While I LOVE the concept, and some of the stories are really interesting, a lot of them dragggeed and were hard to follow--almost like they were "extra" chapters to a book I hadn't read.

This book is the equivalent of a warm, crushing hug and reminder that middle grade REALLY gets the best books! So many of these stories reminded me of growing up with my brother and just the day to day things of going to school, having crushes, dealing with (and loving) family, and it almost brings tears to my eyes when I realize the reason I love this book is because the only time I see Black bodies is when torture or trauma is being pushed. I've never gotten to read such a collection of stories where it's just Black boys living their lives and getting to be children.

YES! So many incredible authors I already love and read all put into this great anthology! My favorite was Lamar Giles' chapter. There were a few new-to-me authors that I've now fallen in book love with as well. What an amazing collection of celebration. I hope this is required reading in elementary schools.

This book was so heart warming , as a bipoc boy this books felt really real , the short stories by all the authors were so well structured and so great to read ! There were so great ! Go read it now!

A heartfelt collection of short stories. Fans of Flying Lessons and Black Enough will love this anthology. I look forward to adding it to my classroom library.

I was excited to read this collection of short stories about Black boys but ultimately there were only a few stories that I really liked. Some of them were just too short so there wasn't enough of a story to grab me. I was also expecting mostly realistic fiction stories but there were several fantasy/science fiction/magical realism stories. What I did appreciate about it is that every time I thought something bad was going to happen in a story I reminded myself that these were stories of joy and could relax a bit - that's not something a reader is allowed to do very often (in a lot of genres but definitely when reading books with Black boys in them.) I applaud the concept of this book and I'm sure everyone will find at least one worthy story in the book but I had hoped for something different. Appropriate for 5th-8th grade.

Beautiful anthology written by spectacular authors! This book emulates black boy joy and I will be shouting it’s praises to everyone I know!

I loved this collection of stories, specifically aimed at black male kids, all written by black male authors. As a school librarian, black male children are the most difficult to find books for, because there is not a ton out there that they can relate to. However, with this book, and others like it (many written by the authors featured in this collection), that is changing. I loved that, even though all of these stories were written by different authors, there were several common threads among them. For example, I had never heard the term "homegoing" as meaning a person going to Heaven after they'd died, but it appeared in more than one of the stories in the book. I also found it interesting how many of the stories involved superheroes in some way. I think that, with the variety of authors and genres represented in the book, there is something here in which nearly every reader can see himself. My favorite story was "First Day Fly" by Jason Reynolds. Of course, there is very little, if anything, Jason Reynolds does wrong, in my opinion, but I felt his story would resonate the most with the black youth I encounter at my school. However, as I said, there is something here for everyone, and I will be ordering it for my library.

Black Boy Joy is an anthology comprised of stories from 17 Black male and non-binary authors about the joy and wonders of Black boyhood. There's so many good stories in here that I honestly can't choose a favorite, and there are many that I would love to see expanded into a full length book! I loved that there's a range of genres and characters, so there's something that everyone will enjoy. There are nerdy characters, queer characters, characters who love space or cooking or sports or fashion or superheroes or music. I also loved that there's so much love and support from friends and families in each of the stories. Even when there are difficult moments, these boys and children are uplifted, championed, and cherished.

I enjoyed and appreciated that this collection of works showcased different experiences of being a young black boy. Joy, fears, puberty, family, friendship, sports and imagination and many other topics are explored.. My favorite 3 (in no particular order) are "Epic Venture", "First-Day Fly" (which I want to use with my students) and "Coping". Having been a teacher for a long time I can absolutely see teachers putting this book in their independent reading libraries, as a read aloud and a way to get reluctant readers engaged. It's mostly short stories, with poetry and a short graphic novel-esque".

This was a true book of joy. I will be proud to carry it in my library. The title says a lot, but the stories are all about the joys of life as seen from the eyes of young black boys. Rather than focus on the negative aspects of the world, this book is a collection of stories written by black authors that focus on the joys of life. It begins with a young man who helps a wizard collect joys in a giant glass jar; his story guides the action of the entire collection of stories. There is joy to be found in family, in cousins, in first love, first crush - in outer space, in the future, in other cultures. It is recognized in simple small things - a fresh shirt, favored jeans inherited from an older sibling; in food, in parties and gatherings.

This celebration of joy is a true asset to any library collection. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review it.

A middle grade anthology focusing entirely on stories about Black boy joy? What an important collection.

