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stitchsaddiction's review
5.0
Malcolm and Me may well be set in 1973/74 but its subject matter is as relevant now as it would have been then. There is cultural issues, racism, displacement.. I could go on but I truly believe that this is a book that everyone should read at least once in their lives.
Robin Farmer's fiction is based on some factual events that happened to her and its that knowledge of how it must have felt to be a black teenager in seventies Philadelphia during the tenuous presidency of Richard Nixon that had me regularly reading out paragraphs of the book outloud to my husband.
I cannot for one second as a white female, imagine the way both the author and Roberta feels, nor can I fully understand what it must be like to be a person of colour living in America. But this book gave me a glimpse of how hard it must have been to be surrounded by people who cannot see past the colour of your skin.
Farmer's writing is phenomenal and there are incidents in the book that left me laughing, but there are so many more that left me thoughtful. Roberta is a rebellious teenager whose thoughts are expressed as poetry in her diary because voicing them causes increased confrontation. We witness a turning point in her life when during a class discussion, Roberta describes the third United States President, Thomas Jefferson as being a hypocrite because whilst stating all men are equal? Jefferson is a slave owner and slaves were seen as 3/4 of a person.
Her words cause discord and the nun who teaches Roberta's class reacts with a racist insult.
From there, Roberta's world falls apart and the heartbreaking story is brilliantly told from her perspective. She sees a similarity to her situation with those faced by the late Malcolm X when reading his autobiography and finds strength in his actions to stand up for what she sees as being right. That she be regarded as something more than the colour of her skin.
It is a conversation between Roberta and her father that reduced me to tears however and made me truly believe that this book should be in every school.
"Tell your class mates that the Panthers ten point program will be as meaningful fifty years from now, as it is today..."
"In fifty years, I'll be an old lady daddy, we won't need it" I say
"Let's hope not. As a betting man, those are odds I would not take."
Read Malcolm and Me, have your children read it to because this is a book that should be read by everybody.
Robin Farmer's fiction is based on some factual events that happened to her and its that knowledge of how it must have felt to be a black teenager in seventies Philadelphia during the tenuous presidency of Richard Nixon that had me regularly reading out paragraphs of the book outloud to my husband.
I cannot for one second as a white female, imagine the way both the author and Roberta feels, nor can I fully understand what it must be like to be a person of colour living in America. But this book gave me a glimpse of how hard it must have been to be surrounded by people who cannot see past the colour of your skin.
Farmer's writing is phenomenal and there are incidents in the book that left me laughing, but there are so many more that left me thoughtful. Roberta is a rebellious teenager whose thoughts are expressed as poetry in her diary because voicing them causes increased confrontation. We witness a turning point in her life when during a class discussion, Roberta describes the third United States President, Thomas Jefferson as being a hypocrite because whilst stating all men are equal? Jefferson is a slave owner and slaves were seen as 3/4 of a person.
Her words cause discord and the nun who teaches Roberta's class reacts with a racist insult.
From there, Roberta's world falls apart and the heartbreaking story is brilliantly told from her perspective. She sees a similarity to her situation with those faced by the late Malcolm X when reading his autobiography and finds strength in his actions to stand up for what she sees as being right. That she be regarded as something more than the colour of her skin.
It is a conversation between Roberta and her father that reduced me to tears however and made me truly believe that this book should be in every school.
"Tell your class mates that the Panthers ten point program will be as meaningful fifty years from now, as it is today..."
"In fifty years, I'll be an old lady daddy, we won't need it" I say
"Let's hope not. As a betting man, those are odds I would not take."
Read Malcolm and Me, have your children read it to because this is a book that should be read by everybody.
intorilex's review
5.0
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Roberta is a memorable young middle schooler, learning about herself, race and family. Throughout the book she reads Malcom X's autobiography, and deals with her parents tumultuous relationship. Since Roberta attends Catholic School has to grapple with how religion and God can intersect with how we see and deal with race. The great character development had me rooting for and believing in Roberta the entire time. She is a young talented writer who is learning to navigate her school and dealing with authority figures outside of the rules that her mother has taught her.
While Roberta deals with family conflict and pursues her writing she has to come to terms with how society and her school operates. The pacing and many levels to Roberta's development kept me interested and reading. The solid dialogue and nostalgic details, definitely makes me want to pick up more middle grade books in the future.
A thoughtful and thought provoking look into a young girls life that I know will resonate with everyone who reads it. If you enjoy contemporary story's that explore race, class and adolescence, you should definitely read this book.
Roberta is a memorable young middle schooler, learning about herself, race and family. Throughout the book she reads Malcom X's autobiography, and deals with her parents tumultuous relationship. Since Roberta attends Catholic School has to grapple with how religion and God can intersect with how we see and deal with race. The great character development had me rooting for and believing in Roberta the entire time. She is a young talented writer who is learning to navigate her school and dealing with authority figures outside of the rules that her mother has taught her.
