ALAN Picks

ALAN Picks

February 2026: The Black Experience in Fiction and Nonfiction Young Adult Literature

In this month’s ALAN Picks we feature several books that will appeal to students who may be interested in the coming-of-age, thriller, romance and memoir genres. This column also features several African-American authors in celebration of Black History Month. The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed is coming-of-age historical fiction set during the L.A. Riots. Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury is a thriller and mystery set at a private school owned by a wealthy Black family challenged by generational trauma. Other Side of the Tracks by Charity Alyse  is a contemporary romance that addresses identity and social justice. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson addresses the topics of identity, family and being Black and queer in today’s society.

Looking For Teen Reviewers: If you know students who are interested in writing book reviews of recently published young adult and middle grade books, let them know they can write for ALAN Picks too! 

ALAN Picks Book Selections: ALAN Picks accepts reviews of books published from spring 2020 to present-day, including soon-to-be-released books. This gives ALAN members who are interested in reviewing books more great titles to choose from, as well as accommodate some great books released during the beginning of the pandemic that still deserve highlighting. If you have some books in mind that you would like to review, please reach out to me!

Let Us Know How You Use ALAN Picks! If you read an ALAN Picks review and end up using the book with your students, let us know! We want to hear all of your great stories and engaging ways you are using young adult and middle grades literature in your classrooms. Remember, ALAN Picks are book reviews by educators for educators! Click on the archives to see previous editions. 

Submit a Review: Would you like to submit a review? Check out ALAN Picks for submission guidelines and email ALAN Picks Editor, Richetta Tooley at richetta.tooley@gmail.com with the book title you are interested in reviewing. Rolling deadline.

–  Richetta Tooley, ALAN Picks Editor

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Historical Fiction That Explores Race Against the Backdrop of the 1992 L.A. Riots

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

Book Details

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Page Count: 368

ISBN: 978-1534462724

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Coming-of-Age

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Synopsis:
Set in 1992 Los Angeles during the Rodney King riots, The Black Kids follows Ashley Bennett, a wealthy Black teenager navigating her identity amidst social upheaval. While Ashley has largely been sheltered from racial tensions, the riots force her to confront the ways race, privilege, and history shape her experiences. As friendships fracture and long-buried family truths emerge, Ashley must redefine her place in the world and reckon with what it truly means to be Black in America.

Review:
Christina Hammonds Reed crafts a powerful, introspective narrative that explores racial identity, privilege, and self-discovery through the lens of a young Black girl coming of age. Ashley’s struggle to balance her upper-class upbringing with the societal expectations placed upon her as a Black individual is poignantly portrayed. The novel’s backdrop—the Rodney King riots—serves as a compelling historical framework that highlights systemic racism and the tensions of racial injustice. Hammond Reed’s lyrical prose and well-developed characters make this an engaging and necessary read for adolescents, fostering deep discussions on race, history, and identity.

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Connections and Analysis

• Identity vs. Perception
• Racial Privilege and Systemic Racism
• Family Expectations and Personal Growth
• Social Justice and Protest

In a high school classroom, students can engage with The Black Kids through historical context discussions, identity reflections, and literary analysis. Teachers can facilitate class readings and guide discussions on how Ashley’s journey reflects the broader struggle of Black youth in America. The novel’s themes also support interdisciplinary connections with history and social studies, particularly when exploring the 1992 LA riots and parallels to present-day social justice movements.

Literary and Writing Prompts:

• Write a personal narrative about a time your perception of your identity was challenged—compare it to Ashley’s internal conflict.
• Research the Rodney King incident and the LA riots of 1992. Write a reflection on how this historical event influenced the novel’s tone and character development.
  Choose one scene from the novel and rewrite it from another character’s point of view (e.g., LaShawn or Jo), exploring how identity and perspective shape narrative voice.
• Compose a response analyzing the symbolism of water in the novel, particularly how swimming and pools appear throughout Ashley’s story.

