Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yousef Salaam - HIGH

Punching the Air
by Ibi Zoboi and Yousef Salaam,
400 pages. Balzer + Bray (Harper Collins), 2020. $20. 

Language: R (53 swears 53 'f'); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13 (prison violence)



16yo Amal Shahid has been tried and convicted of assault and battery - a crime he didn't commit, and sent to juvenile prison. Amal is an artist and a poet, except for a fight in 5th grade he has never been in trouble, but a bias system that sees Amal as what he is rather than who he is works against him. Amal had been attending an arts high school, but even there he was seen as difficult and uncooperative, the only brown face in his classes. When a night out with friends turns into a terrible fight with a group of white boys, Amal finds all the cards stack against him. He's not safe in prison either - targeted by guards and other inmates, Amal is praying that the boy he hurt wakes up from the coma and tells the truth. 

Punching the Air is a novel in verse; heartbreaking, and impactful. Inspired by the story of Yusef Salaam, a young man of color wrongly convicted in the 1980s of attacking a jogger in Central Park, Amal's experience reflects the fear, confusion and pain of a young man of color caught up in a racist society. Zoboi's poetry is beautiful and the story is staying with me. A generous use of the "n" and "f" words makes this a consideration for older students, with a timely message and lots of points for conversation. I'm excited to recommend it. I listen to the audiobook (provided by Libro.fm) and loved Ethan Herrise's narration. 

Lisa Librarian

No comments: