“Infused with honesty, heart, and humor, The Black Kids is a true love letter to Los Angeles, highlighting the beauty and flaws of the city, and the people who call it home.” —Brandy Colbert, award-winning author of Little & Lion
Los Angeles, 1992
Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.
Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.
As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.
With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?
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Gr 9 Up-Ashley Bennett is almost done with her senior year of high school when the verdict in the Rodney King trial comes out, shaking up her halcyon life. In Los Angeles in 1992, Ashley is the lone Black girl among her group of white friends who don't understand that she has to behave better than them to be seen as just as good. Jo, her "troubled older sister," gets caught up in the injustice of the verdict and is drawn to the riots, perplexing and worrying Ashley and her family. Stuck between worlds, with her affluent Black family in their white neighborhood, and still being taken care of by Lucia, her Guatemalan nanny and second mother, Ashley isn't sure where she fits in. While bigger issues are at play, she still has personal problems, keeping a secret from her friends and accidentally spreading a rumor that LaShawn, one the few Black kids at her school and the star basketball player, stole a pair of Jordans during the riots. Incredibly nuanced, this story depicts realistic characters dealing with their own desires, while not forgetting the difficult circumstances in which they're living. Family history is also skillfully incorporated into the plot, connecting all the threads. This realistic fiction debut is a snapshot of a moment when people wanted to fight back against oppression and police brutality, and took action as the lines between right and wrong became blurred. VERDICT An excellent addition to all teen collections with a relatable main character who will lead readers through this heated moment in time.-Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough County P.L. Coop., FL?(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.