Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America

One story has a graphic description of human bodies after drowning, with hints about suicide. There's an account of a sexual assault: A girl goes off to a private place with a boy and comes back with bruises and torn clothing. One story deals with losing a friend in a fatal car accident.

Many of the stories include some mention of dating or romantic crushes, including same-sex attraction and relationships. A boy and girl kiss and caress under their clothes, above the waist; the boy chooses to stop it from going further because he believes the girl is "too special." A boy describes waking from a dream about his male love interest with an erection and "sticky" shorts. In one story, kids take naked photos on their phones and share them.

Some stories have strong language in dialogue, including "s--t" and "f--k."

Several mentions are made of parents who are or were alcoholics and whose alcoholism negatively affects themselves, the family, or the main character. A group of teens smokes pot in a bathroom mall where they work.

Parents need to know that Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America is a compelling anthology of short stories about adolescents of African descent, immigrant and native born, living in different parts of the United States. Editor Ibi Zoboi (American Street, Pride), invited black authors to contribute coming-of-age fiction. The authors include Jason Reynolds, Renée Watson, Tochi Onyebuchi, Kekla Magoon, Nic Stone, and Rita Williams- Garcia. These pieces portray young black Americans from a variety of religious, class, family, and educational backgrounds. One story contains a graphic description of human bodies after drowning, with hints about suicide. Another deals with losing a friend in a fatal car accident. There's one account of a sexual assault: A girl goes off to a private place with a boy and comes back with bruises and torn clothing. Stories explore dating and crushes, same- and opposite-sex attraction and relationships. There is a relatively detailed description of a boy and girl kissing and caressing under clothes, above the waist. A boy describes waking from a dream about his male love interest with an erection and "sticky" shorts. In one story, kids take naked photos on their phones and share them. There are several mentions of parents who are or were alcoholics and whose alcoholism negatively affects themselves, the family, or the main character. Some stories include infrequent strong language in dialogue, including "s--t" and "f--k."