Blackout: NYC modern-day romance

There are some authors whose books I will read no matter what.  Now imagine my delight when six of these writers collaborated on one book!  Blackout the anthology of short stories by the best writers of today: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, is a must-have in any high school library collection.  The setting is exactly the same for all of the writers' tales: in NYC a massive blackout takes over the city and from there the stories take form.  From exes competing for the same summer internship to new crushes developing at a home for the elderly, there is a range of love stories for everyone to get into. There are even LGBTQIA relationships that develop with such care that no reader will be unaffected by them.  This is the perfect example of Black joy for young adult readers on up. 

What stood out to me about these stories is that they continued in the form of snapshots throughout the whole book.  It reminded me of a film or play taking place at the same time with fadeaway shots dimming at the close of a chapter and then picking up at the start of another one as the next part of the story unfolds for the characters there.  One might think this would be hard to keep track of all of the storylines, but this is where the writers truly shine in their depth of developing each character and their motivations.  One suggestion I have is to help those who have never been to NYC understand the layout of the boroughs, is to include a map to help with the movement of the storylines. The cover is also beautifully designed, by Erin Fitzsimmons, and has a surprise underneath the book jacket! I cannot decide how to display it in my bookshelf...

 Other anthologies that Blackout reminded me of are Black Boy Joy and Ancestor Approved. These are more for middle grade readers while Blackout is more for high school aged readers. 

Black Boy Joy: a middle grades anthology

 

Black Boy Joy is a middle grades short story collection edited by Kwambe Mbalia and is full of stories written by contemporary Black male and nonbinary authors who know their audience and subject matter. The stories range from realistic fiction tales about fashion, friendship, crushes, deciding how to continue one's journey on finding their identity, music, customs and more.  Surprisingly, there are also science fiction and fantasy stories about gaming in other dimensions, mysterious realms of happiness, and challenges that require zero gravity and quick-witted problem solving.  My favorite parts of these stories are the strong community and family units that support the boys in all of the settings.  They are self-assured, confident people who are going through life's challenges either in real life or in a fantasy world, but overall, the themes they embody are universal.  

I am going to get this book for my school library and will share it with students, families, teachers, and community members. Readers will enjoy the variety of stories and formats.  There is even a story told through comics by the award winning author and illustrator, Jerry Craft.  This is a recommended title along the same vein of Ancestor Approved and Flying Lessons.  I hope that readers will appreciate short story collections and add them to their reading lives!

Ancestor Approved: a Native Voices anthology

 

Ancestor Approved, a middle grades anthology of short stories and poems edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith is a book that presents a wide range of Native people's experiences attending a big pow wow in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Each story takes on a unique point of view, even a rez dog!  What stands out is the variety of what it means to be Indian for each individual person.  Traditions are universally respected, but each character's background results in a plethora of feelings to be explored:  from apprehension about dancing, meeting family for the first time, to not feeling Native enough because of being so far from a rez and being adopted by White parents, jealousy even, from not being good at beadwork, and of course, the pride of being part of a large community.

As a parent, educator, and librarian, I think this book would be perfect for a community common read.  The writers in the anthology are incredibly detailed in their storytelling and are all authentic in their depiction of characters.  Every reader can find so much to discuss in each story and poem.  The best parts are the extensions that result from the references made in each story.  If a reader is interested in the mythology, they can do more readings upon that topic.  Or if someone is more into the music and dance side, they attend a pow wow and see firsthand what it is like.  The cuisine is also deliciously described. Readers can try fry bread, Navajo tacos, and other tasty treats from the book.  I also like how there is a critical view of stereotypes of how Native people are portrayed in the media and books.  Readers can find more examples of this and learn about ways to curb those images.  Finally, I especially appreciated the way some of the authors included how schools often make Native students feel as the other, tease and bully them.  Each of these instances is an opportunity to discuss with students if they have ever faced those moments and how to help one another because words and actions have life-long effects that can harm people.  

At the end of the anthology there is a glossary for correct pronunciation of words used and each author shares a bit about why they chose the topic they did.  This is the perfect chance for readers to read other works by the authors included in the anthology.