Essential Questions:

• How does privilege affect one’s perception of racial injustice?
• In what ways do historical events shape personal identity?
• How does Ashley’s experience reflect the broader struggles of Black youth in America?
• What role does family history play in shaping personal beliefs and values?

Formative/Summative Assessments

​​Formative:

• 1-Minute Paper: Students reflect on how Ashley’s identity shifts in response to events in the novel.
• Quote Analysis Journal: Students select meaningful quotes each week, explain their context, and analyze how they develop theme or character.
• KWL Chart (Know, Wonder, Learn): Before reading, students fill out what they know and wonder about the 1992 LA riots. After reading, they reflect on what they’ve learned.

Summative:

• Critical Essay: Students craft a three-page analytical essay responding to the prompt: How does Christina Hammonds Reed use the backdrop of the Rodney King riots to explore the tension between racial identity and privilege in Ashley’s coming-of-age journey?
• Digital Podcast or Video: In small groups, students create a podcast episode connecting The Black Kids to modern social justice issues (e.g., Black Lives Matter, police brutality, class privilege).
• Thematic Group Presentations: Each group focuses on one core theme—such as protest, identity, or privilege—using textual evidence, historical research, and student-made visuals to present their analysis.

The Black Kids is a crucial addition to high school curricula, offering a nuanced exploration of racial identity and privilege. Through engaging activities and assessments, students can critically analyze the text while making meaningful connections to their own lives and contemporary social justice movements.

Reviewed by: Skylar  Eppes

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Murder, Privilege and Family Trauma

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

Book Details

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication Date: February 27, 2024

Page Count: 408

ISBN: 9781665903523

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Supernatural

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Synopsis

Sunny Behre’s picture-perfect life as the future head of her wealthy family has been thrown into turmoil ever since the death of her mother and her mysterious final instructions: “Take care of Dom.” Of course, given that Dom is the one sibling in her family of five that never quite fit in, and is accused of murdering his girlfriend, honoring her mother’s last wishes is easier said than done. When she finds Dom with blood on his hands and a corpse before him, it falls to her to investigate the murder Dom swears he didn’t commit – even if she herself isn’t sure if she believes him. 

Review

Tender Beasts addresses privilege, racial justice, and generational trauma while a gripping mystery unravels in classic slasher fashion. I think it does an excellent job of weaving together the mystery Sunny is investigating with the past shared trauma her mother and father grappled with. The complicated relationship between each member of the family and the way Sunny’s perspective on what family should be, develops throughout this novel is just as gripping as the question of who the true murderer is. This book is as much whodunnit as it is a coming-of-age story, and Sambury weaves this story with attentive care.

Thematic Connections & Essential Questions

Thematic Connections:

• Privilege: The book centers on an ultra-wealthy Black family who run a private academy for underprivileged youth in the area, where both the main character Sunny and her brother Dom attend school. The class privilege afforded to the Behre family and the difficulties they face as Black people in Canada are frequently touched upon within the novel. Tender Beasts identifies the interaction between race and poverty in Canadian society and meditates on the ways the Behre’s positionality affects them.
• Structural Racism: The victims of the killer in the book are both white and Black, and the family themselves are Black Canadians. The family frequently interacts with the criminal justice system and the difference between how Black and white persons are treated by the police both as victims and suspects of crime are frequent themes.
• Generational Trauma: There are infrequent flashbacks to Ainsley’s, the Behre matriarch, own childhood as one of two Black families on a rural ranch in a mostly white community in the form of her old journal, which is frequently annotated with Ainsley’s own postmortem thoughts on and messages for Sunny, the intended recipient of the journal upon Ainsley’s death. The events detailed (which affected both her and her future husband, the son of the other Black family on the ranch) had a profound impact on Ainsley’s own approach to parenthood and her relationship with her children. This theme is articulated throughout as Sunny seeks to uncover the truth of who the murderer is, and the eventual approach the sibling’s take at the end to deal with the events of the novel showcase how they are dealing with the trauma their parents passed on to them.

