Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Intimate fictional memoir brings Malcolm X to life.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When THE AWAKENING OF MALCOLM X begins, 20-year-old Malcolm Little is on trial. He was part of a group of young men and women who committed robberies as a lark. He expects a White woman who participated in the crimes with him to testify in his defense, but she takes the stand for the prosecution. He's sentenced to 8 to 10 years in prison. There, he learns harsh truths about systemic racism by hearing the other prisoners' stories and observing how they are treated. He also begins a self-education campaign, reading and writing voraciously to remake himself intellectually and spiritually through conversion to Islam.
Is It Any Good?
Superb writing makes the iconic historical figure relatable in this fictional memoir. While narrating the gritty reality of his life in prison, young Malcolm reveals his childhood and life before prison through flashbacks and dreams. Each chapter opens with a quotation from Malcolm X's adult writings, a subtle reassurance to readers that this young man survived these horrifying experiences and eventually thrived and made a difference. This book offers a clear-eyed picture of the human cost of an unfair criminal justice system. At the same time, it inspires by showing a young person conquer loneliness and his own vices as well as social and economic forces that might have destroyed him.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how learning, reading, and writing contribute to the Malcolm's personal development in The Awakening of Malcolm X.
In The Awakening of Malcolm X, the main character's mistake leads to grave consequences. How does he recover?
The authors use a real Malcolm X quote at the beginning of each chapter. How does that affect how you read the story?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Activism , Friendship , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date : January 5, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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