deservingporcupine's review against another edition
5.0
This is an essential book for white adults who work with white children. It gives very kid centered explanations of white privilege and also a way in for teaching/talking about it with white youth. I especially appreciated the way it tackled the pitfalls and common mistakes that many of us white folk engage in when we try to be co-conspirators. I’ll be buying a copy of this book to use in my classroom and in my house.
annebennett1957's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so helpful to advance the conversation that every household should be having this holiday season -- about racism and white privilege -- that is the other 'talk' that needs to happen. Not only should black parents talk to their children about racism, but so should all parents talk about the damage racism is doing to our society.
This book did not cause me to have a knee-jerk reaction, one of defensiveness. It rather made me stop and think and determine how and why I need to proceed forward differently. I hope that this book is widely read by teens and others.
My review: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2021/12/nonfiction-review-other-talk-reckoning.html
This book did not cause me to have a knee-jerk reaction, one of defensiveness. It rather made me stop and think and determine how and why I need to proceed forward differently. I hope that this book is widely read by teens and others.
My review: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2021/12/nonfiction-review-other-talk-reckoning.html
ilikecows321's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.75
beth_menendez's review against another edition
5.0
This is an important book that looks at racism as a white person and says what we need to hear. What to do, what to say, how to grow. It’s a YA read, so appropriate for 13+. Is there a little language? Yes but nothing that isn’t more than what your school aged child hears when teachers are not around. I was challenged to listen more. To speak even when others are not in the room. Read it.
resslesa's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this so much. Brendan reads it himself and it’s so great -he really breaks things down and tells his own goofy childhood stories which highlights the injustice of racism. He also delivers statistics that show critically the issues of racism in America. Recommend as an awesome companion to Stamped. Everyone should read this middle school through adults and the audio is fantastic!
slangston10's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Compelling stats, awareness of centering and erasure, and call to action. Also very much appreciated the personal stories shared.
jheinemann287's review
5.0
To be clear, I don't actually know Brendan Kiely. But! A few hours after finishing this audiobook, I did share a virtual stage with him and a bunch of other writers and teachers at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) 2021 conference. So in my heart, we're friends. Our roundtable session, called "An Unwavering Commitment to Equity and Justice," focused on using classroom libraries and choice reading to work toward equity. #RepresentationMatters. #OwnVoicesMatter. #StudentChoiceMattters.
Kiely was our closing speaker, and he talked briefly about The Other Talk, focusing on how he was kind of a shit teenager. He stole from the gas station convenience store and got out of serious speeding tickets. When I was a teenager, I also stole little things from stores and cried to get out of interactions with the police (speeding, underage drinking, smoking a hookah in a park, etc). Like Kiely, I never felt unsafe when interacting with the police; instead, I felt indignant or annoyed.
This book is for the kind of teenager I was.
With that in mind, my primary criticism about The Other Talk is the cover art. It looks so old-school. Like, it makes the book look old-fashioned and uncool. This is a book for young people, but no kid is going to want to pick it up. So really, I recommend it mainly to adults who spend time with teenagers (at school or at home) because its casual tone and relatable analogies and anecdotes are tools you can add to your own toolbox when it comes to having conversations about race and whiteness. For example, Kiley talks about NBA player Kyle Korver and the difference between "guilt" and "responsibility." White people may not be guilty for the creation of white supremacy, but they're still responsible for it. I also like how he talks about the difference between hearing (sensory recognition) and listening (actually taking it in). When the final bell rights at the end of eighth period, you don't only hear a sound; you hear relief and freedom and the next round of that Mario Kart tournament you're playing with your friends. There's a difference between allowing someone to talk and REALLY listening to what they have to say. To sit with discomfort. To recognize that being uncomfortable isn't the same thing as being unsafe. And if you're really ACTIVELY listening, you are taking action
The last thing I'll say is that I've read a lot of books on race, and this kind of work and thinking feels more contentious right now than ever before. On one side, you have those who are afraid that CRT will brainwash children into hating white people. In many places, it's now illegal to teach about systemic racism. Additionally, you have people who do believe in talking and teaching about race but who find someone like Robin DiAngelo, as a white educator who makes money off of consulting about race, problematic. And here we have a white man writing about whiteness and white privilege. Kiley is to Kendi and Reynolds's Stamped the way DiAngelo is to Stamped from the Beginning. Personally, as a white person who teaches in a diverse school, I feel I have a lot to learn from all these sources. There's always more to learn. There's no one-and-done catch-all PD session or book that will check the box of race. So as readers and learners and teachers, we need to accept that the learning is never done and that we need to meet other learners where they are.
Kiely was our closing speaker, and he talked briefly about The Other Talk, focusing on how he was kind of a shit teenager. He stole from the gas station convenience store and got out of serious speeding tickets. When I was a teenager, I also stole little things from stores and cried to get out of interactions with the police (speeding, underage drinking, smoking a hookah in a park, etc). Like Kiely, I never felt unsafe when interacting with the police; instead, I felt indignant or annoyed.
This book is for the kind of teenager I was.
With that in mind, my primary criticism about The Other Talk is the cover art. It looks so old-school. Like, it makes the book look old-fashioned and uncool. This is a book for young people, but no kid is going to want to pick it up. So really, I recommend it mainly to adults who spend time with teenagers (at school or at home) because its casual tone and relatable analogies and anecdotes are tools you can add to your own toolbox when it comes to having conversations about race and whiteness. For example, Kiley talks about NBA player Kyle Korver and the difference between "guilt" and "responsibility." White people may not be guilty for the creation of white supremacy, but they're still responsible for it. I also like how he talks about the difference between hearing (sensory recognition) and listening (actually taking it in). When the final bell rights at the end of eighth period, you don't only hear a sound; you hear relief and freedom and the next round of that Mario Kart tournament you're playing with your friends. There's a difference between allowing someone to talk and REALLY listening to what they have to say. To sit with discomfort. To recognize that being uncomfortable isn't the same thing as being unsafe. And if you're really ACTIVELY listening, you are taking action
The last thing I'll say is that I've read a lot of books on race, and this kind of work and thinking feels more contentious right now than ever before. On one side, you have those who are afraid that CRT will brainwash children into hating white people. In many places, it's now illegal to teach about systemic racism. Additionally, you have people who do believe in talking and teaching about race but who find someone like Robin DiAngelo, as a white educator who makes money off of consulting about race, problematic. And here we have a white man writing about whiteness and white privilege. Kiley is to Kendi and Reynolds's Stamped the way DiAngelo is to Stamped from the Beginning. Personally, as a white person who teaches in a diverse school, I feel I have a lot to learn from all these sources. There's always more to learn. There's no one-and-done catch-all PD session or book that will check the box of race. So as readers and learners and teachers, we need to accept that the learning is never done and that we need to meet other learners where they are.