Robin Farmer finds the connections between her own past during the Black Power Movement and the world we live in today. As someone with a little brother and cousin around Roberta’s age, I found myself questioning what it might mean for them to read this with me (Aiden is starting it as we speak!).
Malcolm and Me is based off of an experience the author had in the sixth grade. It’s an impactful story that discusses issues of racism, religion and parental separation. At first glance, the cover makes this look as if it’s a YA book, but it’s really geared toward middle grade, those kids who are interested in more meaty topics with engaging characters. Roberta is a talented, strong minded girl, who’s very proud of being black. Sister Elizabeth see’s her as being defiant, willful or rebellious, someone in need of discipline. Even Roberta’s mother calls her mouthy and they both try to punish her, hoping it will bring her under control. I really liked Roberta, the way she stands up for what she believes in. She is instrumental in getting the school to reevaluate some of their practices. The events that transpire are seen through Roberta’s perspective, providing a glimpse of what it is like to be a teenage girl of color during the time period of hot pants, ten speed bikes, Mission Impossible and Kool-Aid. I really felt sorry for Roberta as she began to question her faith in God, wondering whether the Catholic school was the right place for her. Her sadness over her parents arguing was also palpable. I’d pair Malcolm and Me with Blended by Sharon Draper or maybe The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert. A lovely #ownvoices story that draws inspiration from the authors own lived experience.
