“Contradictions rattle, hurt my mind. (Be tough. Don’t be tough. Don’t be tough, get bullied. Be black, tough can get you killed.)”

Award-winning and bestselling author, Jewell Parker Rhodes, captivates audiences with her new emotionally driven story about a young black boy that faces discrimination, while also discovering the importance of community and friendship. Black Brother, Black Brother is a middle-grade novel that looks at the protagonist’s ability to establish his own identity while facing bullying and racial prejudice.

Desperate to be invisible, Donte Ellison is not. As the new kid at his private school, Middlefield Prep, he is seen and judged for the colour of his skin, while also being constantly regarded with suspicion and harassed. His classmate and primary bully, Alan, taunts him by chanting and calling him “black brother.” On the other hand, his brother, Trey, is lighter skinned and presents as white. While Trey and Donte are both biracial, Trey is the popular kid that is accepted by his peers and teachers.

Rhodes’s narrative opens with Donte being accused for throwing a pencil during class. It quickly escalates to the police being called and Donte subsequently arrested. This unjust incident eventually leads Donte to take a stand against Alan and his bullying. The plan that Donte establishes is to learn and challenge Alan at fencing. What ensues is a journey of the self where Donte learns the importance of his family and community, of the power of forgiveness, and of embracing his identity.

The novel is written through the eyes of Donte in first person point-of-view. While Donte’s thoughts fill the page, his point-of-view is quite expressive and verges on poetic. Emotions are exposed unabashedly as the reader gains insight to Donte’s perception of the world. As Donte’s perspective is able to highlight injustices that happen in the everyday, the result is that difficult issues and topics are presented in a digestible format for a younger audience. Rhodes shares universal messages of acceptance and friendship, but she also focuses in on other important issues like racism and the school-to-prison pipeline. Rhodes brings up these topics and explores them, while seamlessly interweaving them to be part of the compelling and, ultimately, heartwarming story.

Though the novel deals with difficult subjects, Rhodes still is able to maintain a sense of fun and joy through her depiction of certain relationships and in her inclusion of fencing. The positive relationships in Donte’s life are strong and moving. The characters that are portrayed in these relationships are dynamic and have clear motivation for their choices. Fencing, another main highlight of the novel, quickly becomes a safe haven for Donte and allows for a space where he can build-up confidence. Rhodes presents a well-researched depiction of the sport, and is able to connect her descriptions of fencing with the various interactions and interior struggle that is portrayed throughout the work.

While essentially a middle-grade novel, Black Brother, Black Brother is an enjoyable read for all ages because Rhodes creates a lasting impact, but for young readers, she presents complex and real-life situations in a way that is still incredibly hopeful. Overall, through its enthralling storytelling and characters, Black Brother, Black Brother will hold your attention, open the door for discussion, and maybe even teach you something new.

This is such an important read, necessary for all middle-grade readers and older readers. I loved Donte and his family and reading about his strength. I loved it. I was so honored to interview Jewell Parker Rhodes for Black History Month with Brandy Colbert for The Young Folks: https://www.theyoungfolks.com/books/140873/black-history-month-interview-jewell-parker-rhodes-brandy-colbert/