Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming stories of Black boys by acclaimed Black authors.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In the first piece in BLACK BOY JOY, Fortitude bumps into an old man while running away from his beloved aunt's funeral. He knocks over the man's jar. The man, Mr. G., says his jar had contained Joy and asks Fort to help him refill it. Fort's mother, whose followed her son from the church, tells her son to follow the man. They travel through a portal to what the man calls The Between, a realm between worlds. Pieces about Mr. G.'s conversation with Fort punctuate the book, framing the other stories.
Is It Any Good?
Charming, uplifting, and fun, this book dares to put the best parts of Black boys' lives front and center. For Black Boy Joy, editor Kwame Mbalia brings together some of the most popular Black authors, asking each of them to write a piece about joy. The result is a book that can make readers smile even when it covers unhappy topics such as the death of elders. It's a much-needed addition to the landscape of books about Black life, pushing back against the notion that being Black is all about fear, poverty, violence, and struggle. The boys in this book don't just invite empathy or sympathy -- they invite kids of all races to appreciate our shared humanity and common experience on this planet, a message underscored by the clever device of observations from another realm.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how to find joy during hard times. How can you be joyful when you are sad, angry, or scared? Did you relate to the stories in Black Boy Joy?
Black Boy Joy includes a variety of types of pieces: supernatural stories, realistic stories, poems, graphic arts. Which pieces were your favorites and why?
Discuss the theme of family in Black Boy Joy. How can kids bring joy to their families? How can parents help kids live more joyfully?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Delacorte Press
- Publication date : August 3, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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