While Roberta deals with family conflict and pursues her writing she has to come to terms with how society and her school operates. The pacing and many levels to Roberta's development kept me interested and reading. The solid dialogue and nostalgic details, definitely makes me want to pick up more middle grade books in the future.
A thoughtful and thought provoking look into a young girls life that I know will resonate with everyone who reads it. If you enjoy contemporary story's that explore race, class and adolescence, you should definitely read this book.
asola320's review
4.0
Free audible book for March. It was exactly what I expected it to be so I am satisfied. Interesting short autobiography of Reed and how Malcolm X helped shape the direction of his life.
annabellerrose's review
3.0
For me, this was an okay book. I didn't really like the book format. I feel like it skipped to a lot of different parts, instead of staying on one topic or scene, which kinda got me frustrated throughout the book. A plus is, I like the characters. I liked Charles the most even though he would pop into the book every once in a while. The first chapter started with something that made me want to keep going, which is another plus. So, even though it skipped to a lot of different parts quickly which I didn't like, I liked the storyline and what was happening in the book. The other thing I wish happened in this book was more of Malcolm. Even though the book is called Malcolm and Me, I don't feel like there was enough talk about him. When he was brought up, I realized, from my perspective while reading, it was only when Roberta was talking about how he is inspiring to her. Another thing I did like about the book was the poems. It was probably my favorite thing about the book because I'm not really into poetry that much. Although with this book when the poems would come up, I enjoyed reading them. I would like to add though that there was one part in the book that made me sad. I really trusted in the dad, so when we found out that he had another kid with another woman that was unexpected for me. The part that probably made me really sad in the entire book was when Roberta found out about Daddy and asked him "'Do you call your new daughter 'Pumpkin'?'". Overall though, it was an okay book, just not my favorite.
hannahslibrary92's review
3.0
*I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
For me this book is sitting at a 2.5 which J rounded up to a three.
I saw another review of this book which said that they thought the idea of this book was bigger than what was produced and that explains my feelings entirely.
I had gone into it expecting a YA. I'm pretty sure I saw it marketed as a YA somewhere, so I was a little thrown off when I started reading what is clearly a middle grade.
Having said that, I have read some great middle grade stuff, so I was more than willing to give it a try.
For me, this book was OK. It could have been a bit more developed and engaging, especially with such a compelling theme.
However, for the age it's written for, it's a decent book.
For me this book is sitting at a 2.5 which J rounded up to a three.
I saw another review of this book which said that they thought the idea of this book was bigger than what was produced and that explains my feelings entirely.
I had gone into it expecting a YA. I'm pretty sure I saw it marketed as a YA somewhere, so I was a little thrown off when I started reading what is clearly a middle grade.
Having said that, I have read some great middle grade stuff, so I was more than willing to give it a try.
For me, this book was OK. It could have been a bit more developed and engaging, especially with such a compelling theme.
However, for the age it's written for, it's a decent book.
yeojinqueen's review
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
afreen7's review
4.0
"Life is so unfair. I had been riding a train of hurt for the longest time, and just when I think I'm getting off, we roar past the stop."
I know a lot of people reading Malcolm and Me may think the plot is too simple or the story is too straightforward. But I don't think that was the point of the book at all.
Malcolm and Me is the coming of age story of a young rebellious and smart young girl going through life's sudden lows and unexpected highs along with the frustrations that come with being a teenager and discovering that the world isn't as simple as it seems. Especially for a young black American girl in the 70s; that there are many issues that as a child she may not understand but she can learn and with those experiences comes wisdom and the power of making decisions that will shape her life. Roberta is a middle schooler struggling with her parent's separation, the casual racism in her catholic school and surroundings, her relationship with God and religion, and her aspirations of becoming a successful writer all while being inspired by the life of Malcolm X. Despite the writing seeming uncomplicated (as it should be for a middle grade book) I actually thought it was subtly clever. The inserts about Malcolm's life juxtaposed with Roberta facing her life's trials came at just the right time and were never overbearing.
I loved how the realtionship between Roberta and her seperating parents was portrayed. A lot of the times children may not understand stressful adult situations the way grown ups do, but they still notice them. Sometimes more than adults even realise and it can affect them no matter how much parents shield them from it. I felt like the author did a great job in depicting the value of forgiveness, empathy and standing up for oneself which Roberta herself comes to understand.
The books tackles a lot of tricky topics from politics, slavery, racism, religion, delicately as well as informatively. Seeing the casual racism that still affect black American people from the point of view of a young black girl was very eye-opening and story itself was uplifting and positive.
I know a lot of people reading Malcolm and Me may think the plot is too simple or the story is too straightforward. But I don't think that was the point of the book at all.
