I can't believe it took me so long to get round to reading this.

I did find that I may be too old to read this - so just a flag that this is super YA... because of that I didnt gain alot from this book, but if i had read it when i was younger i absolutely would have!

Malcolm and Me is about a girl named Roberta Forest who stands up to racism, learning about herself, family and race in 1970's Philadelphia. Roberta deals with her tumultuous relationship with her family, she grapples with how religion and God can intersect with how we look at race while attending Catholic school. It's told in Roberta's point of view.

I think for the age group that this is aimed at it is informative, and poses alot of interesting questions around race. Not a book for everyone but could certainly have a place on supplementary reading list.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This book was more of a middle school read. It was my fault, that I did not realize that. For that age group, this is a good read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving this book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Malcolm and Me is about a girl named Roberta Forest who stands up to racism, learning about herself, family and race in 1970's Philadelphia. Roberta deals with her tumultuous relationship with her family, she grapples with how religion and God can intersect with how we look at race while attending Catholic school. It's told in Roberta's point of view.

Roberta is a young talented writer who comes to terms in dealing with how her school and society operates. Malcolm and Me is an engaging book that everyone should read with the challenges we face today in addressing racism.

This book knew what it wanted to be and then took some weirdly big leaps to get there. I liked the main character, her family, the setup and execution of the plot conflicts, and even the resolution. I thought the poetry was really not good, the inclusion of Malcolm X was not enough to merit title status, and the emotions of the main character were inexplicably random even given her status as a 13 year old. She's over the top flighty and judgy. But that being said, I love the snapshot into life in the 70s in Philly and I thought Roberta was a very distinct point of view to create that image.

Unfortunately, my expectations were a bit off for this one because I thought it was going to be YA when it is definitely more middle grade. It accomplishes everything it sets out to do and asks a lot of interesting questions about race, but this is the kind of middle grade book that's for middle schoolers, meaning that I don't personally think adults will get a lot out of this book.

This book should be available for all middle grade readers everywhere in my opinion. Farmer writes in such a vivid, truthful way that while this book is set in the 70's, it absolutely resonates with today's prejudices and how things like this are still happening in today's society as well. Loved seeing such a strong protagonist in this young girl, and was thrilled when my teen decided to pick up the title, and so thankful to NetGalley for providing me an eARC to read and review.

Perfect for readers of Elizabeth Acevedo. Roberta reminded me a little bit of Xiomara in that she went through a time of personal questioning and spiritual engagement. Perfect for all teen audiences regardless of background. A reckoning that rings true for any young adult dealing with angst, conviction, confusion, and self-love. Thank you Robin Farmer!!

🖊 BOOK REVIEW 🖊

Synopsis: Philly native Roberta Forest is a precocious rebel with the soul of a poet. The thirteen-year-old is young, gifted, black, and Catholic—although she’s uncertain about the Catholic part after she calls Thomas Jefferson a hypocrite for enslaving people and her nun responds with a racist insult. Their ensuing fight makes Roberta question God and the important adults in her life, all of whom seem to see truth as gray when Roberta believes it’s black or white.

An upcoming essay contest, writing poetry, and reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X all help Roberta cope with the various difficulties she’s experiencing in her life, including her parent’s troubled marriage. But when she’s told she’s ineligible to compete in the school’s essay contest, her explosive reaction to the news leads to a confrontation with her mother, who shares some family truths Roberta isn’t ready for.

Set against the backdrop of Watergate and the post-civil rights movement era, Malcolm and Me is a gritty yet graceful examination of the anguish teens experience when their growing awareness of themselves and the world around them unravels their sense of security—a coming-of-age tale of truth-telling, faith, family, forgiveness, and social activism.

Review: This book is incredible, thought-provoking and real. There is an authors note at the end which I thoroughly enjoyed, where she states that many of the issues black children face today are the same she faced 45 years ago and that much work needs to be done. And this is something that resonated with me throughout the entire book. Set in the 70’s it was often hard to remember it wasn’t set in present day because all the experiences of the MC are so accurate still today.
Despite the heavy content, Farmer creates an incredible story that sucks you in and keeps you wanting more. We watch the MC go through quite a lot, emotionally, in a short time frame and watching her grow and mature is really heart-warming. I fell in love with the MC and really related to the feelings she had during her parents divorce.

