Betty Before X is a historical fiction middle grade book about Betty Shabazz who was the wife of Malcolm X. This is a fictional depiction of her childhood written by the amazingly talented Renée Watson.

A really good and super informative middle grade book. I'm glad I got to know a little more about Betty Shabazz. The book was hard to read sometimes because of the subject matters it dealt with (trigger warnings for racism and racially charged violence, including lynchings), but it dealt with these subject matters in a great way. I would definitely recommend this book.

Betty Before X is a great middle grade book about Betty Shabazz. If you want your kids and students to learn more about this historical figure, hand them this easy to read and follow novel. Bonus: written by Renée Watson also!

As with most fiction based on the life of a real person, I struggled with what was true and what came from the author's imagination. It did lead me to research Betty Shabazz, which proved fascinating. The challenge for the reader is to remember that not everything in the novel is true. I'd love to see an actual biography on Shabazz as well. As a novel, I do recommend this for middle grade readers.

Powerful, informational and important. This book belongs in every middle school library. Have you read this book yet? If not, you really should.

There was so much hope infused throughout the pages of this book. I adored the character of Betty!

So, confession. Sometimes when I choose (hoard) books from NetGalley and Edelweiss I don't read the descriptions very thoroughly. Often I (gasp) choose a book by it's cover or author or whatever. Sometimes it comes back to bite me - I don't realize it's a sequel or it is too mature for my audience. Sometimes by the time I actually read it (because I hoard some of them for months before I get to them) I forget what they were going to be about. Case in point - Betty Before X. I read the whole book and really enjoyed it and it wasn't until I read the afterward that I realized that the X was Malcolm X and this was the story of his wife Betty when she was a child - before X. Oh.....
This book is a fictionalized account of Betty's young life. Her birth in the south, her upbringing away from a young, abusive mother, and early exposure to racial tension. Then it follows her to Detroit where she lived with her mother's new family for awhile and then moves in with another couple. It tells of her growing awareness of social justice and the fight for equality and freedom.
I thought the book was well done. It shows a girl's struggle to understand her surrounding, to find love and purpose, to count her blessings in the midst of struggle, and to keep on.

Ilyasah Shabazz has already given us a biography about her famous father adapted for middle school readers. She returns with a tale about her mother, an activist in her own right. Whereas X gave us a comprehensive autobiography, Betty Before X offers a glimpse into four years of her mother's childhood.

In the 1940s, young Betty Dean is being raised by a beloved aunt who feels that Betty's mother didn't take good care of her. The mother has remarried, moved to Detroit, and had other young daughters. When her aunt dies, Betty is forced to leave her comfortable life in the south to be raised in a crowded apartment with her step sisters. She spends a lot of time at church and hanging out with her girlfriends. The girls are especially interested in the work of the Housewives' League, a Civil Rights organization that is trying to convince the black community that they should not shop at stores that would not hire them. When she has some fights with her mother, Betty is taken in by the Malloys, who go to her church and are very active in the civil rights movement, and she enjoys living with them very much. There are a lot of things going on in Chicago at this time, and Betty learns to be aware of the position of people in her community and is interested in all of the activists who visit and show her more of what is going on in the world.
Strengths: This is a great slice-of-life title for this time period, and FINALLY we have a book from the point of view of a young black person instead of a Civil Rights story told through a white lens! The details of every day life AND of the social mores of the time are absolutely fascinating, and it's even better since this is a fictionalized account of Shabazz's mother, who late married Malcolm X. Watson's input makes this highly readable and engaging, and historical notes at the end remind readers that this story is based on real events.
Weaknesses: The cover is very young for a book that really should be read by middle school and even high school students. There is a scene of a lynching that might need to be processed with younger readers, who might be attracted to the pretty, sunny cover.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, even though I find Malcom X to be a problematic historical figure. If you have Shabazz and Magoon's X, you should definitely read this!

One of the mentors in a program we have at school wanted to buy books for all of the girls in her group, and I suggested this one. We'll see how they like it, but I think they will!

This was well-written and included an interesting profile of a person in historical who is frequently overlooked. The plot could be tightened since it is portrayed as a novel. Without the strong plot, I don't know that the interest is there for students to pick this one up.

Will be purchasing two. Betty’s story is still ringing in my my. This will be used for our grade eight classes who do Black History Month (Canada) and I also need to have a copy for general circulation for the many students I know who enjoy historical fiction. This book will pull them in and keep them there.

I have seen quite a bit of publicity about this ttile, and am glad I took the time to read it. Betty is a strong, loving, forgiving character shown by her continued love and her respect for her mother despite her living away from her much of the time. Betty’s character experiences much during the story set in the 1940s of Detroit. Readers learn about to the efforts to improve conditions of African-Americans as well.

Betty Before X is the story of young African-American girl growing up in the 1940's in Detroit. Betty was born to Ollie Mae, but taken to live with her Aunt Fannie Mae. When Betty has just turned 7, Fannie Mae dies and Betty moves to Detroit to be with her mother. Things are very difficult at home, however, and readers will twist inside reading instances of emotional and physical abuse (though nothing which is inappropriate for the target age group). Luckily, Betty is able to run away and live with a trusted, loving couple in her community. As Betty grows, she joins the Housewives League, witnesses the impact of institutional racism and police brutality, and finds her inner strength and hope in the face of incredible adversity. Those readers who have researched will know that this strong young woman will grow up to be best known as the wife of Malcolm X, but this story is all Betty's. The depictions of loss, friendship, hope, and struggle are exceptional, with a crisp narrative that is both evocative and efficient. There is no excessive description or filler to be had here. Beyond being a brilliant historical perspective and engaging novel, Betty Before X mirrors all too well the current social and political climate, calling attention to the continued inequality in our country. This should be required reading for everyone - young and old alike.

I'm going to give this a tentative 3.5 stars because I don't entirely know how to rate it. The first half was beautiful, full of tenderness and humanity; I loved it. Loved it!

About halfway through, though, it morphs into a series of didactic adult conversations overheard by Betty, before ending rather abruptly. When all is said and done, there's no real story arc to speak of.

The writing is approachable and this would probably be a fine introduction to the civil rights movement to a middle grade reader on the younger side, but as a complete story or early biography it has me a bit stumped.

A great and important work that should be required reading from coast to coast.

Betty Shabazz, wife of Malcolm X, accomplished so much in her lifetime. In Betty Before X we learn of her childhood and growing involvement in the civil rights movement. Told in an engaging manner this is an inspiring and timely book about a strong woman who spent her life fighting for what is right.

This little book is wonderful gem for kids looking for African-American history. Looking through the eyes of a young Betty we learn of the civil rights struggle from the beginning. We watch as Betty finds her contentment in the church and her place in the civil rights movement. Such a beautiful insight on Betty the person before she became Betty Shabazz. We see her joys and her sorrows in growing up and how these instances shaped her into the magnificient women she came to be.