Essential Questions:

• How do the character’s socioeconomic status affect the way they move through society?
• How does racism impact the characters’ treatment and mentalities?
• What does family mean to Sunny? How does her view of her own role within her family evolve over the course of the novel?

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Teaching Strategies

• “Who did it?”: Sunny’s opinion on Dom’s innocence shifts throughout the novel as her understanding of the mystery behind the murders develops. Each week, the students can hold a vote to identify the top suspects, then split into small groups to briefly prepare an argument for why their chosen character is innocent and another is guilty using the material in the chapters read that week as evidence. Then, they can debate other groups to try to identify who did it. This activity also provides an opportunity to educate students on the Canadian criminal justice system and what rights they have when interacting with law enforcement, as these are both topical and related to the events of the novel.

Formative/Summative Assessments

Reflection Essay: At the end of the novel, Sunny and her siblings class with the murderer, and make decisions that we, the readers, know are based on a warped understanding of the situation. Students can write essays reflecting on whether or not they would’ve made the same decisions as Sunny did in her situation, or whether or not they agree with how Sunny’s mother, Ainsley, previously handled the situation she grappled with in the novel.

Personal Connection: This book focuses on a lot of themes that will resonate with all students. Students can create a response demonstrating a theme in the novel that they personally resonated with. This response can be in a variety of forms, from a short essay to an art piece, to allow students to creatively engage with the source material.

Reviewed by: Autumn Smith, undergraduate student, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

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A Story About Young Romance and Race

Other Side of the Tracks by Charity Alyse  

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 

Publish Date: 11/22/2022 

Page Count: 448 

ISBN: 9781534497719 

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Music, Romance, Racial Inequality, Social Injustice 

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Synopsis 

In Virginia lie two different small towns, Bayside and Hamilton. Both towns are separated by train tracks, however their cultural ideals are completely opposite. One town portrays wealth, comfort, and privilege while the other embraces hardship and discrimination. Love can surface in the most unexpected of places, and this story is immersed in passion and value for human rights.  

Review 

Everyone has a right to live their life the way they want. This book is about expectations put on young adolescents during major transitional periods in their lives. This book provides unity in young adults who experience various versions of social inequality and share that perspective through personal storytelling. Charity Alyse provides the ideal story line of events that illustrate social injustice and unique perspectives of how that affects more than one person or group collectively. This romance story is compelling, it gives you a reason to love and accept things out of an individual’s control, and to make personal choices based on what feels right to the specific person, follow your dreams! There is nothing you can’t do! 

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use 

Thematic Analysis: The novel is told through a racial and reformative social equality lens that focuses on: 

• Race 
• Intersectional Social Inequality  
• Differences of Prejudice  
• Cultural Music  
• Microaggressions 
• Identity  

Essential Questions  

• How does the form or style of the book reflect the racial perspective of the text (or not)? 
• How can people of color embrace their culture and how can white people stay conscious of supporting diverse cultural values within a community? 

Teaching Strategies and Activities to Use 

• A close reading of complimentary text about intersectionality and social injustice and how people of color internalize them. 
• Start an activity about microaggression and reflect the interpretations of receiving specific treatment and critically thinking about how minorities might experience similar interactions. 

Formative and Summative Assessments 

Formative: Students engage in a discussion driven conversation regarding personal understanding real experiences of cultural differences and how that relates to the book or characters. Students are required to share at least one thought or comment and write a summary and reflection of the discussion. 

Summative: Have students write a personal response to how they interpret social inequality in relation to racism. How can specific themes of the book illustrate solutions to combat social injustice? Using examples from the book and pulling outside information from the news or other scholarly sources that talk about critical race theory.  