My sincerest thanks go to SparkPress and @netgalley for a copy of this book.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Robin Farmer's Malcolm and Me is a young adult novel which explores growing up in the 70s around the time of Watergate and Malcolm X. Roberta Forest, the novel's feisty voice, describes her experiences as she navigates attending a private Catholic School as one of the few (and most outspoken) Black students in her class. The racial currents that are discussed in the novel are very timely for the events of 2020 including the Black Lives Matter protests from the summer and even issues surrounding President Trump's term in office. At 13 years old, Roberta is trying to find her voice as a poet and writer; she has aspirations to win the school's annual writing contest but she keeps having run ins with her teacher, Sister Elizabeth, along the way. Roberta's experiences with Sister Elizabeth's subtle microaggressions and other classmates leave her frustrated so she turns to the Autobiography of Malcolm X for comfort and guidance. Roberta struggles with her faith, her home life, and her beliefs as a couple of secrets become uncovered.
Malcolm and Me was an engaging and timely story. The reader witnesses Roberta's growth against adversity and how she stumbles and rises with grace through this particularly difficult year. I was able to read an advanced copy of Malcolm and Me thanks to NetGalley and SparksPress.

We get a fair number of books about kids becoming aware of or coming to terms with the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr, plenty about learning non-violent resistance. This book is in that vein but with a distinct difference: the figure Roberta is learning to emulate. Malcolm X is perhaps a more challenging figure but that provides more complex ideas. Roberta is learning when to simply resist and when to make a fuss. When to stand up and shout and fight to be heard. There's aggression and compassion in equal measure and Roberta has to learn to balance these things as well. Add in the more standard middle grade themes of questioning your religion and your view of your family and there's a lot going on. This does mean that the plot is a bit scattered. Tonally, it's more suitable for older middle grade kids or young teens. Not a book for everyone but could certainly have a place on supplementary reading list.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Malcolm and Me was so good! In it, you will meet Roberta who is a 13 year old girl living in the 70's. I will also point out the fact that she is African American and is trying to navigate through life while attending a Catholic School. There should be no surprise or shock as to how people were treated throughout this but it doesn't make it an easy pill to swallow either.

Never been to Catholic School before, unless you count Sunday school? (which I wouldn't), and I'm not a big fan of prejudice or racism either. It's still depressing that it exists even today. That being said, I can't say that I've gone through anything that Roberta did. So while I can't fully understand it all or even go through what she (or anyone really) did, I will do my very best to continue to educate myself on everything until the day I die.

Honestly, I loved this book to pieces and think everyone should dive into it. Just to educate yourself and others. Definitely recommendable.

In Malcolm and Me, by Robin Farmer, the author drew from her own experiences growing up to develop the character of Roberta Forest.

Roberta speaks her mind, which doesn’t go over well with her teacher at the Catholic school she attends. Throughout the year they butt heads more than once, especially as Sister Elizabeth is not short on the snide, and sometimes racist, remarks that she aims at Roberta.

At the same time, things are not going well at home. Her father moves out and Roberta is determined to blame her mother, because why else would her father leave them and not come back?

With all the negative things taking place, the one shining star that she has to focus on is the annual writing contest through school. This year Roberta is determined to write the winning entry. Winning the first place trophy is exactly what she needs to reunite her parents and bring her father home. It also will be the perfect snub to her teacher who fails to give Roberta the recognition and respect she feels she deserves.

Roberta is going to learn some lessons this year, including: Things are not always what they seem. Other people have struggles too. Respect and consideration is a two-way street. People don’t get everything they want. Sometimes when one door closes, another opens.

I am an adult reader who loves YA and this book is categorised as Teen & YA. However, I feel it best fits the lower end of that category and perhaps even preteen, with a thirteen-year-old protagonist (the story begins on her birthday). Malcolm and Me covers some important topics such as racism and split families, but it does not contain any young romance or language that would push it into being more appropriate for a higher age group. Older YA readers, particularly those with more advanced reading interests, may struggle to stay engaged as the book reads from the POV of a much younger person than them.

Malcolm and Me is well written and I feel it is a good choice for the 10-13 year old reader on your shopping list.

