Black Boy Joy

Edited By Kwame Mbalia Stories from 17 acclaimed black authors

Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Editor’s Website:                                                                  https://www.kwamembalia.com/

Stories by:

BB Alston Lamar Giles Suyi Okungbowa

Dean Atta Don Hooper Tochi Onyebuchi

P. Djeli Clark George M. Johnson Julian Randall

Jay Coles Varian Johnson Jason Reynolds

Jerry Craft Kwame Mbalia Justin A. Reynolds

Davaun Sanders Julian Winter

Activities & Resources:

ELAR/Writing/Social Studies:

Music is used in almost every story. Write a playlist of your most meaningful songs. Use at least 10 songs in your playlist. 

Pick your favorite short story. Write a short limerick poem about the main character in the story. https://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/limerick.htm

The narrator also talks about thinking of joyous things and spreading joy. What are some joyous things you like to think about? Write a short paragraph explaining two feelings or activities that bring you joy.

One of the themes that runs through the stories in this collection is the importance of positive relationships. Describe the positive relationships that you encountered while reading this book.

MakerSpace Activities:

Pick your favorite character from one of the 17 stories. Using the website https://www.fotor.com/  create an anime character. 

Using www.canva.com or a powerpoint slide pick the short story that most inspires you and create a book jacket/book cover for the story. 

From the story “Percival and the Jab” - Research traditional folklore characters of Trinidad and Tobago— What is something you learned about those creatures from the story that you did not learn in your research?

Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast two of the stories in the book. 

Create a podcast with a partner. Pick a short story and interview the main characters. 

Discussion Questions:

This book is made up of 17 short stories. What are some common themes you noticed throughout the stories, poems, and comics in this book?

What was your favorite short story in this collection? Why did it stand out to you?

By reading these short stories, has this inspired you to read more from these acclaimed authors? Why or Why not?

“There's Going To Be A Fight”

Why was Cornell preparing a list of superheroes? How was his list changed during the book?

This story is about a family of heroes. Think about a hero in your family. How have they impacted you?

“Got Me a Jet Pack ”

Rodney realizes that his parents are sundashers.  What is a sundasher and what does a sundasher do?

Rodney earns a nickname that becomes his nickname. Do you have a nickname? Who gave you that name?

“Coping” 

CJ has a dream of competing in the X Games. What happened to CJ that put his dream on hold? How did CJ deal with the disappointment? 

“Embracing My Black Boy Joy”

Throughout the story, the narrator mentions many things that bring joy to others. Give examples of these things. What brings you joy in life?

“The Definition of Cool ”

DJ loves to dress like DJ Amplified. What was his style of clothing?

What makes Desmond worry so much about what others think about him. 

“But Also Jazz” 

What favor does the Pastor ask of Brandon and Mikkel? How do they react to his request?

How does Momma help Brandon and Mikkel with their problem? 

Explain how the role of music is portrayed in several of these short stories. 

What do all of these short stories have in common? Is there a theme that could blanket all of these stories and authors together?

Book Talk Teasers:

Read the reader’s theater for Black Boy Joy.

Watch the book trailer for Black Boy Joy (4:17) on the Texas Bluebonnet Award YouTube Channel.                                                                 

Meet-the-Author Recording with Kwame Mbalia (4:04):   https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=24288

Virtual Book Tour

https://forum.teachingbooks.net/2021/08/kwame-mbalia-on-black-boy-joy/

Read Alikes:

Colbert, Brandy. The only black girls in town. In a predominately white California beach town, the only two black seventh-graders, Alberta and Edie, find hidden journals that uncover family secrets and speak to race relations in the past. (Novelist Plus)

Cline, Ransome Lisa. Being Clem. When nine-year-old Clem's father dies in the Port Chicago Disaster he is forced to navigate his family's losses and struggles in 1940's Chicago.(NoveList Plus)

Hudson Wade. Recognize! Interweaving stories of the past, present and future with mesmerizing artwork, this moving collection of essays, poems, short stories and historical excerpts from awarding-winning Black authors and artists celebrate Black culture and Black life.(NoveList Plus)

Jones, Kelly. Sauerkraut. A boy's plans for the summer go sideways when the ghost of his great-great-grandmother demands his attention.--Adapted from publisher description.(NoveList Plus)

Rhuday-Perkovich, Olugbemisola. It doesn’t take a genius. Emmett finds a new group of friends at summer camp since his older brother, Luke, now a junior counselor, doesn't seem to have time for him anymore.(NoveList Plus)

Reviews:

Edited by Mbalia, Kwame. Black Boy Joy. Penguin Random House/Delacorte Books, 2021.

Booklist Starred

Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood.

Edited by Kwame Mbalia

Ed. by Kwame Mbalia. 

Aug. 2021. 320p. Penguin Random House/Delacorte Books, $16.99 (9780593379936) Grades 4-7.  

REVIEW. First published July 2021  (Vol. 117, No. 21)(Booklist). 

According to Gary the Griot, joy is cultivated through stories, and it is to be shared and distributed to the  masses. That is exactly what he teaches his successor, young Fortitude, as they embark on a journey to  collect Black boy joy. A collection of short stories aimed at middle-graders, this title offers a fierce lineup  of 17 Black male and nonbinary authors exploring what exactly it means to exist as a Black boy (or  person) without a hyperfocus on the inescapable pains of Black life in America. The contributors offer a  warm embrace of the plurality of Blackness, with stories spanning from intergalactic world-saving to  expressing one’s true gender identity and from whipping up tantalizing dessert recipes, to the process  behind getting first-day-of-school fly, just to describe a few. All the while, Mbalia lovingly connects the  stories through his three-part contribution, “The Griot of Grover Street.” Though the title and cover  may convince you otherwise, it is important to note that this book doesn’t shy away from sadness, fear,  or anger; what sets it apart, however, is that the stories are predicated upon joy. In a world where Black  boys’ stories are often tragedies, statistics, and stereotypes, this work surely reclaims ownership over  the boldness, creativity, and wholeness they possess. A great addition to a classroom collection and an  even better family read; pick up Black Boy Joy for a heavy dose of happiness. —Melanie Marshall 

Used with the permission of Booklist  https://www.booklistonline.com/

School Library Journal starred (August 1, 2021) 

Gr 3-7-It can be challenging to find resonant books for middle grade Black boys that reflect the diversity of their experiences. A solution is right here with this excellent anthology. This exuberant collection runs the gamut, featuring prose and verse with illustrations from 17 Black male and nonbinary creators. Contributors include authors across a variety of youth literature genres, such as Jason Reynolds, Tochi Onyebuchi, Dean Atta, and Julian Winters. The stories themselves are short enough to appeal to reluctant readers and address all kinds of topics, from losing a close relative to saving the galaxy to getting injured doing a sport and the first day of school. Relationships and connection are the throughlines that render these seemingly disparate stories a cohesive whole. No matter if readers are into music, art, sports, church, or fantastical adventure, there is something in this book that they will connect with. VERDICT This book is a must-have in every collection for its variety of topics and its celebration of Black boyhood in all its forms.-Michelle Kornberger, Havenview M.S., Memphis © Copyright 2021. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Reprinted with permission from School Library Journal ©2022

Additional Reviews Available

• Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 07/01/21

• Horn Book Magazine, 09/01/21

• Kirkus Reviews starred, 06/15/21

• New York Times, 08/01/21

• Publishers Weekly starred, 08/09/21