Black Boy White School

Gr 9 Up—Anthony "Ant" Jones, 14, has never known any life outside of his crime-ridden East Cleveland neighborhood. That is, until the day he learns that he's been accepted to the prestigious Belton Academy in Maine. There he finds himself in the midst of unfamiliar territory—a heavily upper-class, Caucasian population. As he struggles to fit in, he begins to feel as if he's losing his identity. The students call him Tony instead of Ant and expect him to play on the basketball team. At home, the neighborhood violence escalates and his best friend is killed. Ant is at first an angry character, and rightly so. His problem lies in being true to who he thinks he is and who he thinks he should be. To make matters worse, there are some deep-seated prejudices in the Belton community. Clichéd moments mingle with raw realism. Where some scenes can feel forced, others feel heartfelt and genuine. The fast pace and style of writing will appeal to a variety of readers, even reluctant ones, making this a debut novel worth noticing.—Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Stark County District Library, Canton, OH