Reviewed by: Adrianne Thompson, CSU student of ILA, Fort Collins, Colorado

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A Memoir on Growing Up Black and Queer

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson 

Book Details: 

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)       

Publish Date: April 28, 2020

Page Count: 320

ISBN: 978-0374312718

Genre: Biography, Autobiography, Young Adult non- fiction 

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Synopsis: 

All Boys Aren’t Blue is a powerful, honest memoir by George M. Johnson explores the complexities of growing up as a Black queer boy in America and navigating those identities. By recounting personal stories, Johnson explores stories of family, friendship, love, and self-discovery. Their memoir touches on difficult topics like sexual identity, racism, and trauma with raw honesty and heartfelt reflection. The book is both a memoir and social commentary and George M. Johnson provides a personal narrative and a larger conversation about what it means to navigate the world as a Black queer person. It is a beautiful conversation and ode to their younger self where they speak of courage, vulnerability, and resilience. This memoir is a celebration of identity, representation, a guide for understanding, and a call for compassion in the face of prejudice.

Review: 

George M. Johnson’s memoir followed their personal journey through learning how to navigate their black and queer identity. All Boys Aren’t Blue expresses themes of finding yourself while growing up in a world that marginalizes both the author’s Blackness and their queerness. I believe this novel is for the young, Black, and/or queer kids who don’t get enough representation within the world. They need more of their experiences shared in such a raw and insightful way as Johnson has done, and it is also for the young adults who may not share the author’s experiences but can use their work as a window for cultural awareness and critical thinking. 

The stories in All Boys Aren’t Blue involve a Black family dynamic that isn’t often talked about—stories of black queer individuals who have to live in fear of further oppression or violence. Johnson shares how they were subjected to sexual assault at a young age and ultimately all the triumphs and battles that they overcame to understand and fully express their identities.

Reading about Johnson’s experiences was difficult and emotional, displaying their masterful storytelling. Difficult narratives and stories like the ones they share in All Boys Aren’t Blue are important because they offer visibility to identities and experiences that many young readers can share but rarely see reflected. I have confidence that these stories can also help broaden perspectives of students who may not share the author’s background and can foster empathy and a deeper cultural awareness. 

I believe that young readers would greatly benefit from this story, as it touches on real, raw moments. Reading All Boys Aren’t Blue can teach younger audiences the importance of naming their stories and understanding the fact that not all issues have a solution, but it will be okay. Although reading heavy content can be difficult, memoirs like All Boys Aren’t Blue demonstrate how storytelling can serve as transformative for young adults. 

Thematic Connections and Essential Questions: 

Themes: self discovery, identity and intersectionality, and storytelling/ personal narrative 

Essential Questions:

• How does the intersectionality of George M. Johnson’s queerness and blackness affect their identity as a whole?
  • How do our identities (race, gender, sexuality, background) shape the way we read about other identities?
• How does a memoir style book with real stories impact the way you read a book?
  • How can storytelling be an act of resistance, healing, or empowerment?

Culturally responsive and sustaining teaching strategies: 

While reading heavy content is difficult, memoirs like All Boys Aren’t Blue demonstrate how storytelling can serve as transformative and empowering for young adults. Johnson used reflective storytelling to show their growth in the face of adversity. 

After having students read the memoir stage a letter writing workshop where students write to their younger selves, a reflection of their past experiences. 

• These letters can: offer healing, give encouragement, empower their younger selves to feel strong and seen. They should include major life events or someone the student felt was influential in their life. 
• Then have the students connect their experience of writing their letters to how George M. Johnson uses a personal narrative to reflect on their life, honor the influence of family and community, and grow in the face of adversity. 

Culturally Responsive Assessments: 

• Create a collaborative Social issues map where students identify issues raised in the book (masculinity, racism, LGBTQ+ stigmas,. They create a mind map of how Johnson experienced these issues and how the issue appears in their communities with possible solutions. 
• A Windows and Mirrors Chart where students follow Bishop’s Framework to identify scenes that serve as a mirror (reflection of their own experience) or window (a way to view different perspectives). 
• Create an expressive and inclusive space for discussion and reflection. Have students participate in a socratic seminar where they discuss how families shape identity, why representation is important, and how these factors affect how they read the text. 

Reviewed by: Raegan Gilchrist, English Literature, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

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