Thank you to Netgalley, SparkPress, and Robin Farmer for providing me with a copy of Malcolm and Me in exchange for an impartial review.

4/5 stars

In 1973, a 13 year old black girl in a Catholic school learns the complexities of American history, racism, and the flawed heroes we look up to.

I don’t have the same experiences as Roberta, but I felt them. I was upset when she dealt with racism from a teacher, I celebrated her repairing relationships with her family. Her voice was powerful here, even in her youth. The characters felt real, the story flowed well. An important read.

This reminded me very strongly of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, which I also loved.

Malcolm and Me follows a 13 year old girl names Roberta navigate being black in a mostly white, catholic middle school. Within the first few chapters, readers are thrown into the prejudice and racism of the 1970's (and today) along with religion, faith, and social activism. Roberta is trying to figure out who she is in a world that does not accept or want to see her for what she is, an clever, outspoken and smart girl. All they see is color.

This was a beautifully written book about horrible themes that still seem to plague our society today. Farmer does a wonderful job setting the stage for Roberta's identity story and intersperses it with faith and inquisition that is like nothing else I have read recently. It was so well done.

The story does a good job speaking out about the injustices of the time and makes it painfully clear that we have not gotten very far. Which is sad but needs to be seen and realized.

Roberta is a strong female characters that had me fully with her, I wanted to read Malcolm X's autobiography, I wanted to slap nuns, and fight for her along with her and I was able to through this book. I think that I would have been better prepared had I actually read Malcolm's autobiography but it was a wonderful story either way.

There is always a place for characters of color especially as main characters and I think that this would be a great book to include in any classroom or as reading for anyone anywhere, any age! I recommend this book to all, and will be talking about it for a while.

Where do I even start with Malcolm and Me? This book blew my mind in the best way possible. It's 1973, and 13-year-old Roberta Farmer has a lot of feelings. She's reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X and discussing Black history and Black Power with her father at home, and clashing with a racist nun at her Philadelphia Catholic school. When she's sent home after a blowup with Sister Elizabeth, she deep dives into the Autobiography, examining her own feelings and frustrations through Malcolm X's lenses. Already a writer, she begins journaling her verse and diary entries, guided by Malcolm, and it gives her the strength she needs as her home life and school life begin unraveling.

There is such power in this book and in the characters. Roberta emerges as an incredible heroine; a self-aware 13-year-old coming of age in the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, during Watergate, she questions her own faith in God and in organized religion, in family, and in color. Inspired by an event in the author's life, Malcolm and Me is essential reading that hits that often hard-to-reach middle school/high school age group. Please put this on school (and adult) reading lists, and talk about this book with your tweens and your teens.

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
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5*
Pros: Step inside the 1970s and follow the story of this beautiful Black 13-year-old girl in one of the most influential periods in the fight for racial equality. Raises extremely important points about racism, prejudice, persistent microaggressions, and hurtful stereotypes. Fantastic, fun and witty female lead. Full Black cast, with many nuances and complexities. Talks about family relationships and the concept of a "broken home". Loved the light shined on poetry and the passion for writing. Includes many adventures and misadventures that will make you laugh, rage and feel empowered.
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Cons: Can't think of any, it's a must-read middle-grade for all ethnicities and ages.

Malcolm and Me is one of those Young Adult books that speaks to readers of all ages. Roberta Forest, the central character, is an assertive, inquiring, and fierce student with a gift for writing; she's also Black, Catholic, and attending Catholic school. As she reads The Autobiography of Malcolm X, she gathers the knowledge she needs to question and resist the world around her. This coming of age story is powerful, funny, heart-breaking, and wise.

This book had me hooked from start to finish.

This book is a complex exploration of faith, race, and belonging written in a truly engaging and beautiful way.

All readers will be able to find something to relate with within this book.

Similar to other reviews, I think this book would be perfect for 10-13 year olds. The main character is a great role model - standing up for her beliefs and fighting against the racism that she faces in her everyday life. She struggles with her identity - being black and Catholic - and her character develops as the story goes along. It was a good introduction to Malcolm X for those who don't know much about him (maybe younger readers).

Whilst the book was set in the 70s, I think it is still relevant and important today.

I have given 3 stars as I enjoyed it but was not the target age audience - would be great for younger readers!