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librarybonanza 's review for:
Betty Before X
by Ilyasah Shabazz, Renée Watson
Age: 4th-middle school
Activism: Canvassing
Religion: Christianity--Methodist
Tough Issues: Racism
First Line: "I was just a baby when Grandma Matilda took me away from my mother."
One scene of violent racism is present (Betty passes by lynched African Americans) and others are mentioned (Detroit race riots, police brutality) but the focus of this book is on Betty's various mother figures and how each has influenced her, her strained and heartwarming friendships, the community work of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church & the Housewives League, and Betty's budding interest in social justice. Perfect for the younger crowd or the more sensitive readers.
As a side note, the word 'negro' is heavily used in this book as it was during the 1950s, and young, non-black readers should be reminded that this is not an appropriate word to use in the modern age (outside of a historical context).
Activism: Canvassing
Religion: Christianity--Methodist
Tough Issues: Racism
First Line: "I was just a baby when Grandma Matilda took me away from my mother."
One scene of violent racism is present (Betty passes by lynched African Americans) and others are mentioned (Detroit race riots, police brutality) but the focus of this book is on Betty's various mother figures and how each has influenced her, her strained and heartwarming friendships, the community work of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church & the Housewives League, and Betty's budding interest in social justice. Perfect for the younger crowd or the more sensitive readers.
As a side note, the word 'negro' is heavily used in this book as it was during the 1950s, and young, non-black readers should be reminded that this is not an appropriate word to use in the modern age (outside of a historical context).