This anthology covers a wide spread of genres including contemporary, sci-fi, fantasy, verse, and more. This is a great way to introduce middle grade readers to genres that they may not have been interested in reading originally. The authors all do a wonderful job in telling a strong story quickly.

Speaking of, this lineup of authors is incredible. Seeing so many write middle grade scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. I would love to see a few of these short stories developed into novels someday.

I found some stories stronger than others, as is usually the case in anthologies, but that does not take away from what this is doing overall. A must-read for kids, parents, teachers and a must-have for bookshelves.

What can be said about this other than it’s light and joyful?! Even the heavy parts, but as we all know, how do you know what joy is without sorrow? I have nothing negative to say about this collection of stories. Each one was touching, interesting, and I know my students will love this book!

This book is a vivid anthology of unique, intriguing, engaging short stories celebrating “Black boy joy” and spreading it around! Featuring talented Black authors, I loved how each brought their “flavor” in creating joy.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
This is a delightful anthology highlighting Black boyhood and the voices of Black male authors, especially as there aren’t many mainstream successes that center the stories of Black boys. Helmed by Kwame Mbalia and with an episodic story in three parts from him appearing throughout, the anthology allows for each contributor to hone their own talents, making this a unique collection. Jerry Craft’s comic is a standout, as is Dean Atta’s work in verse. But each author finds a way to capture a little moment in time that encompasses that broad theme of Black Boy Joy, with all the pieces culminating in this wonderful collection.

Black Boy Joy is a collection of diverse short stories by some of today’s most revered black male and non-binary
authors of young adult books including: Justin A Reynolds, Don P Hooper, BB Alston, Dean Atta and many more. Edited by Kwame Mbalia, these stories and poems vary from science fiction to realistic fiction to fantasy.

The term Black Boy Joy was "coined back in 2016 by Danielle Young and has grown to encompass the revelry, the excitement, the sheer fun of growing up as boys in and out of the hood.” In response the continuous tragic stories told night after night on the news, often about young black boys, Mbalia says that the positive aspects of being a black boy should be told. "Their stories - our stories - deserve to be highlighted on the afternoon news. Explored. Seen and celebrated.”

"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."

A delightful collection of 17 uplifting stories and poems that celebrate diversity in its characters, their backgrounds and their challenges. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This copy of Black Boy Joy was provided to me by #NetGalley and #RandomHouseChildrensBooks in exchange for an honest and fair review. Release date: August 3, 2021

#EmptyNestReader #instagram #BlackBoyJoy #youngadult #shortstories #poetry #KwameMbalia #rhkids #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #JulyReads #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #ebooks #arc #advancedreaderscopy #netgalley #kidlit #childrensbooksofinstagram #readingmoms #kidlitpicks #penguinrandomhouse #delacortepress #rhcbeducators #middlegrade

I've said it before and I'll say it again: representation matters.

This anthology features 17 Black authors who share their idea of Black Boy Joy. So many middle grade and young adult novels address racism, bias, and prejudice. While those topics need to be addressed, young people also need to read stories filled with joy where someone's race is not the central issue of the story. I loved reading each of the authors' perspective of joy.

This is a reminder that you don't have to conform to anyone's expectation of your identity. Be who you are. Do what you love. Embrace what makes you unique. Be unapologetically you.

I appreciate what this anthology is attempting to do but the first two stories were feeling very clunky and I was having a hard keeping focused on them. I can only imagine some little kid struggling too. They don't care about what the adults do about what it represents. They just want a good story.

This collection is probably one of my favorite middle-grade collections I’ve read thus far. The collection, edited by Kwame Mbalia, is a celebration of Blackness in all of its beauty. Black Boyhood explores not only social issues, but the simplicity of existing and being. I will be purchasing this for my house and for our middle school. The different genres were interesting and accessible to all readers.

This collection of middle grade short stories, poems, and one short graphic novel features some of the best middle grade writers (Jason Reynolds! Kwame Mbalia! Jerry Craft!) and has the most amazing cover art by Kadir Nelson. I am not a huge fan of short stories because they always leaving me wanting more but there are some real stand-outs in this collection (they honestly still left me wanting more but I was satisfied in the end). I know this is going to appeal to a lot of middle grade students and hopefully spread more black boy joy. <spoiler>The last story (part III) where Fortitude has to carry and spread Joy...so good and just the perfect ending.</spoiler>