From the cover to the stories throughout, this book does indeed radiate joy. It's hard not to create a stunner of an anthology with so many heavy hitters involved, but every story is brilliantly done and deeply felt. More joy!

This is a core collection title for public libraries of all sizes. Perfect if you’re just beginning to add black joy titles to your collection or a recommended addition for established collections.

A middle grade collection of short stories about joy in being a black boy. Definitely a first purchase for libraries.

5 Stars are not enough. This should be a staple to any classroom library, putting a face and story to so many students who do not see themselves in popular novels. The stories focused on so many aspects of life: growing up, family, friendship, sexuality, love. The authors contributing to this anthology are remarkable individually, so to put them together is a treasure for young readers.

An outstanding collection of stories, poems, and comics celebrating "black boy joy" and their experiences. Written by many of today's must-read Black authors, Black Boy Joy is essential to every public library's collection. In the introduction, Mbalia describes how he hates to watch the news because all he sees are faces that look like his sad or angry. He wanted to share the happiness and excitement of being a black boy. With submissions from luminaries like Jerry Craft, Lamar Giles, Varian Johnson, and Jason Reynolds (just to name a few) we see the myriad of experiences being a black boy and all the feelings they possess. Highly recommended.

Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood

Thank you @netgalley @randomhousechildren’s for this free egalley!

I gotta say, reading about #BlackBoyJoy while in the presence of Black boy joy on the beach was a whole vibe. Here’s to celebrating the beauty and awesomeness of Black boys in all their forms.

These are some of my favorite stories from this collection, but there’s really something for everyone:
- There’s Going to be a Fight in the Cafeteria and You Better Not Bring Batman by Lamar Giles
- The McCoy Game by B.B. Alston
- The Definition of Cool by Varian Johnson
- But Also, Jazz by Julian Randall
- Our Dill by Justin A. Reynolds

Pub date: August 3, 2021

Synopsis:
Black boy joy is…

Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit.
Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race.
Finding your voice—and your rhymes—during tough times.
Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching.

And more! From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.

This was such a wonderful and joyful collection of short stories about Black boys living their lives joyfully and going on fun adventures. I loved reading this book so much and will absolutely be recommending it to students in my library!

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

I think this was a wonderful collection of joyful stories. I definitely enjoyed some more than others, but it was a very happy read.

I'm not the target audience or demographic in any sense, but this book is outstanding. It's also a very necessary book to help more kids see themselves and their experiences portrayed and for other kids to get a sense of something outside of their own world view. Highly recommended!

Black Boy Joy is a much needed piece of work in today's world. Black boys are faced with so much scrutiny and judgement, and they need to just experience JOY. The stories in the anthology are quite varied, some more serious and others funny.

Black Boy Joy is a book about and for our black boys. I start reading this with my eleven-year-old son and he really enjoyed Fort Jones. The stories in the book I can relate to. They were really realistic, serious, and funny. I laughed, cried, and emphasized some of the stories. Please go and get your copy today! I recommend this book to young black males and their guardians. This book is a great conversational piece. I give this book five stars.

This is a lovely compilation of Black authors writing about the experiences of Black boys. There are some amazing grandmothers, some great food, some stinky shoes, and a variety of laugh out loud moments. I generally don't love short story compilations, but this is a winner. Students in my library love it.

I loved this collection of short stories. And the cover is absolute perfection. My favorite was Jason Reynolds, Varian Johnson, and Kwame Mbalia’s contributions. The stories were varied enough to keep me interested and short enough to keep me wanting even more!

A collection of short stories and poems that build on each other for dimension and depth. A great story for children of all ages looking to see themselves represented or get a new perspective on their world.

This book is brilliant. It is joy to read. The crafting of these stories is amazing. I love that it began with defining a home going service. This book was so relatable for Black kids. and I loved to see them all on the page.

Many thanks to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this delightful and empowering book.

This is a collection of short stories, all written by Black male and non-binary authors. Not only does it showcase Black boys, but it even includes stories with LGBTQ+ main characters. Some of the stories are about everyday experiences while others are futuristic and full of fantasy. There is a story (probably several) in here for everyone! I dare you to read it and not fall in love with at least a few of them.

I enjoyed reading the collection of stories. Some made me yell at my Kindle, some made me think, some laugh, and others cry. I can't wait to read it with my students when I return to school tomorrow. I'm sure they will love it as much as I did. They experience love, death, acceptance, and approval.
I found myself crying like a baby when one of the characters reveals to his family he will from thence forth be they or them. I can only imagine the strength it took to let others know their truth and brought to tears when friends and family all accepted them.
I was given the opportunity to read Black Boy Joy by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I give this book five stars!

This was a great anthology with a good mix of diverse stories, topics and genres. I think middle grade kids will be so glad to have this book and will be especially glad to see themselves represented.

This collection was full of smiles, from the cover to the first story to the last! I cannot wait to put this on the hands of middle graders I love!

Black Boy Joy is an anthology within a minimal narrative frame. All of the stories are tied together by the concept of finding joy within one's own life, and all of them, as the title implies, are about black boys - some teens, some younger. Like all anthologies, there is variation between the writing styles and quality of the stories; unlike many anthologies, there are no bad stories in this collection - there are only good stories and great stories. Recommended for readers aged middle school and up.