Malcolm and Me is the coming of age story of a young rebellious and smart young girl going through life's sudden lows and unexpected highs along with the frustrations that come with being a teenager and discovering that the world isn't as simple as it seems. Especially for a young black American girl in the 70s; that there are many issues that as a child she may not understand but she can learn and with those experiences comes wisdom and the power of making decisions that will shape her life. Roberta is a middle schooler struggling with her parent's separation, the casual racism in her catholic school and surroundings, her relationship with God and religion, and her aspirations of becoming a successful writer all while being inspired by the life of Malcolm X. Despite the writing seeming uncomplicated (as it should be for a middle grade book) I actually thought it was subtly clever. The inserts about Malcolm's life juxtaposed with Roberta facing her life's trials came at just the right time and were never overbearing.
I loved how the realtionship between Roberta and her seperating parents was portrayed. A lot of the times children may not understand stressful adult situations the way grown ups do, but they still notice them. Sometimes more than adults even realise and it can affect them no matter how much parents shield them from it. I felt like the author did a great job in depicting the value of forgiveness, empathy and standing up for oneself which Roberta herself comes to understand.
The books tackles a lot of tricky topics from politics, slavery, racism, religion, delicately as well as informatively. Seeing the casual racism that still affect black American people from the point of view of a young black girl was very eye-opening and story itself was uplifting and positive.
allthaterricka's review
4.0
3.75 ✨
“My brokenness creates a hatred so deep I dive into it. Hope I don’t drown. Some days, I see nothing but gray. I feel scared a lot, too. To mask it, I get angry.”
This book is so heavy. Our main character Roberta is simply trying to understand life as a Black teen growing up in the 70’s. She’s looking for every opportunity to learn and grow but at every turn she’s left broken.
She’s constantly harassed at school by a passive aggressive and racist nun for simply questioning what’s being taught. Her peers often join in on the harassment and rarely get scolded for continuing the trauma. Roberta’s one way to deal with this trauma is through her beautiful poems.
When she looks to her parents for guidance and support the response she receives in split. Her hardworking, kind of militant, father uses diverse literature, movies & music to educate Roberta about the beauty of being Black. On the opposite hand we have her religious mother who wants to stifle Roberta’s curiosity all in the name of desegregation. But these observations are very surface level and Roberta quickly finds out just how difficult it is to be a parent let alone an adult.
The story is a little slow for me and I think that’s just a personal preference. At times, I struggled to continue reading because I had trouble understanding the purpose. This story is simply following Roberta as she engages with multiple situations of family grief and growing pains, racism, friendship, questioning her religion and her simply coming of age.
Thank you to SparkPress and NetGalley for an early eARC of this book. I’m grateful for the opportunity to review it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
amiefiremoon's review
3.0
Malcom and Me is a middle grade book that follows the main character as she deals with serious family and school issues. She is inspired by a biography of Malcom X and by her own poetry to help her better make sense of the ups and downs of life. I feel like this book's idea is bigger than what was produced. I loved the synopsis and expected the book to deeply explore the pains of adolescence through the filter of Malcom X's writing. However, the narrative just seemed to skim the surface and the characters and dialogue read as flat to me. I was never emotionally invested in the story, nor did I connect with the issues beyond my own experience. Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3
_booksanddogs_'s review
4.0
Tell your class mates that the Panthers ten point program will be as meaningful fifty years from now as it is today"
"In fifty years I'll be an old lady daddy, we won't need it" I say
"Let's hope not. As a betting man, those are odd I would not take"
Malcolm and Me is a middle age book about Roberta, a 13 year old African American trying to find her way in life in the 70s at a Catholic school and how she uses Malcolm Xs autobiography to get through the hardest things in life.
Oof, I'm not too sure where to start this review...
Probably with the fact that this book should definitely be in American schools. Also how incredibly sad that this was based in the 70s and yet we still face the same prejudice and racist behavior today.
I know as a white female I will never be able to understand what goes on in America and never truly be able to sympathise with what it's like to have coloured skin and the horrible things that they face daily. I can, however, do my best to educate myself and the people around me, as to what is going on in the world and not be blinded to the police brutality, the racism and the violence.
Malcolm and Me doesn't have the impact of All American Boys, How it Went Down or even THUG and it's not as in depth but it does hit hard in certain places and brings to light similar views for younger readers.
I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it to everyone to pick up, and give it a read.
"In fifty years I'll be an old lady daddy, we won't need it" I say
"Let's hope not. As a betting man, those are odd I would not take"
Malcolm and Me is a middle age book about Roberta, a 13 year old African American trying to find her way in life in the 70s at a Catholic school and how she uses Malcolm Xs autobiography to get through the hardest things in life.
Oof, I'm not too sure where to start this review...
Probably with the fact that this book should definitely be in American schools. Also how incredibly sad that this was based in the 70s and yet we still face the same prejudice and racist behavior today.
I know as a white female I will never be able to understand what goes on in America and never truly be able to sympathise with what it's like to have coloured skin and the horrible things that they face daily. I can, however, do my best to educate myself and the people around me, as to what is going on in the world and not be blinded to the police brutality, the racism and the violence.
Malcolm and Me doesn't have the impact of All American Boys, How it Went Down or even THUG and it's not as in depth but it does hit hard in certain places and brings to light similar views for younger readers.
I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it to everyone to pick up, and give it a read.